Cadet College Admission exam-day guide
Cadet College Admission · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card or hall ticket
Print at least two copies and keep one in your bag and one with your guardian. Verify the exact format and whether a printed copy is mandatory with the provider, since some centres accept digital copies and others do not.
Photo identification
Bring the original ID named on your application (school ID, birth certificate, or passport as applicable). Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether photocopies are allowed.
Passport-size photographs
Carry two or three recent photographs matching the specification on your application, in case the centre needs one for attendance or verification. The exact number and size requirement should be confirmed with the provider.
Black or blue ballpoint pens
Bring at least two working pens of the type the instructions permit, plus a spare. Confirm whether the exam uses OMR sheets that require a specific pen colour or pencil type.
Pencil, eraser, and sharpener
Useful for rough work and for any objective answer sheet that permits pencil. Confirm the permitted stationery list with the provider before relying on any item.
Simple analogue wristwatch
Many centres do not provide a visible clock. A basic non-smart watch helps you pace sections. Confirm whether watches are allowed at your centre, as some venues prohibit all timepieces.
Transparent water bottle
Stay hydrated without risking a rule violation. Confirm whether bottles must be unlabelled or transparent at your specific centre.
Know your centre location and route
Visit or map the route in advance and note travel time plus a buffer for traffic. Arrive well before the reporting time; confirm the exact reporting and gate-closing times with the provider.
Read the full instruction sheet
Confirm exam duration, number of sections, marking scheme, and negative-marking policy from the official information bulletin. Do not rely on secondhand accounts of the pattern.
Plan your answer-sheet method
Decide in advance how you will fill bubbles or boxes, how you will mark skipped questions, and how you will handle a question you cannot solve. Practise this on a full mock under timed conditions.
Arrange guardian contact and pickup
Agree a meeting point and a backup phone contact in case the centre forbids phones inside. Confirm with the provider whether guardians may wait on campus.
Sleep and meal routine
Keep the two nights before the exam boring and consistent: normal sleep, familiar food, no new caffeine load. Confirm any centre rules about food and drink before packing snacks.
Plan the day
Stop learning new topics. Spend the time on a condensed revision sheet of formulas, definitions, and recurring mistake types. Take one full timed mock at the same hour as the real exam, then review errors rather than scores. Pack your documents and stationery early so the last day is calm. Confirm your centre address, reporting time, and permitted-items list with the provider.
Do a light review of your summary sheet only, no new material and no full mock. Lay out clothes, documents, pens, watch, water, and snacks in one bag. Charge nothing that needs charging inside the hall and leave smart devices at home. Eat a normal dinner, avoid heavy screen time, and go to bed at your usual hour. Set two alarms and arrange your transport.
Eat a normal breakfast you have eaten before. Leave earlier than your calculated travel time allows for. Recheck that admit card, ID, photographs, and pens are in the bag before leaving. At the centre, stay away from last-minute group discussion of answers, which raises anxiety without adding knowledge. Use the washroom before entering the hall.
Read the instruction page and check the paper for missing pages before the clock starts. Fill identification fields carefully. Do a first pass answering questions you can solve quickly, mark uncertain ones, and return to them. Watch the clock at fixed checkpoints rather than constantly. If negative marking applies, answer only when you can eliminate options with confidence. Reserve the final minutes to verify that every answer is transferred correctly and no bubbles are half-filled.
Rules to check
Carry only the identification document named on your application; confirm with the provider which originals are accepted and whether photocopies are permitted.
Do not bring phones, smart watches, or any electronic device into the hall unless the provider explicitly permits a specific item. Assume confiscation or disqualification risk.
Follow the centre's instructions on reporting time and gate closure exactly; late entry is commonly refused, but confirm the specific cut-off with the provider.
Keep your eyes on your own paper. Any communication with another candidate, however innocent, may be treated as malpractice; confirm the centre's stated conduct rules in advance.
Do not write on the answer sheet outside designated areas and do not tear or fold it. Ask an invigilator if you need a replacement document.
Follow the announced rules on breaks and washroom visits; raise your hand and wait to be escorted rather than leaving your seat.
Understand the scoring scheme before the exam: confirm total marks, section weighting, and whether wrong answers carry a penalty, and decide your guessing threshold in advance.
If you believe there is an error in the question paper, note the question number and report it to an invigilator after the exam rather than arguing during it; confirm the provider's grievance channel.