CAMS exam-day guide
CAMS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original (not a photocopy) ID you used when registering; the name on it should match your registration record. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted at your test site or for remote proctoring.
Second form of identification
Some test centers and remote-proctoring vendors ask for a second ID or a signature-matching document. Check your appointment confirmation or ask the provider whether a second ID is required.
Appointment confirmation and confirmation number
Have your scheduling confirmation, confirmation/eligibility number, and the exact appointment time and time zone accessible. Print it or store it on paper rather than relying on a phone, since phones are typically not allowed in the testing room.
Verified eligibility and open exam window
Before test day, confirm in your account that your application is approved and that your authorization-to-test window has not expired. Expired windows can require a new appointment and possibly a new fee.
Test-location logistics (or remote-proctoring setup)
For an in-person site: confirm address, parking/transit, and building access. For remote proctoring: run the required system/equipment check in advance, and confirm camera, microphone, browser, and bandwidth requirements with the provider.
Arrival plan with buffer time
Plan to arrive well before your start time to allow for check-in, ID verification, and a room/locker assignment. Confirm the provider's recommended arrival buffer and its late-arrival policy.
One-page summary sheet for pre-entry review only
Bring a condensed sheet covering risk-based approach, CDD/EDD, sanctions screening, suspicious activity reporting, and FATF recommendations. Review it in the waiting area, then store it in a locker or away from the testing room, since outside materials are generally prohibited during the exam.
Written pacing plan
The exam is 120 multiple-choice questions in 3.5 hours, so budget roughly 1.5 to 1.75 minutes per question and reserve about 25 to 30 minutes at the end for flagged items. Write this plan down so you can check your pace at the halfway point.
Nothing on wrists or in pockets
Watches, fitness trackers, jewelry, and phones are commonly restricted in testing rooms. Confirm the specific prohibited-items list with the provider before you travel.
Water and a light snack for the break area
These are usually kept in a locker, not at the workstation. Confirm whether lockers or a break area are available at your site.
Scratch paper/pen or on-screen tool expectations
Do not assume the center supplies scratch paper, a pen, or a calculator. Ask the provider in advance what is provided and what you may bring in.
Backup plan for remote sessions
If testing remotely, have a phone (kept off the desk) for proctor support, a backup internet option, and a quiet, private, cleared room. Confirm the provider's rules on permitted items and room requirements.
Plan the day
Re-confirm appointment date, time, and time zone; verify location or run the remote system test. Do a final diagnostic pass on your weakest domains (risk-based approach, CDD/KYC, sanctions and screening, suspicious activity reporting, FATF 40 Recommendations) and stop learning new material. Shift your sleep schedule toward your exam start time and keep review sessions short and active (flashcards, practice questions with rationales).
Do one timed block of practice questions under exam conditions to rehearse pacing, then review only the rationales you got wrong. Write your one-page summary sheet in your own words; writing it is the review.
Light review of the summary sheet only, no new topics. Pack ID, confirmation documents, and clothing with no restricted items. Confirm travel time and, for remote sessions, that your equipment and room meet requirements. Eat a normal meal, avoid late caffeine and alcohol, and go to bed at a normal hour.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately, and do a 10- to 15-minute warm-up on high-level concepts rather than detailed facts. Leave with buffer time. At the site, complete check-in calmly, store personal items, and use the restroom before you start. If remote, close other applications, silence devices, and start the proctor session early.
Read the on-screen instructions and note the question count and time remaining. Write your pacing checkpoints (for example, question 30 by 60 minutes elapsed, question 60 by 105 minutes, question 90 by 150 minutes).
Read the stem, identify the asker (institution, regulator, compliance officer) and the key qualifier (BEST, FIRST, MOST likely). Answer in one pass; flag long calculation or scenario items and return later. Never leave a question blank. Take any permitted break only if you need it, and check the clock before and after.
Return to flagged questions, re-read the stem for qualifiers, change an answer only when you find a concrete reason, and confirm no question is unanswered before submitting.
Note your provisional result if shown, keep your confirmation/score documentation, and confirm with the provider how and when official results and any next steps are communicated.
Rules to check
Bring valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification whose name matches your registration exactly; if your ID name differs, resolve it with the provider before test day. Confirm with the provider which ID forms are accepted and whether a second ID is required.
Expect personal items, phones, watches, and outside notes to be prohibited in the testing room. Use the locker or storage the site provides and confirm the prohibited-items list with the provider in advance.
Answer every question. The exam is 120 multiple-choice items, of which a subset is unscored pretest items, and there is no indication that incorrect answers are penalized more than blanks; confirm the current scoring policy with the provider rather than assuming.
Confirm the current passing standard and score reporting method with the provider. Do not rely on a remembered percentage or on secondhand accounts of the pass mark.
Follow all proctor instructions and testing-vendor rules. Prohibited behavior, unauthorized materials, or communicating with others during the exam can result in score cancellation or other sanctions under the certifying body's policies.
Confirm the break policy with the provider before test day: whether breaks are scheduled or on request, whether the clock keeps running, and whether you must re-verify identity on return.
Arrive early. Late arrival may mean forfeiture of your seat and fee under the provider's policy; confirm the exact cut-off with the provider and the testing vendor.
Keep your provisional result and confirmation documents, and verify with the provider how and when official results, score reports, and any retake or appeal procedures are issued.