Exam Day Checklist: The Week Before, the Night Before and the Day
Good preparation does not end with knowing the content. The last week is about protecting what you know and removing avoidable surprises. Use this checklist, adapt it to your exam, and print it if that helps.
- 7 days beforeConfirm booking, rules and ID. Do a final timed test.
- 3 days beforeReview only your error log. No new topics.
- Night beforeLight review, pack ID, sleep.
- Morning ofEat, arrive early, breathe.
- DuringPace, flag, return.
The week before
- Confirm your booking, time zone and whether you are testing at a centre or online.
- Read the provider’s exam rules and ID requirements. Do not assume.
- Do one final full timed practice test, then review only your weak topics.
- If testing online, run the provider’s system check on the same computer, in the same room.
- Plan your travel or set up a quiet, tidy room with a stable internet connection.
The night before
- Do a light review of your notes or error log for an hour at most.
- Prepare ID, confirmation email and any items you are allowed to bring.
- Sleep. A rested mind recalls more than an extra hour of cramming.
- Set two alarms and plan how you will get there or set up your room.
On the day
- Eat and drink something sensible. Avoid anything unusual.
- Arrive or log in early so you are not rushed.
- Spend the first moments reading instructions, not racing the clock.
- Pace yourself. Divide the time by the number of questions to get a minutes-per-question figure and check it at the halfway point.
- Answer what you know first. Flag hard questions and come back.
- Use leftover time to recheck flagged items, but do not change answers without a clear reason.
Pacing: how long can you spend per question?
Do the arithmetic before you start. Divide the total time by the number of questions, then check yourself at the halfway point. The table shows how it works for a few typical formats. Check the real numbers for your exam on the provider’s page.
| Questions | Time allowed | Minutes per question | Where you should be at halfway time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 minutes | 1.5 | Around question 20 |
| 60 | 90 minutes | 1.5 | Around question 30 |
| 65 | 130 minutes | 2.0 | Around question 33 |
| 90 | 120 minutes | 1.3 | Around question 45 |
Our free exam timer does this for you, shows your minutes per question and alerts you at checkpoints, so you can rehearse the pace in your practice tests.
If you feel nervous
Some nerves are normal. Breathe slowly for a minute before you start. Remind yourself that you have already passed practice tests under the same conditions. If a question blanks you, skip it. Often the next one will help.
What to do if something goes wrong
- Technical problem in an online exam: contact the proctor or support immediately, using the method in the exam rules.
- You are running out of time: answer every remaining question. A guess is better than a blank unless the exam penalises wrong answers, which most do not.
- You think you failed: do not decide before the result. Write down the topics that surprised you while they are fresh, whichever way it goes.
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