European Baccalaureate Physics exam-day guide
European Baccalaureate Physics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and exam admission documents
Bring the identity document and any entry slip or candidate number your school or the exam centre has issued. The exact document accepted is set by your school or the Baccalaureate authority, so confirm the required ID with your provider well before the day.
Approved calculator (check the model list)
The European Baccalaureate physics written paper allows a calculator, but the permitted models and any memory/reset requirements are set by the exam regulations. Confirm the approved model list and whether the calculator must be cleared or inspected with your provider; do not assume any graphing calculator is allowed.
Ruler, protractor, set square, and sharp pencils
Graph work, vector diagrams, and ray or field sketches need a ruler and protractor. Bring spares of pencils and an eraser. Confirm with the provider whether any of these are supplied by the centre.
Blue or black pens plus a spare
Answers must normally be written in ink that photocopies clearly. Bring at least two working pens and check the centre's rule on ink colour.
Watch (non-smart, no communication functions)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you pace the paper. Smartwatches and phones are generally prohibited at the desk; confirm the centre's exact rule on timekeeping devices.
Clear pencil case or pouch
Many centres require stationery to be in a transparent container. Confirm the local rule; if unsure, bring a clear pouch and be ready to empty it.
Water in a clear, label-free bottle
Hydration helps concentration in a long written paper. Check whether drinks are allowed at the desk in your centre.
Formula booklet or data sheet status confirmed
Some sessions provide a data/formula booklet; others expect memorised constants. Confirm with your provider whether a booklet is issued and which constants and formulae it contains, so you do not rely on the wrong assumption.
Know your seat, room, and arrival time
Check the notice or message from your school for room, seat, and reporting time. Arrive early enough to complete ID checks without stress.
Rest, food, and transport plan
Eat a normal breakfast, plan the journey with a buffer, and avoid last-minute cramming of new material. Sleep matters more than one extra past paper the night before.
Confirm permitted equipment list with provider
needs_review - the definitive list of allowed instruments, calculator models, and any prohibited items is set by the exam authority and can change; verify it directly rather than relying on memory or hearsay.
Confirm break and access arrangements with provider
needs_review - rules on toilet breaks, extra time, and access arrangements are centre-specific; confirm your entitlements in advance.
Plan the day
Do targeted revision, not new topics. Re-read your summary sheets for mechanics, electricity, waves, and thermodynamics, and redo a small set of past-paper questions under timed conditions. Practise the question types you lose marks on: unit conversions, significant figures, graph slopes, and error discussion. Check your calculator is working and that you know its mode settings. Confirm the exam room, time, and equipment list with your school.
Pack your bag: ID, admission documents, approved calculator, pens, pencils, ruler, protractor, eraser, clear pouch, water. Lay out clothes and plan transport. Do a light review of formulae and constants only; stop studying early enough to sleep well. Avoid learning a new derivation the night before.
Eat breakfast, arrive at the centre with time to spare, and keep away from last-minute group panic. Re-check you have your ID and calculator. Once seated, read the front instructions, check the paper structure, and note the marks per question so you can allocate time.
Read the whole paper briefly, then start with questions you can do confidently to bank marks. Show working, state formulae before substituting, and carry units through every step. For graph questions, label axes with quantity and unit, draw a best-fit line, and use a large triangle for the gradient. For explanations, name the principle, apply it to the situation, and state the conclusion. Watch significant figures and give answers to the precision the data justify. If stuck, move on and return; leave time to check units, arithmetic, and that every question has an answer.
Rules to check
Bring the identity document required by your school or exam centre and present it when asked; confirm the accepted forms of ID with your provider in advance.
Only use equipment permitted by the exam regulations. Confirm the approved calculator models and any reset or inspection requirement with your provider; do not bring smart devices to the desk.
Follow all instructions from invigilators about seating, starting, stopping, and collecting papers. Raise your hand if you need to speak rather than calling out.
Ask an invigilator before leaving the room for any reason; toilet-break rules and whether the clock is stopped are centre-specific, so confirm them with your provider.
Write your answers in the required ink and in the designated spaces; show working because method marks are awarded even when the final answer is wrong.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam and do not take any paper or notes out of the room unless the invigilator permits it.
If you believe there is an error or ambiguity in a question, note it clearly and answer as best you can; report it to the invigilator afterwards rather than stopping work.
Scoring and grade boundaries are set by the Baccalaureate authority; confirm how the practical and written components are weighted and how marks are aggregated with your provider rather than assuming.