AFSB exam-day guide
AFSB · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Printed call letter / admit card, several copies
Print at least two hard copies and save a PDF to your phone and email. Check that your name, date of birth, and category match your ID exactly. Confirm with the provider whether a physical printout is mandatory or a digital copy is accepted at the gate.
Original government photo ID plus a photocopy
Bring the same ID you declared in the application. Ask the provider which documents they accept (passport, driving licence, national ID, voter card) before you travel, since a mismatch between the call letter and the ID is a common reason candidates are turned away at registration.
Recent passport-size photographs
Carry several copies in the size and background colour used in your application, plus a small glue stick. Boards often ask for photographs at multiple stations across the day. Confirm the exact number and specification with the provider in advance.
Original educational certificates and mark sheets
Pack originals with one photocopy set in a single transparent folder so you can hand them over quickly. Confirm with the provider which certificates are required at which stage; some boards verify documents only after the written stage, others at registration.
Formal, comfortable clothing that meets the stated dress code
Choose something you can sit in for several hours and walk in between buildings. Avoid loud prints, casual shorts, and new shoes. If the provider publishes a specific dress code, follow it literally; if none is published, ask rather than assume.
Simple analogue or quartz wristwatch
A basic watch helps you pace sections when the hall clock is not visible. Smart watches and any device with connectivity are usually barred from the test hall. Confirm with the provider whether any watch is permitted before relying on one.
Water bottle and a light snack
Bring a clear, unlabelled water bottle and something easy to eat between stages. Rules on food and drink inside the hall vary, so ask at registration where you may keep your bag and whether you can drink at your desk.
Travel, stay, and venue route confirmed
Book accommodation within walking distance or a short, well-understood commute of the venue, and arrive in the city the day before. Do a dry run of the route at the same hour as your reporting time to account for traffic and security queues.
Provider helpline and emergency contact saved offline
Store the official contact number, venue address, and a family contact in your phone and on paper. Screenshot the call letter details so you can still find them if your phone battery dies or network coverage drops.
Honest medical and background declarations prepared
Review your own vision, hearing, and medical history so you answer screening questions accurately and consistently. Do not conceal a known condition; disclose it and let the provider decide. Re-check the required medical paperwork with the provider.
Sleep and food routine protected for three nights
Shift your bedtime earlier in the final 72 hours and avoid all-night revision. Eat familiar food, avoid heavy caffeine on the test morning, and treat physical readiness as part of preparation rather than an afterthought.
Plan the day
Confirm the reporting time, gate, and venue through the official channel, then print every document and photograph you need. Pack the folder once and do not keep reopening it. Do one timed practice set per day rather than a full mock, and stop studying new material.
Re-read the provider's instructions on prohibited items, dress code, and document verification, because these are the rules most often broken by otherwise strong candidates. Write your questions down and send them to the provider now, not on the morning of the test.
Travel to the venue city, check in, and walk the route from your accommodation to the gate. Lay out clothes, ID, call letter, photographs, and pens in one place. Eat a normal dinner, set two alarms, and aim for a full night's sleep instead of last-minute revision.
Eat a proper breakfast, leave your accommodation with buffer time, and arrive well before the stated reporting time; confirm the late-entry policy with the provider in advance. Switch your phone off and store it exactly as directed before entering the registration area.
Keep your document folder open and in order, answer verification questions consistently with your application, and note where your bag is being kept. If any instruction is unclear, ask an invigilator once rather than copying what the candidate beside you is doing.
Read the full instruction page before starting, note the number of sections and the time for each, and do a first pass answering what you know. Mark difficult items and return to them. If the provider confirms there is no penalty for wrong answers, leave nothing blank; if there is a penalty, guess only where you can eliminate options.
Drink water, eat your snack, and avoid comparing answers with other candidates, which costs focus and gains nothing. Keep your documents with you until you are formally released, and confirm with the provider how and when results will be communicated.
Rules to check
Carry original photo ID that matches your call letter exactly. If the names differ even slightly, ask the provider in advance how to resolve it rather than arriving with an explanation; entry may be refused at the gate and that decision is not negotiable on the day.
Do not bring phones, smart watches, earbuds, or any recording or connected device into the test hall. Store them as directed, or leave them at your accommodation. Confirm with the provider what happens to candidates found carrying a device.
Follow invigilator instructions immediately and completely, including where to sit, when to open the booklet, and when to stop writing. Do not communicate with other candidates once you are inside the hall, even to borrow a pen.
Breaks are not guaranteed. Confirm with the provider whether scheduled breaks exist, whether you may leave the hall, and whether you can take a water bottle to your desk. If you need to leave during the test, raise your hand and wait to be escorted.
Do not assume a marking scheme. Ask the provider, or read the instruction page carefully, to establish whether there are section-level cut-offs, negative marking, or minimum qualifying scores before you decide how to pace and guess.
Never disclose, discuss, or reproduce test content afterwards, in person or online. Selection boards treat this as a conduct issue and it can affect your candidacy long after the test day.
Answer every verification and medical question honestly and consistently with your application. Concealment discovered later typically costs more than the condition itself, and boards routinely cross-check declarations.
Plan to arrive early and do not rely on a grace period. Late entry rules vary by venue and stage, so confirm the exact cut-off time with the provider and build in travel buffer rather than testing the policy in person.