ILE exam-day guide
ILE · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Appointment confirmation / admission document
Bring the confirmation the provider issued for your appointment (printed or on your phone, whichever the provider allows). Confirm the accepted format with the provider before test day.
Primary photo ID
A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID bearing your signature. The name must match your registration exactly, including middle names and suffixes. Confirm which ID types the provider accepts for this exam.
Secondary ID (only if required)
Some providers require a second form of identification. Check your admission materials or confirm with the provider; do not assume it is optional.
Exact test location, arrival time and route
Note the address, building, floor and room, plus the provider's recommended arrival window. Plan a backup route or transport option in case of delays.
Permitted aids (calculator, scratch paper, pen)
Confirm in advance whether a calculator, scratch paper or a pen is supplied at the desk or must be brought, and which models are permitted. Do not bring aids that are not expressly allowed.
Leave prohibited items behind
Notes, textbooks, phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers and earbuds should stay at home or in a locker. Assume anything not expressly permitted is prohibited.
Login credentials / candidate number
Know whether credentials are issued at the center or sent to you beforehand, and have them accessible without your phone if phones are collected at check-in. Confirm with the provider.
Remote-testing system check (only if testing online)
If your exam is remotely proctored, run the provider's equipment and room check ahead of time: webcam, microphone, browser, bandwidth and a quiet, cleared room. Confirm the platform requirements with the provider.
Candidate handbook / exam rules review
Read the provider's current candidate handbook for scoring, break, ID, accommodation and misconduct rules, since these vary between providers and can change between sessions.
Comfort and health basics
Bring water and a light layer if permitted, take regular medication on schedule, and confirm in advance whether any medical item needs pre-approval from the provider.
Know the format before you sit down
Be clear on the number of questions, total time, question style and whether unanswered questions are penalized. Confirm these details with the provider rather than relying on secondhand accounts.
Plan the day
Re-read the appointment confirmation and candidate handbook. Verify the date, time, format (in person or remote) and location. Confirm any accommodation approvals are in place. Run the system check if testing remotely, and plan travel and a backup route.
Gather documents and permitted aids in one place. Check that the name on your ID matches your registration character for character; contact the provider immediately if it does not.
Shift from learning new material to consolidating: review summary sheets, frameworks and your own error log. Protect sleep in the two nights before the exam.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation, permitted aids, water, layers. Confirm the center's opening hours and that no closure or reschedule notice has been sent. Set two alarms and go to bed at a normal hour.
Do a short, light review only, then stop. No all-night cramming; fatigue costs more marks than one extra topic gains.
Eat a normal meal, hydrate moderately, and leave earlier than the map suggests. Arrive within the provider's recommended window rather than exactly at the start time.
At check-in, follow proctor instructions, present your ID when asked, store prohibited items as directed, and use the restroom before you are seated. If anything about the setup is wrong, raise it before the clock starts.
Read the instructions and confirm the timer and question count before starting. Answer in passes: do the straightforward questions first, flag long or uncertain ones, and return to them.
Keep an eye on remaining time and pace yourself against the halfway mark. If breaks are allowed, confirm whether the timer stops during a break before you take one.
In the final minutes, make sure no question is left blank unless the format penalizes wrong answers, review flagged items briefly, and confirm the submission screen shows your test was received.
Rules to check
Bring valid, unexpired identification in the form the provider specifies; the name must match your registration exactly. If your only ID is in a different name or format, arrange an alternative with the provider in advance.
Assume all personal items are prohibited at the desk. Unauthorized devices or notes, even if unused, may lead to confiscation, score cancellation or a misconduct report.
Confirm the break policy with the provider before test day. In many delivery formats the clock does not stop for unscheduled breaks, and leaving the test area unannounced can end your session.
Time is enforced by the delivery system. When time expires, answers already entered are submitted; no additional time is granted for late arrival or technical delays unless the provider's rules say otherwise.
Scoring and the pass standard are set by the provider. Check the candidate handbook for how your result is reported, when it is released and how a retake would work rather than relying on informal reports.
Accommodations must be requested and approved before test day under the provider's stated deadline. Ask the provider about the process if you have not already done so.
Exam content is confidential. Do not copy, record, discuss or distribute questions or answers, and follow the provider's rules on what may be taken out of the testing room.
If something goes wrong (ID dispute, equipment failure, disruption), report it to the proctor immediately and note the time, so a formal record exists for any later appeal.