NB Grade 7 FI Reading exam-day guide
NB Grade 7 FI Reading · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the ID the test centre requires. Acceptable ID type and name-matching rules vary by provider, so confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether a student card alone is sufficient.
Test admission or registration confirmation
Print or save the confirmation showing your name, test session, date, and location. If you never received one, contact the provider before test day rather than arriving without it.
Directions and arrival time
Know the building, room, and check-in time. Arrive with buffer for security screening and seating. Exact arrival cut-off and late-admission policy are set by the provider, so confirm with the provider.
Two or more pencils and an eraser
Bring spare pencils already sharpened and a clean eraser. Whether the centre supplies materials or restricts what you may bring to your desk varies, so confirm with the provider.
Watch or silent timer
A simple non-smart watch helps you pace reading passages. Smartwatches and phones are typically not permitted at the desk; confirm with the provider what timekeeping devices are allowed.
Water and a light snack
Plan for a short break if one is offered. Rules on food, drink, and desk access during the test differ between centres, so confirm with the provider.
Layered clothing
Room temperature can vary. Dress in layers you can remove without disrupting others, and avoid clothing with distracting text or logos if the centre has a dress expectation.
No prohibited electronics
Leave phones, smartwatches, and earbuds powered off and stored as instructed. Consequences for a device sounding or being visible are set by the provider; confirm the storage rules in advance.
French reading practice materials
Bring nothing that could be seen as unauthorized reference material into the testing room. Use practice passages only before arrival, and confirm with the provider whether any personal notes may be kept in a waiting area.
Rest, meals, and transport plan
Sleep well for two nights before, eat a normal breakfast, and confirm your route and backup transport. Fatigue and navigation stress cost more marks than one extra practice passage.
Accommodations confirmation
If you requested extra time, a separate room, or other accommodations, bring the approval letter and confirm with the provider that arrangements are in place for your session.
Emergency contact and provider phone number
Save the test centre's contact number so you can report delays or illness. Policies on rescheduling, refunds, and documented absences are provider-specific; confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Reread your notes on question types and review two or three short French reading passages at a comfortable pace, focusing on finding the main idea, locating supporting detail, and inferring meaning from context. Confirm your test location, arrival time, and ID requirements with the provider.
Do one timed practice set under realistic conditions, then review every wrong answer to identify the cause: vocabulary gap, misread question, or rushing. Build a short personal list of five to ten French connectors and transition words (for example words signalling contrast, cause, or addition) that help you follow an argument.
Pack your bag with ID, confirmation, pencils, eraser, watch, water, and layers. Lay out clothing. Do a light review of strategies only, no full practice test. Eat a normal dinner, avoid heavy screen time late in the evening, and go to bed at your usual hour. Confirm transport and set two alarms.
Eat a normal breakfast and drink water. Leave earlier than the map suggests. Arrive at the check-in time, keep your phone off and stored, and use waiting time for calm breathing rather than last-minute cramming. Follow staff instructions for seating and materials.
Read the instructions and check the number of passages and questions so you can budget time. Skim each passage's title and first sentences before reading questions, and note the question type so you know whether to scan for detail or read closely for inference.
Work at a steady pace and mark difficult items to return to rather than stalling. For each question, locate the evidence in the text before choosing an answer, and eliminate options that are true but not supported by the passage. Watch for negatives and qualifiers in French question stems.
Check that every question has an answer and that your answer document matches your intended choices. Return to marked items and choose the best-supported option. If time is nearly gone, make a reasoned choice rather than leaving blanks, unless the scoring rules penalize wrong answers, which you should confirm with the provider.
Note which question types felt slow or uncertain while memory is fresh, and record them for future practice. Ask the provider about score release timing and how results are reported; do not rely on unofficial estimates.
Rules to check
Bring only the identification and materials the provider permits. Acceptable ID, permitted desk items, and storage of personal belongings are provider-specific, so confirm with the provider before test day.
Keep phones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices powered off and stored as directed. A device sounding, vibrating, or being visible during testing may be treated as misconduct; confirm the exact policy with the provider.
Follow all instructions from invigilators about seating, timing, and when you may open or close materials. Do not communicate with other candidates during the test or breaks.
If a break is offered, return at the announced time. Whether you may leave the room, access belongings, or eat during breaks varies by centre, so confirm with the provider.
Report problems immediately: a faulty desk, unclear instructions, distracting noise, or illness. Issues raised only after the test may not be considered; confirm the provider's procedure for filing a concern.
Do not bring unauthorized reference materials, notes, or translation aids into the testing room. Whether any support such as a dictionary is permitted for this reading test must be confirmed with the provider.
Understand how the test is scored before you sit it: whether wrong answers are penalized, how reading passages are weighted, and how results are reported. These details are set by the provider, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
If you must miss or reschedule the test, contact the provider as soon as possible. Deadlines, documentation requirements, and fees for rescheduling or absence are provider-specific; confirm with the provider.