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Exam technique

Exam day checklist

A calm, practical guide to packing, arriving, following the rules and handling problems on exam day. Use it alongside the instructions from your own school, college or exam centre.

Editorial

  • Portrait of Robin GibbonsLead authorFounder & CEO·Latimer Tuition
  • Reviewed byHeather LatimerTutor Matching & Customer Service·Latimer Tuition
  • Published

Before you leave home

Start with the instructions you have actually been given for this exam. A useful final check is:

  • Check your timing and location

    Check the start time, arrival time, building, room, seat number or candidate number if your centre has provided one.

  • Pack permitted equipment

    Put your permitted equipment in one place the night before, then check it again before leaving.

  • Store devices correctly

    Charge nothing you are not allowed to use in the room: phones and smart watches should be stored exactly as your centre tells you.

  • Check personal and medical items

    Pack food, medication or personal items only in the way your centre allows. If a medical or access need affects what you need in the room, confirm the process before the day.

  • Confirm agreed support

    If you have access arrangements or reasonable adjustments, check that you know where to go, who to speak to and how the support will work.

  • Private candidate checks

    If you are a private candidate, check your exam-centre instructions especially carefully because you may not receive the same school reminders as enrolled students.

What to bring to an exam

Your exact list depends on the paper, qualification, centre and nation, but the usual categories to check are:

  • Candidate information

    ID, statement of entry, candidate number, seat details or centre emails if your centre asks for them.

  • Writing equipment

    Spare pens and pencils in the colour or format required by your instructions.

  • Subject equipment

    Calculator, ruler, compass, protractor or other items only where that paper allows them.

  • Water

    Only if your centre permits it, and only in the bottle format your centre specifies.

  • Medical or access-related items

    Only if these have been agreed with the school, college or exam centre.

  • Scotland-specific details

    If you are sitting Scottish exams, know any candidate information your school asks for, including your SCN where relevant.

If something goes wrong on exam day

Problems are easier to deal with when you tell the right person quickly.

  • If you are late or cannot attend

    Contact your school, college or exam centre as soon as possible. Use the emergency number or process they gave you if there is one.

  • If you feel ill or panic before the paper

    Tell a member of staff before you enter the room if you can. If it happens during the paper, raise your hand and wait for help.

  • If an agreed support arrangement is missing

    Tell the centre straight away. Access support is normally arranged before the exam, so do not assume it can be added instantly on the day.

  • If illness, injury or disruption affects the paper

    Ask your exams officer or centre about the relevant process. Special consideration is different from access arrangements and does not guarantee a particular mark or outcome.

  • If you sit exams in Scotland

    Your school or centre may use Qualifications Scotland’s exceptional-circumstances process, so use the Scottish route rather than assuming the JCQ wording applies.

After the exam

Once the paper is over:

  • Follow the leaving instructions

    Follow the instructions before leaving the room, including what you can take with you.

  • Collect stored items properly

    Collect any stored items only when staff say you can.

  • Report serious issues quickly

    If something happened that might need reporting, write down the basic facts and tell your exams officer or centre the same day.

  • Avoid spiralling outside the room

    Try not to judge the whole paper from one conversation outside the room.

  • Update your next checklist

    For your next exam, update your checklist while the day is fresh: what did you forget, what helped, and what would you do earlier next time?

References and further reading

Sources and further reading used for this guide are listed below. For exam-room rules, access arrangements, special consideration or other official processes, check the source for your own school, centre, exam board and nation.

  • Latimer Tuition: FAQs

    Latimer Tuition

    Open source 1

  • Latimer Tuition: How It Works

    Latimer Tuition

    Open source 2

  • JCQ: Written exams 2025-2026

    JCQ

    Open source 3

  • GOV.UK: Student Checklist

    GOV.UK

    Open source 4

  • GOV.UK / Ofqual: What you need to know before your exams

    GOV.UK / Ofqual

    Open source 5

  • JCQ: Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration

    JCQ

    Open source 6

  • JCQ: A guide to the special consideration process

    JCQ

    Open source 7

  • JCQ: Contact us

    JCQ

    Open source 8

  • Qualifications Scotland: Your Exams 2026 school edition

    Qualifications Scotland

    Open source 9

  • Qualifications Scotland: Assessment arrangements guide for learners

    Qualifications Scotland

    Open source 10

  • Qualifications Scotland: Exceptional circumstances

    Qualifications Scotland

    Open source 11

  • Qualifications Wales: Learners, Parents and Carers

    Qualifications Wales

    Open source 12

  • AQA: Student Support: What to Expect on Exam Day

    AQA

    Open source 13

  • Cambridge International: What to expect on exam day

    Cambridge International

    Open source 14

  • What can students use in the examination room?

    Cambridge International

    Open source 15

  • JCQ: About us / Strategic Plan 2025-2030

    JCQ

    Open source 16

  • GOV.UK / Ofqual: Ofqual guide for schools and colleges 2026

    GOV.UK / Ofqual

    Open source 17

  • NHS: Tips on preparing for exams

    NHS

    Open source 18

  • Student Minds: Exam stress

    Student Minds

    Open source 19

Related Ed Centre pages

Continue exploring Exam technique guides for students

These linked pages help students and parents move between closely related guidance instead of reaching a dead end.

Section overview

Exam technique guides for students

Practical guides on command words, mark schemes, past papers, timing, exam day, mock-to-final planning and long-mark answers.

Related guide

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Use this guide to spot avoidable GCSE exam mistakes before they cost you marks: misreading questions, missing instructions, ignoring marks, rushing, and not raising exam-room problems at the right time.

Related guide

Exam command words explained

Learn what common exam command words mean and how to match your answer to the task, marks, subject and exam-board guidance.

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

What should I bring on exam day?

Bring the items your school, college or exam centre has told you to bring: candidate details or ID if required, permitted writing equipment, allowed subject equipment and any agreed medical or access-related items. Check the exact rules for pen colour, calculators, water bottles and pencil cases before you pack.

What should I not bring to an exam?

Do not take phones, smart watches, notes or other unauthorised materials into the exam room unless your centre has given a specific approved process. If you bring them to the site, store them exactly as instructed before entering the room.

How early should I arrive for an exam?

Use the arrival time your school, college or exam centre gives you. Leave enough spare time for travel, bag storage and finding the right room; exact arrival routines vary by centre.

What if I am late for an exam?

Contact your school, college or exam centre as soon as possible and follow their instructions. Do not decide on your own that you cannot sit the paper.

What if I feel ill or panic during an exam?

Tell staff before the paper if you can. If it happens during the paper, raise your hand and wait for the invigilator. For health or anxiety concerns beyond the exam room, use appropriate school, medical or wellbeing support.

Can I bring my phone, watch, calculator or water bottle?

Only if your exam and centre rules allow it. Phones, watches and electronic devices are often restricted, calculators are paper-specific, and water-bottle rules can vary. Check your own instructions rather than relying on a generic list.

What if I have access arrangements?

Access arrangements are normally agreed before the exam, based on evidence and your normal way of working. Check the details before the day and tell your school, college or centre immediately if something is not set up as expected.

What should I do after the exam?

Follow the instructions before leaving, collect stored items when staff allow it, and report any serious issue to your exams officer or centre as soon as possible. Then update your checklist for the next paper while you still remember what helped.

Sources and references

Sources and references

Official guidance

Internal pages

Other sources