Érettségi Angol exam-day guide
Érettségi Angol · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID (személyazonosító igazolvány, passport or driving licence)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. Check that the name matches the name on your registration. If your ID is expired or lost, contact the exam organiser before the exam day - do not assume a replacement will be accepted. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted.
Exam admission slip / notification (értesítés az írásbeli vizsgáról)
You normally receive a written notification with the date, time and location of the written exam. Print it or keep it accessible on your phone, and check the room and reporting time the day before. If you have not received it, contact the school or the vizsgaközpont acting as provider immediately.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Written answers are normally completed in pen. Bring spares; a pen that runs out mid-essay costs time you cannot recover. Pencil is generally for diagrams or rough work only - confirm with the invigilator on the day.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
Useful for rough notes, planning an essay, or any task where the instructions allow pencil. Keep rough work clearly separated from final answers.
Plain wristwatch (no smart functions)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock. A simple analogue or digital watch without connectivity is the safest choice. Smartwatches are normally treated as prohibited electronic devices.
Transparent water bottle and a small snack
Water is usually allowed if the bottle has no label. A snack is useful if the session is long, but eating during the test may be restricted - ask the invigilator. Confirm with the provider what is permitted in the room.
No phone, smartwatch, earbuds or notes in the exam room
Switch the phone off and leave it in the designated place, or leave it at home. Even a silent phone discovered on you can lead to removal from the exam. Do not rely on using it as a clock.
Route and arrival plan
Work out the transport route and add a buffer for delays. Aim to arrive well before the reporting time, since late admission rules are strict. Check local transport disruptions the evening before.
Language reference materials - only if explicitly allowed
Monolingual dictionaries or other aids are allowed only if the current exam regulations for your level and task say so. Do not bring them unless you have confirmed this with the provider; unauthorised materials can invalidate your paper.
Reading glasses, medication, and personal necessities
Bring what you need to function for the full session: glasses, prescribed medicine, tissues. Tell the invigilator in advance if you may need to take medication or leave the room.
Confirm the exact reporting time and room
Reporting times and room assignments vary by exam centre. Verify them with the provider or the notice board at the school; do not guess from a previous exam.
Check the current task types and time allocation
Review the official sample papers for your level (középszint or emelt szint) so you know the reading, listening, writing and language-use structure and how many minutes each part allows. Confirm the current format with the provider.
Plan the day
Do one full timed mock under exam conditions using an official sample paper: reading, listening and writing in sequence, with no dictionary and no pauses. Mark it honestly and list the two task types that cost you the most marks. Spend the remaining days only on those, not on new material.
Re-read the official task instructions for each section so the wording is familiar: how many words the email or essay needs, whether both content points must be covered, and how marks are split between content, structure and language. Misreading the rubric loses easy marks.
Prepare and memorise a small set of flexible writing frames: an informal email opening and closing, a formal letter opening and closing, and linking phrases for opinion, contrast and result. Practise adapting them to three different prompts so you are not reciting a memorised essay.
Check your ID is valid, locate your admission slip, and confirm the exam centre address, reporting time and room with the provider if anything is unclear. Sort out transport and decide your arrival buffer.
Do a light review only: skim your error list, the writing frames and a few listening transcripts. No new practice tests and no late-night cramming - fatigue costs more marks than one extra exercise gains.
Pack your bag: ID, admission slip, two pens, pencil, eraser, watch, water, snack, glasses, medication. Lay out clothes and check the weather and transport. Set two alarms.
Plan the timing you will use in the exam, for example how many minutes for planning, writing and checking in the writing task, and a fixed cut-off for each reading passage so one hard text cannot swallow the rest of the paper.
Eat a normal breakfast, avoid heavy caffeine if you are already nervous, and leave with enough margin to arrive early. Re-check you have your ID and admission slip before locking the door.
Do not try to learn new vocabulary. If you want a warm-up, read one short English article or listen to two minutes of English to switch your ear and eye into the language.
Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions, fill in identifying details exactly as instructed, and check the paper for missing pages. Ask immediately if something is unclear; do not wait until the end.
Skim the questions before the text where the format allows it, then read for the specific information. Answer in your own words where required and keep to the word limit; copied full sentences often score nothing.
Use the pause before each recording to read the questions and predict the kind of answer needed. Write something for every item as you listen; leave no blank, and use the second hearing to confirm rather than to start from scratch.
Spend two or three minutes planning content points, then write, then reserve the last few minutes to check tense consistency, subject–verb agreement, articles, spelling and whether you covered every required point and the word count.
Make sure every answer is transferred to the answer sheet in the required form, that no answer is left blank where guessing is possible, and that your name and code are filled in correctly. Hand in only what is asked.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID required by the exam regulations and keep it on your desk if instructed. If your document is missing or expired, you may be refused admission - contact the provider before exam day rather than on the morning.
Arrive by the reporting time stated in your notification. Late admission is at the discretion of the exam centre and may not be possible once the exam has started; confirm the exact rule with the provider.
Electronic devices, smartwatches, earbuds and unauthorised notes must not be in the exam room. Switch off and hand in your phone or leave it at home; possession during the exam can lead to your paper being invalidated.
Dictionaries, textbooks and other aids are permitted only if the current regulations for your exam level and task explicitly allow them. Do not bring them unless you have confirmed this with the provider.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, breaks and leaving the room. If you need to leave temporarily, raise your hand and wait; you may be accompanied, and lost time is generally not made up.
Write your final answers in the required form and place, in pen unless told otherwise. Work that is illegible, outside the designated area, or in the wrong language may not be marked.
Scoring is based on the official mark scheme: content and task achievement, then language accuracy and range, plus comprehension for reading and listening. Answer every item, since a blank scores zero while a reasoned guess may earn a mark.
Results and any appeal or viewing procedure are governed by the exam regulations and deadlines. Ask the provider how and when results are published and what the deadline is for requesting a review - do not rely on second-hand information.