ASRB NET exam-day guide
ASRB NET · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / hall ticket
Download and print the admit card as soon as the link opens on the official ASRB/ICAR portal, and carry more than one copy. Verify that the roll number, centre name, and test timing printed on it match your application. If the portal does not show a download link close to the exam, confirm the release schedule with the provider rather than assuming it is cancelled.
Photo ID matching the application
Carry the original government photo ID you declared in the application (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence, or similar). Photocopies and digital copies on a phone are usually not accepted. The exact list of accepted IDs and whether a photocopy must be attached to the admit card varies by notification, so confirm with the provider.
Passport-size photographs
Keep two or three recent passport-size photographs in the same specification as the one uploaded with the application, in case the centre requires pasting one on the attendance sheet. The number and size are set in the information bulletin; confirm with the provider if the notification is not explicit.
Transparent water bottle and simple clothing
Wear plain clothes without large pockets, hoods, or heavy embroidery, and carry a clear, unlabelled water bottle if the centre permits it. Dress in layers because halls are often cold. Do not wear smart watches, fitness bands, or jewellery that may be flagged at frisking.
Black ballpoint pen
Carry two black ballpoint pens. The paper may be computer-based, in which case a scribble pad and pen are supplied at the desk; if it is OMR-based, the pen is for rough work and signatures only. Use only the medium specified in the instructions.
Know the reporting time and gate-closing time
Note the reporting time and the gate-closing time from the admit card and plan to arrive at least 60-90 minutes early. Candidates arriving after gate closure are normally refused entry regardless of reason. Confirm the exact cut-off with the provider if it is not printed on the admit card.
Rehearse the route to the centre
Travel the route once before the exam day or check it on a map, noting metro or bus timings, parking, and the nearest landmark. Centres in institutional campuses can have multiple gates; identify the gate named on the admit card. Keep a local contact number for the centre if one is listed.
Read the information bulletin sections on conduct and scoring
Go through the sections on prohibited items, biometric capture, and negative marking in the official bulletin so that nothing on the day is a surprise. Note whether there is sectional timing or a sectional cut-off, since that changes how you allocate time inside the test.
Confirm the exam mode and interface
Establish whether the test is computer-based or OMR-based and whether a mock link or practice interface is published. If a mock test is available, complete it once to learn the navigation, mark-for-review, and calculator behaviour. If the mode is not stated in your admit card, confirm with the provider.
Medical essentials
Carry prescription medicines, inhalers, or insulin only if the bulletin permits them, ideally in original labelled packaging along with the prescription. Inform the invigilator at the desk. Do not carry loose tablets in unlabelled strips, as these may be treated as prohibited material.
Leave prohibited items at home
Mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, smart watches, calculators, books, notes, and any metal accessories should be left behind or handed in as directed. Possession inside the hall, even switched off, is commonly treated as unfair means. Storage facilities at centres are unreliable, so do not depend on them.
Plan the post-exam record
Note your roll number and question-paper code on a slip before entering, so that you can quote them when the answer key objection window opens. Keep the admit card safe after the exam; it is often required at later stages of the selection process.
Plan the day
Download and print the admit card, check every printed detail against your application, and resolve any mismatch with the provider immediately. Confirm the centre address and reporting time, then plan the travel route and a backup route. Take one full-length timed practice test under exam conditions to settle your section-wise time allocation, and stop starting new topics. Revise only your own short notes, formula sheets, and flagged errors from earlier mocks. Adjust sleep so that you are awake and alert at the actual test start time.
Pack the bag: admit card copies, original photo ID, photographs, black pens, and the transparent bottle. Lay out clothes the night before. Re-read the conduct instructions and the marking scheme once, and note whether negative marking applies and at what rate. Do a light revision of high-yield facts and your summary sheets only, then stop by early evening. Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine or alcohol, and sleep at your usual time rather than forcing an unusually early night. Check travel advisories and set two alarms.
Eat a proper breakfast and drink water, since the test may run several hours. Leave home with a buffer well beyond the expected travel time, aiming to reach the centre before the reporting time rather than at it. Re-check that the admit card and original ID are in the bag before locking the door. At the centre, complete frisking and biometric capture calmly, locate your seat, and test the keyboard, mouse, or pen before the timer starts. Listen to the invigilator's instructions and read the on-screen or printed directions fully.
Spend the first minute scanning the paper or sections and note the marks per question. Answer confident questions first, mark uncertain ones for review, and return to them in a second pass. Keep an eye on the clock and reserve the final few minutes for checking that no marked-for-review question was left unanswered unintentionally. If negative marking applies, guess only where you can eliminate at least one option. If the system freezes or a page fails to load, raise your hand and get the invigilator to log the issue rather than restarting anything yourself.
Rules to check
Carry the admit card and the original photo ID declared in your application to the desk. Entry is normally refused without both, and the accepted ID list is set in the notification, so confirm with the provider if your document is not clearly listed.
Do not bring mobile phones, smart watches, Bluetooth earbuds, calculators, books, or loose notes into the hall. Hand over anything permitted for storage as directed at the gate, because possession inside the hall is typically treated as unfair means even if the device is switched off.
Follow the biometric and frisking process, and cooperate with invigilators. Any attempt to impersonate, communicate with another candidate, or exchange material can lead to cancellation of candidature and debarment, so raise concerns through the invigilator instead of resolving them yourself.
Stay seated for the full duration unless the invigilator permits otherwise. Toilet breaks are usually allowed one candidate at a time with an escort, and the clock does not stop, so plan fluid intake accordingly. Confirm the centre's specific break policy with the provider.
Do not tear pages, write on the admit card, or remove any sheet from the hall. Rough work belongs only in the space or scribble pad provided. Follow the invigilator's signal before opening the paper or starting the test.
Scoring and negative marking follow the official scheme in the information bulletin, which can differ by paper and year. Read the marking instructions on the paper or screen and confirm the current scheme with the provider rather than relying on past patterns.
Answer-key objections, if any, are handled only through the official window and fee process announced on the portal. Keep your roll number and question-paper code safe so that you can file a representation within the stated deadline.