Investigative Services exam-day guide
Investigative Services · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID in the name used on your registration. Confirm with the provider which specific ID types are accepted and whether a second form is required; do not rely on a photocopy or a photo on your phone.
Admission or scheduling confirmation
Print or save the confirmation showing your test date, time, and location or remote-testing link. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital copy is acceptable.
Approved calculator or none at all
Confirm with the provider whether a calculator is permitted, which models are allowed, and whether an on-screen calculator is built into the testing software. If none is allowed, leave yours at home rather than risk a conduct issue.
Writing instruments and scratch materials
Confirm with the provider whether you may bring pens or pencils and whether scratch paper or a dry-erase board is supplied. Many testing centers prohibit outside paper, so do not assume you can bring your own.
Testing-center logistics plan
Know the address, parking or transit route, and arrival time. Confirm with the provider how early you should arrive and what happens if you are late, since late-arrival policies vary and can result in forfeiture of your seat.
Remote-testing environment check (if applicable)
If testing remotely, confirm with the provider the required camera, microphone, browser, and room-privacy rules, and run any system check in advance. Do not schedule a remote session without verifying these requirements.
Permitted comfort items
Confirm with the provider the rules on water, snacks, tissues, and medication, and whether they must be stored in a locker rather than at your desk. Bring only what is explicitly allowed.
Layered clothing
Testing rooms are often cold or unevenly heated. Wear layers you can remove, and confirm with the provider whether hats, jackets, or hoodies must be removed or stored.
Leave prohibited items behind or plan storage
Phones, smartwatches, notes, and study materials are almost always prohibited in the testing room. Confirm with the provider whether lockers are available and what happens to devices you bring.
Rest and nutrition the night before
Protect sleep and eat a normal meal. Avoid last-minute cramming that displaces rest; a tired candidate loses more points than a marginally better-reviewed fact gains.
Exam blueprint and timing plan
Review the published content outline and the number of questions and time allowed, then decide your pacing target per question. Confirm the current blueprint with the provider, since outlines are revised periodically.
Scoring and retake rules
Confirm with the provider how the exam is scored, when results are released, and any waiting period before a retake. Know this before test day so a poor result does not catch you unprepared.
Plan the day
Shift from learning new material to consolidating what you already know. Review your own summaries, flagged weak areas, and the published content outline rather than starting a new study resource. Take one timed practice set under realistic conditions to calibrate pacing, then stop adding new material. Confirm your appointment details, ID, and logistics now so nothing is left to the last morning. Protect sleep across all three nights; cumulative rest matters more than one early night.
Do a light review of high-level frameworks and any memorized lists, then stop. Pack your bag with ID, confirmation, and permitted items, and set out clothing. Confirm travel time and, for remote testing, re-run the system check and clear your testing room. Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and go to bed at your usual time. Do not attempt a full-length practice exam the day before; fatigue will cost you more than the practice will help.
Eat a real breakfast and hydrate modestly so you are not distracted by thirst or an urgent break. Arrive earlier than the minimum arrival time to absorb delays. Leave your phone and study notes stowed or at home per the provider's rules. Do a brief, calm review of your pacing plan only, not new content. Use the restroom before you are seated.
Read each question fully and watch for qualifiers such as 'except' or 'best.' Answer in your own order if the software allows marking and review, and do not let one hard question consume several minutes. Flag uncertain items and return to them if time permits. Watch the clock at planned checkpoints rather than constantly. If you must guess, eliminate what you can first. Take any permitted breaks as offered, and confirm break rules with the proctor before leaving your seat.
Rules to check
Bring original, unexpired government-issued photo ID matching your registration name; confirm with the provider which forms of ID are accepted and whether a second form is needed.
Follow all proctor instructions and the provider's prohibited-items list. Assume phones, smartwatches, notes, and study materials are barred from the testing room unless the provider explicitly says otherwise.
Confirm with the provider in advance the rules on scheduled and unscheduled breaks, whether the clock runs during breaks, and whether you may access notes or devices between sections.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not attempt to copy, record, or share exam content; doing so is a conduct violation regardless of the outcome.
Confirm with the provider how the exam is scored, whether wrong answers are penalized, and what score is required to pass before you sit for the exam.
Confirm with the provider the policy on arriving late, rescheduling, and cancellations, since missed appointments may forfeit fees or waiting periods.
If testing remotely, follow the provider's room, camera, and desk-clearance rules exactly, and confirm what is permitted within reach during the session.
Report any technical problem or distraction to the proctor immediately and ask that it be documented, rather than waiting until after the exam.