EPSO Auditors exam-day guide
EPSO Auditors · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the original identity document (national ID card or passport) whose number you used in your application. A photocopy or expired document is normally refused. Confirm with the provider which document types it accepts and whether the name and spelling must match your application exactly.
Admission/convocation document
Print or download the invitation showing your candidate number, test centre address, session time and any instructions. Some centres ask for it at reception; confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital version is accepted.
Confirmed time and address of the test centre
Re-check the address and reporting time the day before, since sessions can be moved or consolidated. Plan to arrive well before the reporting time; late arrivals are commonly excluded once the session has started. Confirm the provider's cut-off rule.
Travel plan and buffer
Work out the route in advance, including public transport schedules or parking, and add a buffer for delays. If you are travelling from another city, consider arriving the day before.
Permitted items only
Expect that phones, smart watches, notes and bags must be stored away or left outside the room. Confirm with the provider what is allowed at your seat (for example a simple pen, water in a clear bottle, tissues) and what is provided (scratch paper, calculator, computer).
Calculator and reference material status
Do not assume a personal calculator or formula sheet is allowed. Ask the provider in advance whether an on-screen calculator, a provided one, or none is used, and whether any legislation or tables are supplied.
Language and dictionary rules
If the exam is taken in your second language, confirm whether any dictionary is permitted; paper dictionaries are frequently banned. Treat this as needs_review until the provider confirms.
Access arrangements
If you need extra time, a separate room or other adjustment, confirm that it has been formally granted and will be in place at the centre. Bring any confirmation letter the provider issued.
Rest, food and medication
Sleep normally, eat a light meal beforehand, and bring any prescription medication you may need, subject to the provider's rules on items in the room. Long sittings reward steady energy rather than last-minute cramming.
Watch or timekeeping
Many computer-based tests show a countdown clock, but confirm whether a wristwatch is permitted. Smart watches are almost always prohibited.
Emergency contact and provider phone number
Save the test centre or provider contact so you can report a delay, illness or incident immediately rather than after the session.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Re-read your own summary of the syllabus areas and rehearse the format: question types, number of sections, time per section, and whether sections are separately timed. Do two or three timed practice sets under realistic conditions and review errors for cause (knowledge gap, misreading, time pressure) rather than just the correct answer. Confirm logistics: route, reporting time, ID, and any provider instructions.
Light review only: key definitions, audit terminology in your second language, and a checklist of common traps such as 'which is NOT correct' or 'most appropriate'. Prepare clothes, ID and documents the night before. Check the provider's website or your inbox for any change to the session. Avoid intensive study late in the evening and aim for a normal night's sleep.
Eat properly, arrive early, and avoid last-minute discussion of questions with other candidates, which raises anxiety and can breach confidentiality rules. At the centre, follow staff instructions, store prohibited items, and read any on-screen instructions carefully, including how to navigate and flag questions.
Read the instructions for each section before starting, note how many questions and how much time you have, and set a rough pace per question. Answer the easier questions first and flag uncertain ones if the interface allows returning. For scenario and audit-reasoning questions, identify what is being asked, eliminate clearly wrong options, and choose the best remaining answer rather than the perfect one. Watch the clock but do not abandon accuracy for speed; leave time to check that no question is unanswered if there is no penalty for guessing.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID used in your application; without acceptable identification you may be refused entry. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether the name must match exactly.
Follow the provider's rules on prohibited items. Phones, smart watches, notes and unauthorised devices must normally be switched off and stored as instructed; possession in the test room can lead to invalidation.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the session and do not share, record or reproduce questions afterwards. Exam content is confidential and disclosure can lead to cancellation of results.
Breaks are usually limited and controlled by the invigilators; confirm with the provider whether you may leave the room, whether the clock stops, and what happens if you need to leave for medical reasons.
If sections are separately timed, you generally cannot borrow time from one section to another. Confirm the timing structure in advance and practise under the same constraints.
If you believe there was a technical failure, disturbance or other incident, report it to the invigilator or provider immediately and keep any reference they give you; complaints raised much later are harder to uphold.
Scoring rules, including whether wrong answers are penalised and how sections are weighted, are set by the provider. Confirm them rather than assuming; if there is no negative marking, answer every question.
Do not assume any particular calculator, dictionary, formula sheet or reference text is allowed. Ask the provider in advance and treat unconfirmed items as prohibited.