Érettségi Chemistry exam-day guide
Érettségi Chemistry · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID (személyazonosító igazolvány or passport)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. Check that it has not expired. If you are unsure which ID forms the exam centre accepts, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Official exam admission document / registration confirmation
Print or download the notification you received about your exam registration (hely, időpont, terem). The exact document required varies by centre - confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Written answers must be legible; bring spares. Do not rely on erasable or gel pens unless the provider confirms they are allowed.
Pencil, eraser and ruler
Useful for rough work and for drawing labelled diagrams (apparatus setups, graphs). Confirm whether rough work must be handed in or crossed out.
Non-programmable calculator
Chemistry papers involve molar mass, concentration, pH and gas-law calculations. Programmable or graphing calculators are usually excluded - confirm the permitted type with the provider.
Periodic table and data booklet (if permitted)
Many centres supply a periodic table with relative atomic masses and constants. Confirm whether you may bring your own annotated copy or must use the supplied one; annotated copies are often not allowed.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock. Smartwatches and phones are normally banned from the desk - confirm the provider's rule on watches.
Clear water bottle with labels removed
Stay hydrated; label-free clear bottles are the usual requirement. Confirm whether drinks are allowed at your centre.
Know your seat, room and arrival time in advance
Re-read your admission document the evening before and plan the route. Arrive with a buffer for public transport delays.
Leave phone and smart devices switched off and stowed
Even a phone in a pocket can be treated as a rule violation. Confirm where devices must be deposited at your centre.
Rest and a normal breakfast
Do not study new material the night before. A normal meal and sleep matter more than last-minute cramming.
Review calculation formulas the morning of
Skim only: n = m/M, c = n/V, pH = −log[H⁺], ideal gas law pV = nRT, and percentage yield. No new topics.
Plan the day
Finish active revision: work through past-paper calculation tasks (molarity, titration, stoichiometry, thermochemistry) and write out full solutions by hand so the method is automatic. Make a one-page formula sheet from memory and check it against your notes.
Practise describing observations and writing balanced equations for the standard reactions (acid–base, redox, precipitation, gas evolution). Examiners award marks for correct state symbols and clear observation language.
Do one full timed mock under exam conditions without notes. Mark it strictly and list your three weakest topics. Spend the remaining time only on those.
Pack your bag: ID, admission document, pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, calculator, watch, water. Lay out clothes. Check the exam address, room and start time once more.
Light review only - read your formula sheet and a summary of key reaction types. Stop studying early, eat properly and sleep a full night. Do not start a new topic.
Eat a normal breakfast, leave early, and arrive at the centre with time to spare. Skim only your formula sheet on the way; do not attempt new problems.
Follow instructions for depositing phones and bags, present your ID and admission document, and find your seat. Listen carefully to the invigilator's briefing on timing and permitted materials.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the mark allocation per task and the total time, then budget roughly one minute per mark where the paper allows it, leaving 10–15 minutes to check.
Start with tasks you can do confidently to secure marks. For calculations, write the formula, substitute with units, then give the answer with correct significant figures and units - method marks are often awarded even if the final number is wrong.
Re-check balanced equations (atoms and charge), state symbols, units and significant figures. Make sure every sub-question has an answer and that diagrams are labelled with names, not just sketches.
Rules to check
Bring original photo identification and your admission document; entry may be refused without them. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Phones, smartwatches and other electronic devices must be switched off and stowed away from your desk for the whole session. Possession at the desk can be treated as a rule violation.
Only permitted aids may be on the desk: confirm with the provider whether a non-programmable calculator, a periodic table and a data booklet are allowed, and whether you may bring your own or must use the supplied copies.
Raise your hand and wait for the invigilator if you need to leave the room; toilet breaks are usually escorted and you may not make up lost time. Confirm your centre's specific break policy with the provider.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the paper is distributed, and do not look at another candidate's work. Follow the invigilator's instructions on when you may turn the paper over and when writing may begin.
Write in the language of the examination and in the answer spaces provided. Answers outside the designated areas or on rough paper may not be marked - confirm the provider's rule on rough work.
Marks are awarded for method as well as final answers: show your working, include units and significant figures, and balance equations with state symbols where required.
If you believe there is a printing error or a missing page, report it to the invigilator immediately rather than guessing; the provider's procedure for handling such issues should be confirmed in advance.