Érettségi Physics exam-day guide
Érettségi Physics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID (személyazonosító igazolvány or passport)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. Schools typically verify identity at the door before seating. If you are unsure which documents your examination centre accepts, confirm with the provider in advance.
Admission slip / exam registration confirmation
Print or download the document issued through the official registration system (e.g. the Oktatási Hivatal exam portal). Check that your name, the exam subject, level (középszint/emelt szint) and the venue address are correct; report errors immediately.
Blue or black ink pens (at least two) and a spare
Written answers must be legible and in ink. Bring more than one pen of the same type so your script stays consistent; pencil is normally only acceptable for drawings and graphs.
Pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler
Graphs, circuit sketches and force diagrams must be neat. A transparent ruler and a sharp pencil make vector drawings and axes much faster and clearer.
Non-programmable calculator
A standard scientific calculator is normally allowed, but programmable or graphing calculators and phones are usually not. Confirm the permitted calculator type with the provider before the exam.
Approved formula and data booklet (függvénytáblázat)
The official four-figure tables/formula collection is the standard aid in Hungarian physics exams. Bring your own clean copy; check with the provider whether annotated copies are acceptable.
Watch (non-smart, no communication function)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock. A simple analogue or digital watch helps you pace the paper without relying on a phone, which will be collected.
Water in a clear bottle and a small snack
Long written papers are draining. Keep the bottle label-free if your centre requires it; confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed at the desk.
Know the exact venue, room and start time
Check the address and travel route the day before. Arrive well before the start; late arrivals may be refused entry, so confirm the arrival deadline with the provider.
Leave phone and smart devices at home or switched off in your bag
Phones, smartwatches and any communication device must be handed in or stored away. Possession at the desk is normally treated as a serious irregularity.
Rest and sleep plan for the final days
Do not learn new material in the last 24 hours. Review formula meanings, units and typical calculation steps instead, and protect your sleep.
Confirm rules with the provider (needs_review)
Exact rules on calculators, formula booklets, dictionaries, food/drink and late arrival vary by centre and year. Verify each of these with your examination centre; do not assume.
Plan the day
Switch from learning to consolidating. Rework one past paper under timed conditions and mark it strictly against the official marking scheme. Build a one-page sheet of formulas you keep forgetting (e.g. rotational dynamics, lens equation, photon energy) with the meaning and SI unit of every symbol. Rehearse unit conversions and significant figures, since lost marks usually come from units, not from physics. Pack your bag with ID, pens, calculator, ruler, formula booklet and watch, and check the venue address and travel time.
Do a light review only: read your one-page formula sheet, re-derive two or three key relations (e.g. conservation of energy, Ohm's law for series/parallel, the photoelectric equation) and look over the mistakes from your last timed paper. Do not start new topics. Prepare clothes, transport money and the bag by the door. Set two alarms, eat a normal meal and go to bed at your usual time. Confirm the start time and arrival deadline with the provider if you have not already.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early, allowing buffer for transport. Leave the phone off and packed away. Before entering, check you have ID, admission slip, at least two pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, calculator and formula booklet. Once seated, read the whole paper first, note the mark allocation of each part and decide the order in which you will answer.
Start with the questions you can do confidently to bank marks, then return to harder ones. For every calculation: write the formula, substitute with units, give the result with the correct unit and a sensible number of significant figures. Draw diagrams (free-body, circuit, ray) even when not explicitly demanded, because method marks often depend on them. Show intermediate steps; a bare answer rarely earns full credit. Watch the clock and keep a reserve of about ten minutes to check units, signs and that every question has been attempted. If a question is unclear, state your assumption and continue rather than leaving it blank.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID named on your registration; without acceptable identification you may not be admitted. Confirm the accepted document types with the provider.
Phones, smartwatches and any communication or programmable device must be handed in or stored away. Having them at your desk is normally treated as cheating.
Only permitted aids may be used: usually a non-programmable calculator and the official formula/data booklet. Confirm the exact list with the provider before the exam.
Written answers must be in ink and legible; use pencil only for drawings and graphs. Answers written in pencil where ink is required may not be accepted.
You may normally leave the room only for brief, supervised reasons; plan toilet breaks before the start. Ask the invigilator and follow their instruction.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not look at another candidate's paper. Any suspected irregularity is reported and can lead to the paper being annulled.
Scoring follows the official marking scheme: method marks are awarded for correct formulas and steps, and unit errors typically cost marks even when the number is right. Always give units.
If you believe a task is misprinted or ambiguous, raise your hand and ask the invigilator; do not rely on a guess about the rules. For anything uncertain, confirm with the provider.