Bac Pro TCI exam-day guide
Bac Pro TCI · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation and exam timetable
Bring the convocation document issued by your académie or exam centre showing the date, time, room, and series/specialty. If you have not received it, confirm the exact venue and reporting time with your établissement or the rectorat before the final 72 hours - do not rely on second-hand information from classmates.
Valid photo identity document
A national identity card or passport is normally required for admission to the room. Check that it has not expired. Which documents are accepted (for example, whether a permis de conduire is sufficient) must be confirmed with the exam centre; carry the safest option.
Summons plus any candidate number or barcode labels
Some centres issue pre-printed labels or a candidate number to be affixed to answer sheets. Keep them flat in a rigid folder so they are not crumpled. If you were not given any, nothing extra is needed - confirm with the provider.
Black ballpoint pens (at least two) and a spare
Written papers are normally completed in black ink. Bring two working pens plus one spare, and test them beforehand. Pencil, eraser, and ruler are useful for diagrams and sketches in technology papers.
Authorised calculator
Check the model against the rules for your specialty and the current session - programmable or graphing calculators may be restricted or require memory cleared. Confirm the permitted list with your teacher or the exam centre, and bring fresh batteries.
Drawing and technical instruments
For TCI-style technology content, bring a ruler, set square, compass, protractor, sharp pencils, and coloured pencils if your teacher has said they are useful for schematics. Verify with the provider whether any of these are supplied by the centre.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Many centres require transparent containers. Bring a clear pouch for pens and instruments and keep everything else in your bag at the back of the room.
Water bottle with label removed
A small bottle of water is usually allowed if the label is removed and it is transparent. Confirm the centre's policy, as some rooms prohibit drinks at the desk.
No phone, no connected watch
Leave smartphones, smartwatches, and any connected device switched off and stored in your bag away from the desk. Possession at the desk is commonly treated as fraud regardless of intent - confirm the exact rule with the provider.
Plan your route and arrival time
Arrive at the reporting time on the convocation, which is usually well before the start of the paper. Late arrival may mean exclusion once the paper has started; the cut-off is set by the centre, so confirm it rather than guessing.
Read the paper instructions before writing
Check the number of pages, the marks per section, and whether there are choices. Note any instructions about answer booklets, graph paper, or annexes to be handed in with the copy.
Rest, food, and timing
Eat before a long paper, bring a snack for between sessions if the timetable allows, and plan how you will track time if the room clock is not visible from your seat. Ask the invigilator about time reminders at the start.
Plan the day
Re-read the convocation and confirm the venue, room, reporting time, and the list of authorised equipment. Re-check the identity document's validity. Assemble the transparent pouch with pens, instruments, and calculator, and test the calculator. Review the structure of each paper (duration, coefficient, sections) rather than trying to learn new content. Sleep on a normal schedule.
Do a light review of formula sheets, symbols, and diagram conventions only. Prepare clothes and bag the night before. Check transport times, including any strike or roadwork disruption, and set two alarms. Avoid cramming new material late at night; a tired candidate loses more marks than a slightly under-revised one.
Eat a proper breakfast, take the identity document, convocation, and pouch, and leave with a margin so you arrive before the reporting time. Switch the phone off and put it in the bag before entering the building. Find the room, check the seating plan, and sit down calmly.
Fill in the header with your name and candidate details exactly as instructed. Read the whole paper for two or three minutes, note the marks per question, and allocate time proportionally. Start with the questions you can answer confidently to secure marks early.
Watch the clock and keep to your time allocation. Show working and units on calculation questions, label diagrams, and answer the question actually asked. If a question blocks you, leave space and move on. Raise your hand for the invigilator rather than speaking to neighbours.
Stop writing new content and check the header, that every page is numbered and attached, that no question is blank, and that units and signs are correct. Hand in all required documents, then leave quietly without discussing answers in the corridor.
Rules to check
Bring a valid photo identity document and your convocation; admission to the room depends on them. If either is missing, speak to the person in charge immediately - the centre decides whether you may sit the paper, so confirm the procedure with the provider rather than assuming you will be refused or admitted.
Mobile phones and connected watches must be switched off and stored away from the desk. Possession at the desk is commonly treated as fraud even without use; the exact sanction is set by the regulations, so confirm it with the provider.
Only equipment listed as authorised for your specialty may be used. Calculators, formulary sheets, and instruments vary by series and session - check the current list with your teacher or the exam centre before the day.
Silence is required during the paper. Communication with other candidates, looking at another's copy, or passing notes is treated as fraud and can lead to cancellation of the paper. Raise your hand for the invigilator instead.
Breaks and toilet visits are usually supervised and may be limited to one candidate at a time. Ask the invigilator before leaving the room; the exact policy is set by the centre, so confirm it on arrival.
Answer in the language and format required by the paper, and use black ink unless told otherwise. Pencil is normally reserved for diagrams and sketches; confirm any exception with the invigilator at the start.
Do not leave the room before the end of the paper unless authorised. Early departure rules and the conditions for leaving in the final minutes vary by centre - confirm them with the invigilator.
Marking is anonymous and follows the official subject criteria; partial credit is normally given for correct method even when the final result is wrong. Write clearly and show your reasoning, since unreadable or unsupported answers may not earn marks.