SACE Stage 2 Ancient Studies exam-day guide
SACE Stage 2 Ancient Studies · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission slip or exam timetable confirmation
Print or save the official confirmation showing your subject, date, time, and venue. Check the start time against your own timetable the night before. If you cannot find it, contact your school's SACE coordinator immediately; do not assume you can enter without it.
Photo identification as specified by your school or the supervising authority
Requirements vary by venue, so confirm with the provider which ID is accepted and whether school ID alone is sufficient. Keep it in the same bag pocket as your admission documents so it cannot be misplaced during a rushed morning.
Approved writing equipment in a clear container
Bring at least two black or blue pens, two pencils, an eraser, and a sharpener. For Ancient Studies essays you will write long responses, so test your pens beforehand; a pen that skips or smears costs marks through illegibility. Confirm with the provider whether clear pencil cases are required.
Spare pens and a highlighter
Highlighters are useful for marking command words and source details in stimulus material. Pack spares so a single failure does not disrupt your timing. Check whether any annotation of question booklets is restricted before you rely on highlighting.
A non-programmable watch
Many exam rooms have clocks, but not always in clear view from every seat. A simple analogue or digital watch without smart features lets you allocate time across short answers and extended responses. Confirm with the provider whether wrist devices of any kind are permitted.
Water in a clear, label-free bottle
Staying hydrated helps sustained writing over a long paper. Remove labels in advance because many venues require clear bottles. Confirm with the provider whether drinks are allowed at your desk or only in designated areas.
No notes, phones, or smart devices in the exam room
Leave phones switched off and stored as directed, or at home. Even an unused device on your person can be treated as a breach of rules. Pack your bag the night before so you are not deciding under pressure at the door.
A one-page revision sheet for the final review only
Summarise key terms, source types, and essay structures on a single sheet to read in the final hour before entry. It must be left outside the exam room. Keep it short enough to review in ten minutes rather than trying to relearn content.
A plan for source and evidence recall
Ancient Studies rewards specific evidence: names, dates, sites, artefacts, inscriptions, and the limitations of each source. Prepare a mental list of your strongest examples per topic so you can select quickly rather than searching memory during the paper.
Transport and timing plan
Work out your route, travel time, and a buffer of at least thirty minutes so a delay does not become a crisis. Know the room location in advance. If you are running late, contact the venue as soon as it is safe to do so and confirm with the provider what late-entry arrangements apply.
Breakfast and sleep plan
Eat something you normally eat and avoid trying new foods or heavy caffeine on exam morning. Aim for a normal night's sleep rather than a late cramming session; recall of detailed evidence is worse when you are exhausted.
Emergency contact and provider details saved
Save your school's SACE coordinator and the exam venue contact in your phone before you leave home. If an unexpected problem arises, prompt contact is better than arriving flustered. Confirm with the provider which number to call on exam day.
Plan the day
Finish active revision rather than starting new content. Rework your topic summaries into question-and-answer form, then practise at least one full timed response for each likely essay prompt. Mark your own answers against the command words and the evidence you actually used, and list the gaps to review tomorrow.
Confirm logistics: venue, start time, permitted equipment, ID requirements, and any special arrangements. If anything is unclear, contact your school or confirm with the provider now rather than on the morning. Check that your transport plan works for the actual exam-day timetable.
Do a second timed practice under exam conditions, ideally at the same time of day as the real paper. Focus on time allocation: how long for short-answer source questions versus the extended response, and how many minutes to reserve for planning and checking. Review your errors and update your one-page summary sheet.
Switch to light review only. Read your summary sheet, key terms, and a shortlist of strong evidence for each topic. Pack your bag with pens, pencils, ID, admission documents, water, and watch. Lay out clothes and set two alarms. Stop studying early enough to sleep properly.
Eat a normal breakfast and avoid last-minute cramming of new material. Glance at your summary sheet for ten minutes, then put it away. Arrive early, check in as directed, and keep conversation with other candidates light; comparing answers or predictions before entry tends to increase anxiety.
Read the instructions and check the paper structure, marks per section, and any choice of questions. Write your name and details as directed. Before answering, skim all questions and decide which optional questions you will attempt, then allocate minutes per section and note the checkpoints on your watch.
Answer the questions you are best prepared for first within each section, but keep to your time budget. For source questions, state what the source shows, then its reliability and limits. For essays, spend a few minutes planning a clear argument with specific evidence before writing, and reserve the final minutes to check that every question has been attempted.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions from supervisors immediately, including where to place bags and devices. If you are unsure whether something is allowed, ask before the paper begins rather than risking a breach; confirm with the provider in advance for anything unusual.
Bring and present the identification and admission documents required by your school or supervising authority. Requirements differ between venues, so confirm with the provider what is accepted rather than relying on another candidate's account.
Keep phones and smart devices switched off and stored as directed, never on your person. Possession of a device during the exam can be treated as misconduct regardless of whether you used it.
Raise your hand and wait for a supervisor if you need to leave the room, feel unwell, or need materials replaced. Do not communicate with other candidates during the paper, including by gesture or passing items.
Write in the format the paper requires, keep responses in the designated spaces, and label any additional sheets as directed. Illegible or mislabelled work may not be credited, so ask for clarification if the instructions are ambiguous.
Use only permitted equipment and do not bring notes, textbooks, or pre-prepared plans into the room. If you are unsure whether a resource is permitted, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Plan to use the full writing time and check your work; leaving early gains nothing and risks avoidable errors. Marks are awarded for what is written on the paper, not for what you intended to write.
If something goes wrong on the day, such as illness, a transport failure, or a disrupted exam room, tell a supervisor and your school as soon as possible. Confirm with the provider what evidence or process is needed to apply for any special consideration.