WACE Indonesian Background Language exam-day guide
WACE Indonesian Background Language · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the original government-issued photo ID your school or the exam authority requires. Confirm with the provider which forms of ID are accepted and whether a digital copy is allowed.
Examination admission slip or timetable printout
Carry the slip or statement of examination entry showing your name, candidate number, and the sessions you are sitting. If you are unsure whether yours is required, confirm with the provider.
Several black or blue pens plus spares
Written responses and essays must be legible. Bring at least two working pens of the type your school specifies and test them the night before.
Pencils, sharpener, and eraser
Useful for any multiple-choice or short-answer sections completed on a machine-read sheet. Confirm with the provider whether a separate answer sheet is used.
Clear water bottle with labels removed
Hydration helps in a long written paper. Check the venue's container rules, since some centres restrict bottles on the desk.
Approved translation or monolingual dictionary
Dictionary rules vary by session and year. Confirm with the provider, and with your teacher, whether a dictionary is permitted, which type, and whether it must be inspected before the exam.
Wristwatch
Many exam rooms have no visible clock. A simple non-smart watch lets you pace the reading, writing, and listening sections. Smart watches are almost always prohibited.
Light layers and a quiet snack for between sessions
If you sit more than one paper in a day, bring a jacket and something to eat during the supervised break. Confirm with the provider whether food is allowed in the waiting area.
Printed summary of your text types and discourse markers
A one-page personal sheet for last-minute review: structures for surat, laporan, pidato, and argumentative responses, plus connectors such as oleh karena itu, sebaliknya, dan meskipun demikian. Leave it outside the exam room.
Known venue, room, and arrival time
Check the location and reporting time the day before and plan transport with a buffer. Arrival and late-entry cut-offs are set by the provider, so confirm them rather than assuming.
Phone switched off and stored as directed
Mobile phones are normally banned from the desk. Confirm with the provider where devices must be left and what happens if one is found.
A plan for the oral or practical component, if you have one
If your syllabus includes a speaking or performance assessment, confirm the format, preparation time, and materials with the provider, and rehearse your opening and closing lines.
Plan the day
Shift from learning new material to consolidating. Re-read your own corrected practice pieces and note the three or four errors you repeat most, such as inconsistent use of the prefix me- or mixing informal and formal register. Write at least one full timed response in a text type likely to appear, then mark it against the criteria your teacher has given you. Review your vocabulary notebook by theme, focusing on collocations rather than isolated words.
Rehearse the listening and reading conditions. Do one listening practice at normal speed without pausing, and one reading set under time, so you practise skimming for gist before scanning for detail. List the question words that trip you up, for example membandingkan, menyimpulkan, and pendapat penulis, and decide in advance how you will handle each.
Prepare logistics. Confirm the venue, room, reporting time, and ID requirements with your school or the provider. Lay out your pens, pencils, ID, and any permitted dictionary, and check transport times for the morning. Protect sleep: do not trade a full night's rest for one more hour of revision.
Do a light review only. Skim your one-page summary of text structures and discourse markers, and read a short Indonesian article for fluency rather than for marks. Stop studying by early evening. Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencils, eraser, water, watch, and any permitted materials, and place it by the door. Set two alarms and confirm your transport plan once more.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive at the venue with time to spare, since late entry rules are strict and set by the provider. Leave your phone off and stored as directed. Once seated, read the front cover of the paper carefully: check the number of sections, the marks for each, and any choice of questions. Fill in your candidate details exactly as instructed.
Allocate time before you start writing. In reading sections, read the questions first, then locate evidence in the text and answer in your own words rather than copying long stretches. In writing sections, spend a few minutes planning the structure, audience, and register, then write, leaving time to check agreement, affixes, and punctuation. If a question stalls you, mark it and move on; return only if time allows.
For extended writing, keep your text type consistent to the end: a surat keeps its opening and closing formulae, a laporan keeps its headings and impersonal tone, and an argumentative response states a position and supports it with reasons and examples. Reserve the last five to ten minutes for proofreading your most frequent errors and for making sure every question has an answer.
Do not linger over answers with classmates if it will unsettle you before another session. Note anything you found difficult and pass it to your teacher for future practice, then focus on the next paper.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo identification required by the provider and keep it on your desk if instructed. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before exam day rather than relying on a digital copy.
Follow all supervisor instructions about seating, materials on the desk, and starting or stopping writing. Writing after the instruction to stop, or before the instruction to begin, can be treated as a breach of rules.
Mobile phones, smart watches, and any other electronic devices must be switched off and stored where the supervisor directs. Do not keep a device in your pocket or on your person during the exam.
Only use materials the provider permits, such as a dictionary or notes. Confirm with the provider in advance whether a dictionary is allowed for your session and in what form, and do not share materials with other candidates.
Raise your hand and wait for a supervisor if you need to leave the room, feel unwell, or need extra paper. Movement during reading time and during the final minutes of a paper is often restricted, so confirm the venue's practice with the provider.
Maintain academic integrity: do not communicate with other candidates, look at another person's work, or bring in unauthorised notes. Suspected misconduct is dealt with under the provider's rules, and penalties can affect your result.
Scoring follows the syllabus criteria for the relevant practical or written component, so read the instructions on the paper for the marks and any choice of questions. Do not assume weightings; confirm the structure with your teacher or the provider.
If you arrive late or miss a session, speak to the supervisor or your school immediately. Whether late entry or a make-up session is possible is decided by the provider, so confirm the procedure rather than assuming you will be admitted.