IAB Professional Practice exam-day guide
IAB Professional Practice · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the exact ID the provider requires. Name and spelling must match your registration. Confirm acceptable ID types and whether a secondary ID is needed with the provider.
Appointment confirmation and test-centre address
Save a screenshot of your confirmation and write down the full address and which entrance to use. If testing remotely, confirm the platform link, system check, and login steps with the provider in advance.
Programme syllabus or content outline
Use the official syllabus to map weak areas in the final days. Do not rely on memory of what 'usually' appears; check the published outline.
Your own condensed notes and formula sheet
One or two pages of definitions, frameworks, and worked patterns you keep getting wrong. Review these, not new material, in the last 24 hours.
Practice questions and error log
Re-attempt missed questions and write one line on why each was wrong. This is the highest-yield revision activity in the final 72 hours.
Permitted calculator or reference materials
Check the provider's list of allowed and prohibited items. Some exams ban all personal items from the testing room; confirm before travelling.
Travel and timing plan
Plan to arrive with buffer time. Confirm the provider's late-arrival and rescheduling rules; these vary and are strictly enforced.
Rest, food, and hydration plan
Protect sleep in the 72 hours before. Avoid heavy meals or new caffeine doses on the day. A short walk before the test is more useful than last-minute cramming.
Break and timing strategy
Decide in advance how you will pace sections and whether you will take scheduled breaks. Confirm break rules with the provider, as leaving the room may be restricted.
Logistics for remote proctoring (if applicable)
Quiet private room, stable connection, working camera and microphone, clear desk. Run the provider's system test at least 24 hours ahead.
Review the provider's candidate handbook
Read the current handbook for conduct, scoring, and results timelines. Policies change; the handbook is the authoritative source.
Plan the day
Stop learning new topics. Work through your error log and one timed practice set per day. Re-read the syllabus to confirm coverage. Confirm appointment time, location or remote setup, and ID requirements with the provider. Begin winding down sleep and screen time in the evening.
Light review of your condensed notes only. Pack your ID, confirmation, and any permitted items. Check travel or connection plans. Confirm the start time and arrival guidance once more. Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and aim for a full night's sleep. Do not attempt a full mock exam.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately, and review your one-page summary for no more than 20 to 30 minutes. Arrive or log in with buffer time. Re-read the instructions and any tutorial screens carefully before the clock starts.
Read each question fully and note what it is actually asking. Answer confident questions first, flag uncertain ones, and return to them. Watch the clock against your section plan. If a question stalls you, mark a best guess and move on. Use any permitted breaks as planned and check the remaining time afterwards.
Rules to check
Bring only the identification and permitted items the provider lists. Confirm what is allowed in the testing room, as many centres prohibit phones, notes, and watches.
Your name on the registration must match your ID. Contact the provider before test day if there is any discrepancy.
Follow all instructions from the invigilator or proctor. Do not communicate with other candidates during the test, and do not attempt to record or share question content.
Confirm the provider's rules on breaks, leaving the room, and whether the clock stops during breaks. These differ between centres and remote platforms.
If you arrive late or experience a technical failure, report it immediately to staff or the proctor and ask what options exist. Do not assume an automatic reschedule.
Understand the scoring before you sit: confirm whether the exam is scored by section, whether there is a pass mark, and when results are released. Check the provider's published scoring policy.
If you believe a question is faulty, note it if the platform allows and continue. Do not spend excessive time on it; raise it through the provider's post-exam channel.
Declare any accommodation needs to the provider well before test day. Approval timelines vary, so confirm the deadline rather than assuming it can be arranged on the day.