AI-GRS exam-day guide
AI-GRS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the exact ID the testing provider requires; the name must match your registration. Confirm accepted ID forms and name-matching rules with the provider before test day.
Admission confirmation / scheduling documents
Bring your appointment confirmation, confirmation number, and any admission letter the provider issues. Keep a printed copy and a digital copy.
Approved calculator
Confirm with the provider which calculator models are permitted and whether an on-screen calculator is supplied. Do not assume your everyday financial calculator is allowed.
Knowledge of the allowed reference materials
Determine in advance whether any formula sheet, standards excerpt, or reference tables are provided on-screen or in print, and whether you may bring your own. Verify with the provider.
Test-center logistics confirmed
Verify the exact address, parking or transit plan, arrival time, and check-in window. For remote proctoring, confirm the software, camera, microphone, and room requirements.
Permitted personal items plan
Know the rules for phones, watches, wallets, notes, food, and water. Most providers restrict or store these; confirm what is allowed at your seat.
Rest and logistics buffer
Plan to arrive with margin before your appointment and build in time for check-in and security screening. Late arrival policies vary; confirm with the provider.
Content readiness self-check
Review your own summary sheet of high-frequency topics: highest-and-best-use, market analysis, sales comparison and income approaches, reconciliation, and report-review judgment. Bring only what the provider permits into the room.
Break and timing strategy
Decide in advance how you will allocate time across questions and whether breaks are available and how they affect the clock. Confirm break rules with the provider.
Scratch materials
Confirm whether scratch paper, a marker board, or an on-screen notepad is provided and whether you may bring your own. Do not assume.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Re-read your own condensed notes and error log. Do timed practice sets under exam-like conditions to rehearse pacing, then review only the explanations for missed items.
Confirm all logistics in writing: appointment time, location or remote-proctoring setup, ID requirements, calculator and reference rules, and permitted items. Resolve any open questions with the provider now, not on test day.
Do a technical dry run if testing remotely: install and update the proctoring software, test camera, microphone, and internet, and identify a quiet, well-lit room that meets the provider's requirements.
Protect sleep. Shift your schedule so you are alert during your actual appointment window. Avoid all-night cramming.
Light review only: skim your one-page summary of formulas, definitions, and judgment heuristics. No new practice exams.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation documents, approved calculator, and any permitted items. Lay out clothes and confirm your route or remote setup.
Eat a normal meal, hydrate, and set two alarms. Get a full night's sleep.
Eat a normal breakfast, avoid excess caffeine, and arrive early. Re-read only your short summary sheet if permitted; otherwise do a mental walk-through of your pacing plan.
At check-in, follow proctor instructions exactly, store prohibited items as directed, and verify your name and appointment details before starting.
Do a quick first pass answering confident questions, flag uncertain ones, and return to them. Watch the clock and keep a per-question budget.
For calculation items, write the given data, identify what is asked, and check units and reasonableness before selecting. For judgment and report-review items, identify the core issue and eliminate answers that overreach or ignore scope.
If a question stalls you, mark it, make your best reasoned choice, and move on. Reserve the final minutes to confirm no questions are unanswered and to review flagged items.
Rules to check
Bring valid government-issued photo ID matching your registration name; confirm accepted forms and name-change rules with the provider before test day.
Follow all proctor instructions and test-center or remote-room rules. Unauthorized materials, notes, or devices at your seat can void your result; confirm permitted items with the provider.
Confirm break policy in advance: whether breaks are allowed, whether they are timed, and how they affect your testing clock. Do not assume breaks pause the timer.
Confirm the scoring and reporting policy with the provider, including whether results are immediate or delayed, how scores are scaled, and what the passing standard is.
Know the policy for rescheduling, cancellation, and no-shows before your appointment; deadlines and fees vary by provider.
Do not discuss, record, or share exam content. Treat all questions as confidential, per the provider's candidate agreement.
If you experience a technical or environmental problem during a remote test, notify the proctor immediately and follow their instructions rather than troubleshooting alone.
Keep your own pace and avoid comparing progress to others; scoring is against a standard, not against other candidates, per provider documentation.