PPC1 Family Law exam-day guide
PPC1 Family Law · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket / confirmation email
Print or download the confirmation the testing provider sent you. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital copy on your phone is accepted, and whether the name on it matches your ID exactly.
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original ID (not a photocopy) in the name used at registration. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether a secondary ID is needed; if your ID name differs from your registration name, resolve it before test day.
Know the exam format and time allocation
Confirm with the provider the number of questions, whether questions are multiple-choice, essay, or mixed, the total seat time, and whether any sections are separately timed. Decide in advance how many minutes per question you can afford.
Family law statute book or permitted materials
PPC-style family law exams often test jurisdiction-specific statutes and procedural rules. Confirm with the provider exactly which annotated codes, rulebooks, or notes are permitted and whether they must be unmarked or tabbed.
Review the scope outline and weighting
Re-read the official content outline and note which topics carry the most questions (commonly divorce/dissolution grounds and procedure, property division, spousal and child support, custody and parenting time, adoption, and domestic violence protective orders). Allocate study time proportionally.
Practice under timed conditions
Complete at least one full-length timed practice set so you know your pace. Log which topics slow you down, and plan a strategy for flagging and returning to hard questions.
Personal comfort items within policy
Layers in case the room is cold, water if permitted, and any permitted medication. Confirm with the provider what is allowed at the desk; most testing centers ban phones, smart watches, notes, and outside food.
Plan the route and arrival time
Confirm with the provider the reporting time and how early to arrive (many centers require arrival well before the start). Do a route check the day before and identify parking or transit, plus a backup plan.
Rest and logistics the night before
Set two alarms, lay out ID and confirmation, charge nothing you cannot bring in, and get a full night's sleep. Do not start new material the night before.
Know the scoring and pass standard
Confirm with the provider how the exam is scored (scaled score, raw percentage, or section minimums) and what the passing standard is, so you know whether you can afford to guess or skip.
Plan for a rule you do not remember
Decide in advance how you will handle an unfamiliar statute: identify the issue, state the general rule, apply the facts, and note the uncertainty. On multiple-choice, eliminate and move on rather than stalling.
Confirm accommodations if applicable
If you requested extra time, a separate room, or other accommodations, confirm with the provider in writing that they are approved and how they will be delivered on test day.
Plan the day
Stop broad review and switch to consolidation. Re-read your own condensed outline of high-weight topics: grounds and procedure for dissolution, property characterization and division, spousal support factors, child support guidelines, custody standards, and protective orders. Do one timed mixed practice set and review every wrong answer to find the pattern, not just the fact. Confirm logistics: admission ticket, ID name match, permitted materials, reporting time, and route. Protect sleep; do not cram past midnight.
Light review only: skim your one-page summaries, key statutory definitions, and any mnemonics. Pack your ID, confirmation, permitted materials, and comfort items. Confirm the start time and arrival instructions with the provider if anything is unclear. Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and go to bed at your usual time. Do not attempt a new practice exam.
Eat a real breakfast and hydrate moderately. Arrive at or before the reporting time so you are not rushed through check-in. Leave phones and smart watches stowed per the provider's rules. At your seat, before the clock starts, read the instructions and note whether sections are separately timed and whether there is a penalty for guessing. Take a few slow breaths and set your per-question pace.
First pass: answer what you know, flag anything that takes more than your target time, and move on. Read the call of the question before the facts so you know what you are looking for. For essays, outline briefly, then write issue, rule, application, conclusion in that order, and always apply the facts. For multiple-choice, eliminate two options, choose the best remaining, and do not second-guess without a reason. Watch the clock at the halfway mark. If time runs short, answer every remaining question, since an unanswered question scores nothing.
Use remaining time to check that no question is blank and that flagged items have your best answer. If the provider allows review within a section, revisit flags only where you have a concrete reason to change. After the exam, note which topics felt weak while memory is fresh, and confirm with the provider the score release timeline and any appeal or retake policy.
Rules to check
Bring the original government-issued photo ID in the exact name used at registration; confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and what to do if your name differs.
Follow the provider's rules on what may be at your desk. Phones, smart watches, notes, and outside food are commonly prohibited; confirm with the provider before relying on any exception.
Confirm with the provider whether breaks are scheduled, whether the clock stops during breaks, and whether you may leave the room. Assume unscheduled breaks cost you time unless told otherwise.
If permitted materials such as a statute book are allowed, confirm with the provider whether annotation, tabs, or loose inserts are allowed. Bringing prohibited markings can be treated as misconduct.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam and do not share or reproduce exam content afterward; most providers treat question disclosure as a violation.
Confirm with the provider how guessing is treated, whether there is a penalty for wrong answers, and whether every question must be answered.
If you believe there is a testing irregularity (noise, equipment failure, timing error), raise it with the proctor immediately and confirm with the provider how to document it in writing.
Confirm with the provider the scoring method, passing standard, score release date, and retake or appeal policy before test day, so you are not relying on rumor.