SARON exam-day guide
SARON · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket / confirmation email
Print or save the confirmation you received when booking. It usually shows your candidate number, test centre address, and start time. If you never received one, contact the provider before test day; do not assume you can be admitted without it.
Valid photo ID
Bring the original ID document (passport or national ID card) in the name used on your registration. Check the provider's ID policy for accepted document types and expiry rules - confirm with the provider which forms are accepted at your centre.
Know your test centre route and arrival time
Rehearse the journey and note the recommended arrival time (often 30 minutes before the start). Arrive early; late admission is at the centre's discretion and may not be possible. If testing remotely, confirm your platform and equipment requirements with the provider.
Permitted calculator
SARON is a calculation-heavy exam. Check the provider's rules on which calculator models are allowed (many exams permit only basic or specified non-programmable models). Do not bring a model you have not confirmed is permitted - confirm with the provider.
Stationery allowed by the centre
Bring pens/pencils and an eraser if the exam is paper-based. Many centres supply scratch paper; do not bring your own notes or paper unless explicitly allowed. Confirm what is provided versus what you must bring.
Watch (non-smart)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you pace yourself if the room clock is not visible. Smartwatches and phones are normally prohibited at the desk; leave them switched off and stored as instructed.
Personal medication and accessibility arrangements
If you need medication, extra time, or a separate room, confirm that your approved arrangements are on record with the provider well before test day. Bring only what has been approved.
Review the official exam regulations
Read the provider's candidate regulations once more for prohibited items, late arrival, and misconduct rules. These are set by the provider and can change; use the current version, not a summary from a forum.
Plan food, water, and rest
Eat a normal meal before the exam and bring water if the centre allows it. Avoid heavy caffeine if you are not used to it. Breaks during the exam may be limited or not permitted - confirm with the provider.
Leave valuables and study notes at home
Notes, textbooks, and phones are normally collected or must be stored away from the desk. Carrying them into the exam room can be treated as misconduct even if unused.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Re-read your own summary sheets and formula list, and redo a small number of timed questions on your weakest topics. Confirm your registration details, test centre address, ID, and permitted calculator. Protect sleep: two full nights before the exam matter more than one late night of revision.
Do a light review only - key formulas, definitions, and the structure of the exam. Pack your bag: admission confirmation, ID, calculator, pens, watch, water. Check transport times and set two alarms. Avoid discussing difficult questions with other candidates, which tends to raise anxiety without adding knowledge.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive at the centre with time to spare, and use the waiting time for calm breathing rather than last-minute cramming. Follow the invigilator's instructions for storing bags and phones, and check that your calculator is in the mode you expect.
Read the instructions and check the number of questions and the time allowed. Note the mark allocation per section so you can budget time. If the paper allows it, scan for easy questions and start there to build momentum.
Work in passes: answer the questions you know first, flag the rest, then return to them. Show your working for calculation questions - partial credit is often available. Keep an eye on the clock and reserve the last few minutes to check that every question has an answer and that units and signs are correct.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID document in the name used for registration; a copy or a different name can lead to refusal of admission. Confirm the accepted ID types with the provider.
Arrive by the time stated in your confirmation. Late candidates may be admitted at the centre's discretion, but no extra time is normally given, and very late arrival may mean you cannot sit the exam.
Phones, smartwatches, and notes must be switched off and stored as instructed. Having them at your desk can be treated as misconduct regardless of whether you used them.
Use only the calculator and stationery permitted by the provider. Check the permitted calculator list before test day - confirm with the provider.
Breaks are usually not permitted during the exam, or only under supervision. Plan water and toilet visits for before the test; ask the invigilator if you have a medical need.
Scoring and pass marks are set by the provider and may change between sessions. Do not rely on a pass mark quoted by another candidate; check the current official information.
If a question seems ambiguous or a calculator fails, raise your hand and ask the invigilator rather than guessing at the rules. Invigilators can clarify procedure, though they cannot explain exam content.
Follow all instructions from invigilators. Talking, passing materials, or looking at another candidate's work can lead to invalidation of your result.