IB MTS exam-day guide
IB MTS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission document / confirmation of registration
Bring the registration confirmation or admission letter your test provider issues. The exact document name and whether a printed copy is required vary by centre, so confirm with the provider which form they accept.
Valid photo ID matching your registration name
The name on your ID should match the name you registered with. Accepted ID types (passport, national ID card, driver's licence) and any signature requirement differ between providers and countries, so confirm the accepted list with the provider before test day.
Know your candidate number / login details
If your test is delivered on computer, you may be issued a candidate number or login. Write it down and keep it separate from your ID so you are not dependent on memory at the desk.
Confirm the test format and sections
Re-read the provider's description of the test structure so you know how many sections there are, the order they come in, and whether there are scheduled breaks. Do not rely on second-hand accounts of the format.
Confirm permitted materials
Ask whether any reference material, formula sheet, calculator, or dictionary is supplied or permitted. Do not bring your own unless the provider explicitly allows it; unauthorised items can lead to confiscation or invalidation.
Arrival time and venue route
Check the reporting time on your admission document and plan to arrive with a margin. Do a route check the day before and identify the building entrance, since large test centres often have multiple halls.
Contact details for the test centre
Save the centre's phone number and the provider's customer service line in your phone and on paper, in case of transport disruption or a last-minute venue question.
Water and a light snack for before/after
Eat a normal meal beforehand and bring water for outside the test room. Whether food or drink is allowed at your desk depends on centre rules, so check with the provider rather than assuming.
Layers of clothing you can remove
Test rooms are often air-conditioned or overheated. Wear layers so you can adapt without needing to leave the room.
Leave valuables and study notes at home
Most centres restrict bags, phones, watches, and notes to a locker or designated area. Travelling light reduces what you have to store and what could be mistaken for unauthorised material.
A plan for the personal details section
Some tests begin with a candidate details or tutorial screen. Know in advance that this is not scored so you do not rush it or worry about the time.
A short, calm pre-test routine
Decide now on a simple routine for the last 30 minutes before you enter the room (for example, a walk, water, and a few slow breaths) so you are not revising frantically at the door.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Review your own summary notes and error log, re-read the provider's test-day instructions, and confirm the venue, reporting time, and ID requirements. Stop full-length practice tests; if you do one, keep it short and treat it as timing practice rather than a score check.
Sort logistics: lay out your ID and admission document, check transport times for the reporting hour (not the test start hour), and arrange anything you need for the following day so test day is uncluttered. Protect sleep - do not trade sleep for extra revision in this window.
Do a light review only: skim key structures, formulas, or vocabulary for no more than an hour or two. Confirm the alarm and a backup alarm, charge your phone, and pack your bag with ID, admission document, and water. Eat familiar food and go to bed at your normal time.
Eat a normal breakfast, avoid heavy caffeine if you are not used to it, and leave earlier than the route suggests. Arrive at the reporting time on your admission document, not the advertised start time. Keep conversation with other candidates light; last-minute comparing of answers tends to raise anxiety.
Read the instructions on each section before starting. Watch the clock at checkpoints rather than continuously, and if a question is consuming too long, mark it, move on, and return if time allows. Follow the on-screen or invigilator prompts exactly for saving answers and moving between sections.
If you feel stuck or panicked, pause, breathe slowly for a few seconds, and restart with an easier question. If a technical problem occurs, raise your hand immediately and let the invigilator log it rather than trying to fix it yourself - this matters for any later appeal.
Note down what felt difficult while it is fresh, but do not attempt to reconstruct or share specific questions. Check the provider's stated timeline for results and how to request a review if you believe there was a technical or procedural problem.
Rules to check
Bring the ID specified by your test provider and make sure the name matches your registration. If your ID has recently changed or the names differ, contact the provider before test day - do not assume an alternative document will be accepted.
Follow all invigilator instructions. Phones, smart watches, notes, and unauthorised materials must be stored as directed; keeping a device on you during the test can lead to removal or invalidation of your result.
Do not communicate with other candidates once you are in the test room, and do not attempt to record, photograph, or share test content. Test materials are confidential and sharing them may breach the provider's terms.
Breaks: whether breaks are scheduled, and whether the clock stops during them, depends on the test and centre. Confirm the break policy with the provider in advance and follow the invigilator's instructions on leaving and re-entering the room.
Scoring: understand before test day whether your test is scored on correct answers, band descriptors, or a combination, and whether wrong answers are penalised. If this is not clear from the provider's materials, ask the provider directly.
If something goes wrong - a technical fault, a disturbance, or an illness - report it to the invigilator at the time and ask how it will be recorded. Providers generally require issues to be raised on the day, so do not wait until after results are released.
Keep to the provider's rules on what you may bring to the desk. If you are unsure whether an item is permitted, leave it at home or ask the provider rather than risk a conduct issue.