AICP exam-day guide
AICP · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID with signature
Bring the exact form of identification your testing provider specifies (commonly a valid driver's license, passport, or state ID with a matching name and signature). Your name must match your registration; if your legal name differs from your registration record, resolve it with APA before test day. Confirm the acceptable ID list with the provider - some centers reject expired IDs or photocopies.
Appointment confirmation / authorization to test
Print or save to your phone the confirmation showing your appointment date, time, and test center address or remote-proctoring link. Confirm the exact arrival or check-in time required by the provider, since it is usually earlier than the appointment time.
Test center logistics plan
Know the address, parking or transit options, and door/room location. Do a dry run or check traffic patterns. Build in a buffer for security screening and check-in. If you are testing remotely, confirm your computer, camera, microphone, and internet meet the provider's technical requirements and complete any system check in advance.
Knowledge of what is prohibited in the testing room
Most testing rooms bar phones, smartwatches, notes, books, bags, and outside food or drink. Ask the provider in advance about lockers, and about whether items like soft earplugs, tissues, or a personal calculator are permitted - policies vary and calculators are often provided on-screen only.
Layered clothing
Test rooms are often cold or unevenly heated. Wear layers you can remove, avoiding clothing with large pockets or hoods that may trigger additional screening.
Light snack and water for before or after the exam
Eat a normal meal beforehand. Confirm the provider's policy on snacks and on whether any break time is available or counted against your testing time before bringing anything into the center.
Eyeglasses and any approved medical accommodations
If you have an approved accommodation, bring the approval documentation the provider requires and arrive early to have it processed. Bring glasses if you wear them for screen reading.
A one-page review sheet of your weakest domains
Keep it high-level - frameworks, definitions, and process steps you tend to confuse. Plan to review it before entering the center, not during the exam, since notes are not permitted in the testing room.
A realistic time budget for the exam
Before test day, decide roughly how many minutes per question you have based on the current question count and time limit published by APA, and plan a checkpoint at the halfway mark. Confirm the current exam length and format on the APA website.
Plan for reporting and next steps
Know in advance how and when results are released and what your options are if you do not pass, including any retake waiting period or fee. Confirm these details with APA rather than relying on secondhand accounts.
Plan the day
Re-confirm your appointment date, time, and location (or remote-testing requirements) in writing, and verify your ID name matches your registration. Resolve any discrepancy now - it cannot be fixed at check-in.
Do your last substantive review, but limit it to material you already know. Build a single condensed sheet of frameworks and commonly confused concepts. Stop learning brand-new material.
Protect your sleep schedule. Shift bedtime earlier rather than planning to cram the night before. Confirm transportation and, if traveling, your lodging.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation, glasses, layers, snack, and any approved accommodation paperwork. Lay out clothes. Re-read the provider's candidate rules so nothing surprises you at check-in.
Do a short, calm pass over your one-page sheet, then stop. Eat a normal dinner, avoid alcohol, and get a full night's sleep. Do not attempt a full-length practice exam the night before.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately (not excessively if breaks are limited), and arrive at the center earlier than the provider's stated check-in time, or be seated and ready well before the remote session start time.
Leave your review sheet and phone behind or in a locker as directed. Do not attempt last-minute studying in the waiting area if materials are prohibited.
Read each item stem for the operative word - 'most likely,' 'best,' 'first' - before evaluating answer choices. Answer every question; there is generally no additional penalty for guessing beyond the answer being wrong, but confirm the scoring policy with the provider.
Work at your planned pace and check your progress at the halfway point. If you fall behind, shorten time on questions you cannot resolve, mark them, and return if time allows.
If you take a break, know that unscheduled break time typically counts against your testing time. Confirm the break policy in advance and limit breaks to one short one if allowed.
Budget the last several minutes to confirm no questions are unanswered and that flagged items were revisited. Do not change answers on a whim - change only when you identify a specific reason.
Rules to check
Bring the identification the provider specifies, with a name that matches your registration exactly. If your ID name differs from your registration, contact APA before test day; centers generally cannot admit you with mismatched documentation.
Arrive at or before the provider's stated check-in time. Candidates who arrive late may be turned away and may forfeit fees. Confirm the current late-arrival and rescheduling policies with the provider rather than assuming.
Expect security screening and a rules agreement. Personal items such as phones, smartwatches, notes, and bags are typically not permitted in the testing room; store them as directed.
Treat break time as part of your testing time unless the provider tells you otherwise. Confirm in advance whether scheduled or unscheduled breaks exist and how they are timed.
The exam is scored against a predetermined passing standard set through a formal standard-setting process, not on a curve against other candidates. Confirm current scoring and results-reporting details with APA.
The exam content is confidential. Do not record, reproduce, or discuss specific exam questions with anyone afterward; you will likely be asked to accept a confidentiality agreement.
If a technical problem occurs during the exam, stop and notify the proctor immediately rather than troubleshooting on your own, and note the time. Ask the proctor to document the incident in case you need to request a remedy.
Do not rely on secondhand accounts of exam format, length, or policy. Verify all specifics - question count, time limit, calculator policy, accommodation procedures, and retake rules - directly with APA and its testing provider before test day.