IC&RC ADC (IC&RC Addiction Professional Exams) exam-day guide
IC&RC ADC · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID whose name matches your registration exactly. Testing vendors usually require a primary photo ID; if your name differs from your registration (marriage, hyphenation, abbreviation), confirm with the provider before test day how to resolve it rather than guessing.
Admission or authorization confirmation
Print or save the scheduling confirmation from your credentialing body or test vendor showing your name, exam title, date, time, and test center or remote-proctoring instructions. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital copy is accepted.
Exact test center address and arrival instructions
Look up the address the day before and plan the route. Test centers are sometimes inside office parks, colleges, or shared buildings with confusing entrances. Note parking, transit stops, and building security screening time. If testing remotely, confirm the platform, browser, and system check requirements with the provider.
Arrival buffer and check-in time
Plan to arrive well before your appointment; many vendors require check-in 15 to 30 minutes early and may deny entry to late arrivals. Confirm the specific early-arrival window and late-arrival policy with the provider, since these vary by vendor and site.
Knowledge of permitted and prohibited items
Most testing rooms prohibit phones, smartwatches, notes, bags, food, and drinks at the workstation; many provide a locker. Ask the provider in advance about medical devices, medications, eyeglasses cases, and religious items so you are not surprised at security screening.
Break and scoring rules reviewed
Before test day, read the provider's candidate handbook for how many breaks are allowed, whether the clock stops during breaks, whether items can be flagged and reviewed, and how the exam is scored (scaled score, pass point, retake waiting period). Do not rely on secondhand accounts from other candidates.
Accommodation approval, if applicable
If you requested extended time, a separate room, or another accommodation, confirm in writing that it was approved and that the test center has it on file. Bring the approval letter if the provider instructs you to. Unapproved accommodations are generally not granted on the day.
Study plan for the final 72 hours
Prepare a short review list focused on your weakest domains rather than rereading everything. Use the credentialing body's published content outline to decide what to review; confirm the current outline version with the provider, since domain weights can change between handbook editions.
Rest, food, and hydration plan
Protect sleep in the last two nights, eat a normal meal before the exam, and bring water for before and after if the room does not allow drinks. Avoid trying new caffeine levels or unfamiliar energy products on test day.
Transportation and backup plan
Identify a backup ride or route in case of transit delays or car trouble, and save the test center phone number. If you cannot reach the site, contact the provider as soon as possible; policies on excused absences and rescheduling must be confirmed with the provider.
Remote-testing setup, if applicable
If you are testing online with a proctor, run the required system test, clear your desk area, close other applications, and confirm your room meets privacy requirements. Confirm with the provider what room conditions and ID checks the proctor will require.
Contact information for the provider
Save the phone number and email for the credentialing body and the test vendor in your phone and on paper. You may need them for a scheduling problem, an ID question, or a score-report issue after the exam.
Plan the day
Stop expanding your scope. Review only your condensed notes, the published content outline, and any domain summaries you built during study. Do a small set of practice questions under timed conditions to check pacing, then review the rationales for missed items. Confirm your appointment time, location or remote-testing link, and ID requirements with the provider. Set out your ID and confirmation document so nothing is hunted for later.
Do a light review of high-yield concepts and any memorized frameworks you use for assessment, ethics, and documentation questions. Avoid cramming new material. Check the weather and transit advisories for your route. If you are testing remotely, run the system check again and confirm your room setup. Go to bed at your normal time.
Do a final short review, then stop. Pack your ID, confirmation, and any approved items. Charge your phone and any devices, confirm your alarm, and plan your meal and departure time. Read the provider's candidate handbook section on test-day conduct one last time so break and scoring rules are fresh. Avoid alcohol and late screen time, and aim for a full night's sleep.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately, and dress in layers so room temperature is not a distraction. Leave with enough buffer to arrive at the early check-in window. Leave prohibited items in the car or at home if possible. At check-in, follow staff instructions, present your ID, store belongings as directed, and use the restroom before the clock starts.
Read each item fully, including qualifiers such as best, first, except, and most likely. Answer in your own words before looking at options when an item is confusing, then choose the closest match. For scenario items, identify the client, the setting, and the ethical or clinical principle being tested. Flag uncertain items if the platform allows review, but do not leave blanks unless the provider penalizes wrong answers, which you should confirm in advance. Watch the clock at natural checkpoints, take allowed breaks, and use breathing or a brief pause if anxiety spikes. If equipment fails or a proctor interrupts you, note the time and report it to the provider afterward.
Follow the provider's instructions on when and how scores are released, and keep your score report. If you did not pass, confirm the retake waiting period and any score-review options with the provider before re-registering. If you passed, confirm the certification or credentialing steps that follow, such as application fees, background checks, or continuing education requirements.
Rules to check
Bring the original government-issued photo ID required by the provider; photocopies, expired IDs, and IDs with mismatched names are commonly refused. Confirm the accepted ID types and name-match rules with the provider before test day.
Arrive within the provider's check-in window. Late arrivals may be denied entry and treated as an absence, with fees or forfeiture depending on policy; confirm the late-arrival and rescheduling rules with the provider.
Do not bring unauthorized materials into the testing room: no phones, smartwatches, notes, books, or bags at the workstation. Follow staff instructions on lockers and security screening, and ask in advance about medical devices or medications.
Breaks are governed by the provider's rules. Many exams allow scheduled breaks during which the clock may or may not stop; confirm the break structure and whether unscheduled breaks are permitted before you begin.
The exam is scored against a pass point set by the credentialing body, and results are reported as pass or fail or as a scaled score. Do not assume a raw percentage is the passing standard; confirm the scoring and reporting method in the candidate handbook.
Flagging and review of items is platform-dependent. If review is allowed, use it to check for misread qualifiers, but change answers only for a clear reason. Confirm whether review is available and whether unanswered items count as incorrect.
Maintain exam integrity: do not communicate with other candidates, do not copy or share exam content, and do not attempt to use unauthorized aids. Suspected misconduct can lead to score invalidation and consequences under the provider's ethics policies.
If something goes wrong, such as an equipment failure, a proctor issue, or a scheduling problem, document the time and details and contact the provider promptly. Ask the provider how incident reports and appeals are handled rather than assuming an outcome.