LC Chemistry exam-day guide
LC Chemistry · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission letter and photo ID
Print or download your admission letter and bring the ID type your provider requires (typically a current passport or photo ID). The exact accepted ID types and whether a printed copy of the admission letter is mandatory vary by centre - confirm with the provider and check the name on your entry matches your ID exactly.
Approved calculator
LC Chemistry allows a calculator, but the permitted models and modes (e.g. no graphing or programmable models, no stored notes) are set by the examining authority. Check the current permitted-calculator list and clear/disable any prohibited functions before the exam. Confirm with the provider if your model is not explicitly listed.
The Periodic Table supplied with the paper
The examination provides a Periodic Table (often with relative atomic masses). Do not rely on bringing your own; practise using the supplied version so you know where atomic numbers and masses sit. Confirm with the provider what reference data is supplied.
Data booklet / log tables if permitted
Some papers supply a formula and tables booklet. Check which reference materials are provided and whether any personal booklet is allowed. If in doubt, confirm with the provider rather than bringing extra material.
Pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler
Bring at least two blue or black pens, a pencil for any diagrams or multiple-choice answer sheet, an eraser, a sharpener and a ruler. Write final answers in pen unless the paper instructs otherwise; keep diagrams in pencil and label them clearly.
Clear pencil case or none
Many centres require a transparent pencil case or no case at all, with items loose on the desk. Pack only what you need. Confirm the centre's rule on pencil cases and on bringing water.
Watch (non-smart)
A simple analogue or non-smart digital watch helps you pace long written papers, since wall clocks may be hard to see. Smart watches and any device with communication or storage capability are normally banned - leave them at home or in your bag.
No phones or smart devices at your desk
Phones, smart watches, earbuds and similar devices must be switched off and stored away, not merely silenced. Possession at the desk can lead to disqualification. Confirm the centre's storage arrangements.
Know your timing per section
Before the day, note the marks and suggested time for each section so you can allocate minutes per mark. Decide in advance how long to spend on structured questions versus the longer, higher-mark parts.
Plan for diagrams and calculations
Bring a ruler and practise showing full working: formula, substitution with units, and a final answer with correct units and significant figures. Examiners award marks for method even when the final value is wrong.
Arrive early at the correct venue
Check the venue address, entry point and reporting time on your admission letter, and allow extra time for traffic and security checks. Late arrival rules vary - confirm with the provider how late entry is handled.
Rest, food and water beforehand
Eat a normal meal, bring water if the centre allows it, and avoid last-minute cramming of new topics. A short review of formulae, definitions and common calculation traps is more useful than new material.
Plan the day
Work through one full past paper under timed conditions and mark it honestly, noting where marks were lost (units, significant figures, definitions, unbalanced equations). Build a one-page summary of formulae, key definitions, trends and named tests/reagents. Re-read the syllabus sections you keep getting wrong rather than starting new topics. Check your calculator works and is on the permitted list, and confirm your admission letter, ID and venue details.
Do light revision only: your summary sheet, the Periodic Table layout, and a handful of calculation questions. Pack your bag with pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler, calculator, admission letter and ID. Charge nothing you cannot bring in - leave smart devices out. Set two alarms, plan your route and transport, and get a full night's sleep. Do not attempt a new full paper the night before.
Eat breakfast and drink water. Glance at your summary sheet for 20–30 minutes, then stop. Arrive at the venue with time to spare, switch off and stow your phone, and locate the correct room and seat. Use the reading time, if any is given, to scan the paper and note which questions you will answer first.
Read the whole paper or section first and choose questions deliberately where there is a choice. Answer the questions you find easiest first to bank marks, then return to harder ones. Show full working for calculations with units and sensible significant figures, and write equations balanced with state symbols where asked. Watch the clock against your minutes-per-mark plan, leave time to check, and make sure every question number you intended to answer is filled in - a blank is always worth a guess on objective items.
Rules to check
Bring the ID type your provider specifies and make sure the name matches your entry; if your ID is expired, lost or in a different name, contact the provider well before the exam.
Phones, smart watches, earbuds and any device with communication or storage capability must be switched off and stored away from your desk; possession at the desk can lead to disqualification.
Use only the calculator, reference materials and equipment the examining authority permits. Do not bring notes, formula sheets or annotations into the exam unless they are explicitly supplied by the centre.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on seating, starting, stopping and leaving. Do not communicate with other candidates once the exam has begun, and raise your hand if you need attention.
If you need to leave the room (for example, for the toilet), expect to be accompanied or supervised; rules on breaks and re-entry vary - confirm with the provider or invigilator.
Marks are awarded for correct method as well as final answers, so show working, include units and state symbols, and give answers to an appropriate number of significant figures.
If you believe there is an error in a question or you are affected by a disturbance, tell the invigilator at the time and ask the provider about the procedure for reporting it afterwards.
Check the provider's rules on access arrangements, illness and missed exams in advance; if you are unwell or unable to attend, contact the provider as soon as possible rather than after the exam.