Cambridge Exam Day Checklist for IGCSE and A Level

The best exam day is a boring one: the bag was packed last night, you arrive early, and you know exactly what to do in the first five minutes. This checklist covers the night before, the morning, the minutes inside the exam room, and the gap between papers. Rules differ by school and centre, so where we are not sure, we say so and send you to your own instructions.

What we could verify about Cambridge rules

Exam centres run the exam, and your centre's instructions come first. What we checked on Cambridge's website:

• Cambridge's exam materials guidance for centres says candidates bring their own pens, in dark blue or black ink for international centres (black only for UK centres).
• Cambridge says calculators are generally allowed unless the syllabus or the front of the paper says they are not. They must be silent with a visual display and must not have data banks, dictionaries or language translators unless the syllabus says otherwise. Candidates must clear stored information before and after the exam.
• Centres must display a "Notice to Candidates" in and outside the exam room. It is worth reading if your school gives it to you.

Everything below that is about identity, timing or what is allowed in the room is general advice: follow your school or exam centre. Your statement of entry or timetable is the document to trust for dates, times and rooms.

The night before

• Check your timetable twice: paper, date, start time, and room. Note the paper code.
• Pack your bag and leave it by the door.
• Do a short, light review. A one-page checklist of formulae, definitions or your mistake log is plenty. Do not start a new topic.
• Eat a proper meal and set two alarms.
• Stop studying at a time you choose in advance. Sleep is worth more than the extra hour.

What goes in the bag

• Identification and any documents your centre told you to bring
• Two or three spare pens in the correct ink colour
• Pencil, sharpener and eraser (for graphs and diagrams)
• Ruler, and geometry set if your paper needs it
• Calculator that your syllabus and centre allow, with fresh or spare batteries and its memory cleared
• A watch that is not a smart device, if your centre allows watches
• Water in a clear bottle, if your centre allows it

Do not take notes, phones or smart devices into the room unless your centre has told you what to do with them. Ask in advance if you are unsure.

The morning

• Eat something you normally eat. Today is not the day for new food.
• Check the bag against the list above.
• Leave early. Plan to arrive well before the start time, so a late bus does not turn into a crisis.
• Skim your one-page sheet on the way, then put it away.
• Use the toilet before you go in.

Before you start writing

When you sit down and are told to begin, do these things in order.

1. Fill in the front page. Name, centre number, candidate number, as asked. Read the instructions on the front.
2. Check the paper. Right syllabus code, right paper, all pages present.
3. Check your calculator. Is it in the right mode (degrees or radians, if your course uses them)? Is the display clear?
4. Read the marks and the number of questions. Marks are a rough guide to how long each question deserves.

Your first five minutes

• Look through the whole paper once without answering.
• Spot any question you can answer quickly and well, and start there if the order is free.
• Underline the command word and any numbers in the questions you read.
• Decide a rough time per question using the marks, then check against the clock. For more on pacing, see how to manage time in Cambridge exams.

If you freeze on question one, move to a different question. Coming back later is normal.

During the paper

• Write the unit and a sensible number of significant figures on numerical answers.
• Show working, even for easy-looking calculations.
• If you are stuck for more than a couple of minutes, mark the question and move on.
• Answer the question asked. Reread it before you write the last line.

The last ten minutes

• Fill every blank you can with a sensible attempt. A written guess can earn something, a blank cannot.
• Check that every part of every question has been answered, including part (c) and (d) on the back of a page.
• Check units, signs, and that final answers are clear.
• Do not change a correct answer because you have a vague worry.
• Put your name and number on any extra sheets and attach them as instructed.

Between papers

• Do not hold a post-mortem of the paper you just finished. You cannot change it.
• Eat and drink something and take a short walk.
• Check the next paper's date and time, then do only light review of that subject.
• If a paper went badly, write one sentence about what you will do differently, then move on. The next one is a fresh start.

Handling nerves with concrete steps

Some nerves are normal. These steps are practical, not medical advice.

• Breathe slowly. Breathe in through the nose for four counts, out for six, a few times, before you open the paper.
• Start with something you can do. An early success settles most people.
• Name the next small task. "Read question 2." Then do it.
• Use the clock, not your feelings. Feeling behind is not the same as being behind. Check the time.
• Talk to someone beforehand. If nerves are severe or last for weeks, speak to a parent, teacher or your school counsellor, well before exam day.

Try it on a real paper

A routine only works if you have rehearsed it. Pick a paper from the past papers hub, sit it at your desk using the first five minutes routine above, write your answers by hand and have them marked against the official mark scheme. That way exam day is not the first time you try it.

Reading papers, downloading the PDFs and seeing mark schemes is free, and a free account adds AI marking. ExamPal does not enforce official paper timings, so use your own clock. Good luck, you have prepared for this.