CTA exam-day guide
CTA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original document (not a photocopy or photo on your phone). The name must match your registration exactly. Confirm with the provider which specific ID forms are accepted, whether a secondary ID is required, and whether expired documents are refused.
Appointment confirmation and registration/candidate number
Bring a printed or offline-accessible copy of your confirmation email. Do not rely on mobile signal inside a test centre or during a proctored session.
Test-centre address, route, and backup transport plan
Re-check the address the day before; centres occasionally relocate. Note parking or transit options and plan to arrive well ahead of your scheduled start time - confirm the provider's recommended arrival window, since late arrivals may be barred from sitting.
Platform login credentials and system check (remote-proctored sittings)
Verify username/password and run any required equipment or identity-verification test in advance. Confirm with the provider the deadline for completing the system check and what to do if it fails.
Approved calculator (or confirmation that an on-screen calculator is provided)
Confirm with the provider which calculator models are permitted, whether a physical calculator is allowed at all, and whether personal calculators must be cleared or reset. Do not assume a model is permitted.
Permitted scratch materials
Confirm whether scratch paper, a marker board, or an on-screen notepad is supplied, and whether you may bring your own. Many providers supply materials and prohibit bringing your own; do not bring unauthorised paper.
Water and a snack for scheduled breaks
Confirm the provider's policy on bringing food and drink into the testing room and whether unscheduled breaks are allowed. If breaks are not permitted, plan hydration and meals around the session length.
Quiet, compliant workspace (remote-proctored sittings)
Clear the desk of notes, books, and devices other than those permitted. Confirm the provider's rules on room privacy, camera placement, and whether you may leave the frame during the session.
Printed summary sheet or formula list for last-minute review
Use it before check-in only - it cannot enter the testing room. One or two pages of your own condensed notes is more useful on exam day than new material.
Provider support contact number
Save it offline in case of a connection failure, platform error, or check-in problem. Know in advance what the provider requires you to do if your session is interrupted.
Comfort items and clothing layers
Testing rooms are often cold or unevenly heated. Dress in layers and avoid anything that must be removed or stored, since items brought into the room may be restricted.
Plan the day
Reconfirm the appointment, delivery mode, permitted items, and ID requirements with the provider. Sit one full-length timed practice paper under exam conditions, then stop introducing new topics - consolidate what you already know.
Light, targeted review of your two or three weakest areas using your own summary notes. Draft the packed bag (ID, confirmation, calculator, support number) so nothing is left to the morning.
Final logistics check: route, travel time, backup plan, and any remote-proctoring equipment test. Re-read the provider's candidate handbook for conduct and break rules. Stop studying by early evening, eat a normal meal, and protect your sleep - a rested candidate outperforms a cramming one.
Set two alarms, lay out clothes and the packed bag by the door, and confirm your start time and time zone (especially for remote sittings). Do not attempt to memorise new material.
Eat a normal meal, arrive or log in early per the provider's recommended window, and skim only your one-page summary. Avoid discussing content with other candidates immediately before the exam - it reliably increases anxiety and self-doubt.
Have ID and confirmation ready, complete identity verification and the room or equipment check calmly, and read every instruction screen before starting. If something goes wrong, stop and contact provider support rather than improvising.
Read the instructions and note the question count and time limit, then compute your average pace. Answer questions you know, flag anything slow or ambiguous, and move on. Never let one item consume several questions' worth of time.
Check the clock at natural milestones (quarter, half, three-quarters) and adjust pace. If breaks are permitted, take them at the scheduled point rather than waiting until you are fatigued. Re-read carefully on questions with 'not' or 'except' wording.
Return to flagged items with the remaining time, but only change an answer when you identify a concrete reason to do so. Confirm there are no unanswered questions, then submit deliberately and note the confirmation that your responses were received.
Rules to check
Bring identification in the exact form the provider specifies and ensure the name matches your registration; if the names differ for any reason (marriage, preferred name, transliteration), resolve it with the provider before exam day, not at check-in.
Arrive or log in within the provider's stated window. Candidates arriving after the cut-off are commonly refused entry and may forfeit the fee - confirm the exact cut-off time with the provider.
Bring only permitted items into the testing environment. Unauthorised materials, notes, or a second device can lead to your sitting being voided; confirm the permitted-items list in advance.
Do not attempt to photograph, record, or reproduce exam content, and do not discuss specific questions afterwards. Every certification body treats this as a serious breach of its candidate agreement.
Breaks follow the provider's stated policy. Unscheduled breaks may be unavailable or may not stop the clock, so confirm the break rules and plan hydration and restroom use around them.
Scoring is typically based on your total performance against a standard set in advance, not on a curve against other candidates, and some formats do not penalise an incorrect answer more than a blank one - confirm the scoring and any penalty rules for your specific exam before you decide whether to guess.
If your session is interrupted by a technical failure, stop and follow the provider's incident process rather than restarting on your own initiative; get any acknowledgement or case reference in writing immediately.
Follow the proctor's or invigilator's instructions at all times. Disputes about conduct are handled after the sitting, never during it.