AIF exam-day guide
AIF · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original ID you registered with. The name on the ID must match your registration exactly. Accepted ID types vary by provider and by test-center vs. online delivery, so confirm the accepted forms with the provider before test day.
Appointment / scheduling confirmation
Have your confirmation email, appointment number, or candidate ID accessible (printed copy plus a screenshot on your phone). You may not be able to open email on the testing workstation.
Provider admission requirements list
Some providers require a second piece of ID, a signature, or a rules-agreement acknowledgement at check-in. Pull the current candidate handbook or admission notice from the provider and read it the week before.
Verified platform login
Log in to the testing or scheduling platform at least 24 hours ahead to confirm your username, password, and that your appointment appears correctly. Reset credentials then, not on test morning.
Current content outline / blueprint
Bring (to your study desk, not the test) the provider's published domain outline and use it for a last-pass review. Do not rely on third-party summaries.
Test-center logistics confirmed
If testing in person: confirm address, parking or transit, and arrival window with the provider. Do a route check the day before.
Online proctoring environment check
If testing remotely: confirm system requirements with the provider (camera, microphone, browser, bandwidth), run the equipment check in advance, and prepare a private, well-lit room with a clear desk and a single monitor.
Permitted ancillary materials
Calculator, scratch paper, pen, or reference sheets are allowed only if the provider explicitly permits them, and remote sessions usually require showing them to the proctor. Confirm the permitted list rather than assuming.
Personal items plan
Know in advance where your phone, watch, wallet, and notes will go. Most providers require them stored away and inaccessible for the whole session.
Pacing numbers written down
Get the item count and time allowance from the provider, then compute your target minutes per item and your checkpoint times before test day.
Provider support contact
Save the phone number or chat link for candidate support / the proctor so you can reach someone immediately if the platform fails.
Water and a snack for after (or for a permitted break)
Confirm whether food and drink are allowed at the workstation; many centers prohibit them in the testing room.
Plan the day
Do one final pass over the provider's domain outline and your weak-area notes. Stop learning new material. Re-read the candidate handbook sections on ID, permitted items, breaks, and scoring, and confirm any policy you are unsure about with the provider.
Re-run the equipment or logistics check: proctoring system test for remote delivery, or route and arrival plan for a test center. Resolve any technical issue now while support is easy to reach.
Shift to consolidation: rewrite your own one-page summary of key frameworks and definitions, and do a short set of practice items under timed conditions to rehearse pacing - not to learn new content.
Confirm your appointment time and time zone, log in to the platform once more, and lay out your ID, confirmation, and any permitted materials. Decide your arrival or login time with a buffer. Get a normal night's sleep rather than cramming.
Stop studying at a set hour. Light review of your one-page summary only. Eat normally, avoid new caffeine or sleep aids, and set two alarms.
Eat a normal meal, hydrate moderately, and arrive or log in earlier than the provider's stated check-in time. Do not do heavy review - a brief skim of your summary is enough.
At check-in, follow the proctor's instructions exactly, keep your ID visible, and raise any discrepancy in your name or appointment immediately rather than after the exam starts.
Read the on-screen instructions and note the item count, time remaining, and how to flag, navigate, and use any calculator or reference tool. Confirm the clock behavior (count-up vs. count-down, whether breaks stop it) before answering.
Answer in order at first, using your pre-computed minutes-per-item target. If an item takes noticeably longer than your target, pick your best answer, flag it, and move on. Check your remaining time at each quarter of the test.
Answer every item; there is normally no benefit to leaving a blank unless the provider applies a penalty you have confirmed. Read for the question being asked, eliminate two options, then commit. Change an answer only when you can point to a specific reason.
If you take a break, follow the provider's rules on timing and re-entry, and note whether the clock continues. If the platform freezes or disconnects, stop, note the time, and contact the proctor or support immediately; ask for the incident to be logged before you resume.
Use any remaining time to review flagged items only, verify you have no unintentionally blank responses, then submit deliberately after confirming the submission prompt.
Rules to check
Bring the original government-issued photo ID you registered with; the name must match your registration. Accepted ID types differ between test-center and remote delivery, so confirm the accepted forms with the provider rather than guessing.
Follow the provider's stated arrival and check-in window. Candidates who arrive after the cutoff may be refused admission and lose their fee - confirm the exact cutoff with the provider.
Use only materials the provider explicitly permits. Unless told otherwise, assume no notes, no phone, no smartwatch, no second screen, and no outside calculator; ask for permission rather than assume it.
Do not communicate with anyone other than the proctor during the session, and do not attempt to capture, copy, or share exam content. Most providers require you to accept a confidentiality agreement at check-in.
Understand the scoring model before you sit: whether the result is pass/fail against a provider-set cut score, whether some items are unscored, and when and how results are reported. These details are provider-specific - confirm them.
Breaks are governed by provider policy. Confirm in advance whether breaks are scheduled or on request, whether the clock keeps running, and what re-entry screening applies, especially for remote sessions.
If a technical failure or interruption occurs, pause and contact the proctor or candidate support immediately, and ask for a case or incident number before continuing or rescheduling.
Treat results reporting and any retake or appeal process as provider-specific. Read those sections of the candidate handbook before test day so you know the next step if something goes wrong.