WACE Italian Background Language ATAR exam-day guide
WACE Italian Background Language ATAR · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the ID your school or the exam authority requires. Carry it in the same bag every day so it is not forgotten; confirm the exact accepted forms with your school's exam coordinator.
Exam admission or attendance notice
If your school issues a printed statement of examination entry or timetable, bring it. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or whether school-held records suffice.
Approved pens and a spare
Bring at least two black or blue pens that write cleanly. Test them beforehand; a pen that skips costs marks in extended writing.
Pencils, eraser and sharpener
Needed for any multiple-choice or machine-read answer sheet. Bring a small sharpener so a blunt pencil is never a problem.
Clear water bottle
Labels must usually be removed. Confirm with the provider whether water is allowed at your desk or only during breaks.
Printed dictionary or approved reference
For background-language courses a monolingual or bilingual dictionary is often permitted, but the rules differ by year and paper. Confirm with the provider exactly which dictionaries are allowed and whether they must be unannotated.
Wristwatch
A simple analogue watch helps you pace long writing tasks. Smart watches and phones are almost always banned at the desk; confirm with the provider.
Small snack for after the paper
Written papers are tiring. A snack and water for afterwards helps if you have another exam or a long trip home.
Check the venue and start time
Know the building, room and reporting time before the day. Confirm with the provider if you are unsure where to report.
Plan transport with a buffer
Arrive with at least 30 minutes to spare. Identify a backup route or a person to call if transport fails.
Read the whole paper before writing
During reading time, skim every section, note the mark allocation and decide the order in which you will answer.
Know the mark allocation per task
Before the exam, write out how many marks each section carries so you can allocate time proportionally. Confirm the structure with the provider if your school has not published it.
Plan the day
Finish active revision rather than starting new content. Reread your own summaries, essay plans and vocabulary lists. Do one timed practice section under exam conditions, then mark it and note only the two or three biggest weaknesses to address.
Rehearse your prepared structures: opening sentences, linking phrases, and the grammar points you tend to get wrong. Write them from memory once, then check against your notes.
Confirm logistics: venue, reporting time, transport, what is permitted in the room, and dictionary rules. Confirm with the provider any point your school has not clarified.
Do a final review of the text types or task formats likely to appear, and practise the planning stage for each: five minutes of notes, then a clear structure. Stop heavy new learning.
Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, watch, water and any approved dictionary. Lay out clothes. Charge nothing you cannot bring into the room; leave your phone at home or hand it in as instructed.
Do a light review only: vocabulary, connectives, and a couple of model sentences. Then stop. Eat a normal meal, avoid late caffeine, and go to bed at your usual time.
Eat a proper breakfast and drink water. Do a ten-minute skim of your summary sheet only, not a full practice task. Leave early with a buffer for delays.
Arrive at the venue, find the room and confirm where bags and phones must be left. Use the toilet before entering. Settle your breathing and remind yourself of your time plan.
Do not write. Read every question, underline key instruction words, note the mark values, and choose the order of tasks. Decide roughly how many minutes each section gets.
Start with the section you are most confident in if the rules allow any order. Keep to your time plan, leave a few minutes at the end of each long task to check agreement, tenses, accents and spelling.
Stop writing new content and proofread: verb endings, articles, accents, and that every question has been attempted. Make sure your name and details are correct on the answer booklet.
Rules to check
Bring the identification your school or exam authority requires and keep it on the desk if instructed. If you are unsure which forms are accepted, confirm with the provider before the day.
Electronic devices, including phones and smart watches, are almost always prohibited in the exam room. Switch off and hand in or store devices exactly as instructed; confirm with the provider where they must be kept.
Follow all instructions from supervisors about seating, materials and timing. Do not begin writing before you are told, and stop immediately when instructed.
Only use materials explicitly permitted for this paper, such as an approved dictionary. Do not bring annotated dictionaries, notes or unauthorised aids; confirm the permitted list with the provider.
If you need to leave the room for illness or another reason, raise your hand and wait for a supervisor. Do not simply get up; the rules on supervised breaks vary, so confirm with the provider what applies.
Do not communicate with other candidates once in the room, and do not discuss the paper with anyone until the examination period rules allow it.
Marks are awarded for content, organisation and accuracy of language, so answer the question asked and use the text type required. Check the paper's instructions for the weighting of each section.
If something goes wrong, such as illness, a misadventure or a missing page, tell a supervisor immediately and report it through your school. Confirm with the provider the deadline and process for any special consideration claim.