ICDL Spreadsheets (ICDL) exam-day guide
ICDL Spreadsheets · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the original photo ID named on your booking (typically a passport, national ID card, or driving licence). Confirm with the provider which ID types it accepts and check that the name matches your registration exactly - a mismatch can block you from sitting the test. Status: needs_review for accepted ID types.
Booking confirmation and candidate number
Print your appointment confirmation and note your ICDL candidate/registration number if you have one. Print it rather than relying on your phone, since phones are usually taken away before you enter the test room. Status: needs_review whether digital confirmation is accepted.
Confirmed test centre details
Verify the exact address, building entrance, room number, and the arrival time stated on your confirmation. Test centres are often inside training institutes or office buildings where the reception does not know the schedule, so a phone number for the centre is worth having.
Travel plan with a buffer
Plan your route and add 20–30 minutes of slack for delays. Arriving flustered is one of the most common avoidable causes of lost marks in a timed practical test. Status: needs_review for how late a candidate may arrive and still be admitted - confirm with the provider.
Reading glasses or approved assistive items
If you normally use glasses for screen work, bring them. Any other item (extra time, separate room, assistive software) must normally be agreed with the provider in advance, so confirm rather than assume. Status: needs_review.
Phone, watch, and notes left outside the test room
Expect to store your phone, smartwatch, bag, and any notes in a locker or with the invigilator. Do not carry paper notes into the room; having them at your desk can be treated as misconduct even if you never look at them.
Do not bring your own laptop
ICDL practical tests are normally taken on centre-supplied equipment with the application and language version the provider specifies. Confirm with the provider whether any test can be taken on a personal device. Status: needs_review.
Water and comfort items confirmed in advance
Ask the provider whether a drinks bottle or medication may be taken into the test room, and dress in layers because lab temperatures vary. Status: needs_review - this is a centre-level policy.
Function and feature revision list prepared
Make a one-page list of the spreadsheet areas you will practise: SUM, AVERAGE, MIN/MAX, COUNT/COUNTA/COUNTIF/SUMIF, ROUND, IF, and lookup functions; absolute versus relative references; sorting and filtering; charts; conditional formatting; number, date, and text formatting; cell and sheet management; and print/page setup.
Language and interface checked
If you are taking the test in a second language or on a specific software version, confirm with the provider which language and version the test will use, and practise in that exact setup. Status: needs_review.
Sleep and food handled the night before
A timed hands-on test rewards steady attention more than last-minute cramming. Get a normal night's sleep and eat before you travel so hunger or fatigue does not cost you accuracy.
Plan the day
Reread the official syllabus or skill list for the module and tick off any topic you cannot perform from memory. Rehearse the weak items on sample data you build yourself - for example, create a 30-row sales table and produce a summary with SUMIF, a chart, conditional formatting, and a print layout that fits one page.
Do at least one full timed run in the test software version you will actually use, on a desktop machine, with a mouse and physical keyboard. Note where you lose time: entering long formulas, hunting for ribbon commands, or formatting.
Confirm practical logistics: the booked date and time, ID requirements, arrival rules, and whether the centre has any access restrictions. Contact the provider directly for anything not clearly stated on your confirmation.
Stop learning new functions; do only short revision of your own function sheet and the file-management steps (save, Save As, correct file name and location, correct format). Verify your ID is where you will pick it up and that your travel plan works for the stated arrival time.
Pack what you are allowed to bring, print the confirmation, set two alarms, and check the centre's phone number and opening time. Avoid a late night.
Eat properly and leave with buffer time. Arrive at the centre early enough to complete any registration and ID check without rushing, and use the waiting time only for calm recall of your function list, not for cramming new material.
Present your ID and confirmation, store your belongings as instructed, and listen carefully to the invigilator's briefing on how to start the test, how to navigate between tasks, and how to submit. Ask now if anything about the interface or submission process is unclear.
Skim the whole task list or question set before typing. Note the marks or number of tasks and identify anything that will take longer, then decide your order - many candidates do the quick formatting and formula tasks first and leave chart or multi-step tasks until the easy marks are secured.
Read each instruction twice and do exactly what is asked, including file names, sheet names, cell ranges, and number formats, because automated marking checks these precisely. Save after each significant change and keep an eye on the clock so the last task is not abandoned.
Check that every file is saved with the required name in the required location, that formulas reference the correct cells and sheets, and that charts and print settings match the instructions. Then submit through the method the invigilator described and confirm on screen that the submission succeeded.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID named on your booking and present it at check-in; without acceptable ID you may be refused entry even if you are booked. Confirm acceptable ID types with the provider in advance.
Arrive at or before the time stated on your confirmation. Admission after a late arrival is at the centre's discretion, so confirm the late-arrival and no-show policy with the provider rather than assuming you will be let in.
Do not take phones, smartwatches, notes, or any unauthorised material into the test room. Possession of such items at your desk, even unused, can be treated as misconduct and may void your result.
Work only on your own machine and your own files. Do not communicate with other candidates, look at another screen, or accept help during the test; the invigilator may stop the test and report the incident.
Breaks are not normally available during a short practical test, so plan hydration and toilet visits for before check-in. If you have a documented need for a break or extra time, arrange it with the provider before test day. Status: needs_review.
Scoring is automated and based on the saved files matching the required names, locations, and values, so tasks left unsaved or saved incorrectly may score zero. Confirm the pass mark and the number of tasks with the provider, as these depend on the module version.
If technical equipment fails, raise your hand and tell the invigilator immediately rather than trying to fix it yourself; the centre can usually restore your session or record the incident. Do not restart or log out independently.
Retake and resit rules vary by centre and programme, so confirm the cost, waiting period, and number of attempts with the provider before relying on a second sitting. Status: needs_review.