III IC-104 exam-day guide
III IC-104 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the exact ID name that matches your registration. If the name on your ID differs from your registration record (for example, a middle name or a suffix), contact the provider before test day to correct it - do not assume front-desk staff can change it. Confirm with the provider which ID forms are accepted at your test location or for remote proctoring.
Appointment confirmation and test-center address
Save the confirmation email and the exact address offline on your phone. Check the building, floor, and suite, since testing rooms are often inside shared office buildings. For remote delivery, confirm the platform, the check-in link, and the system test requirement with the provider.
Second form of ID or backup documentation
Some providers require a secondary ID or a signature on a testing agreement. Confirm with the provider whether a second ID is required; if you are unsure, bring one anyway.
Review the current exam guide or blueprint
Re-read the official content outline and confirm the number of questions, time limit, passing score, and whether any sections are weighted. Policies and blueprints change; verify against the provider's current handbook rather than third-party summaries.
Confirm break and scheduling policy
Check whether breaks are scheduled, optional, or counted against your time, and whether the clock stops during a break. This varies by provider and delivery mode - confirm with the provider before test day so you can plan pacing.
Confirm permitted and prohibited items
Ask whether scratch paper, a pen, a calculator, a watch, food, water, or a jacket are allowed in the testing room. Many centers provide erasable note boards and prohibit personal scratch paper. Do not bring study notes into the secure area.
Practice with the official tutorial or demo
If the provider offers a sample test or interface demo, complete it once so the navigation, flagging, and review-screen behavior are familiar. Note how unanswered questions are displayed before you submit.
Plan arrival timing and route
Arrive earlier than the provider's stated check-in window - typically 15–30 minutes, but confirm the exact figure. Account for traffic, parking, and security screening. Late arrival can mean forfeiture of your seat and fee under many providers' policies.
Rest and logistics the night before
Sleep, eat a normal meal, and set two alarms. Avoid last-minute cramming of new topics; a short review of your own summary notes is more useful than new material.
Remote-delivery technical check
If testing online, run the provider's system check on the same computer and network you will use, confirm camera and microphone permissions, close background applications, and have a phone available as a backup contact. Confirm room and desk requirements with the provider.
Scoring and results logistics
Know in advance whether you receive a provisional score at the test center, how and when official results are released, and how a retake would be scheduled. Confirm these details with the provider, since they differ by exam.
Accessibility or accommodation arrangements
If you need extra time, a separate room, or other accommodations, confirm that approval is already on file and that the test center has been notified. Requests are usually not granted on test day.
Plan the day
Switch from learning to consolidation. Review your own one-page summaries of the highest-weight domains, re-read the official blueprint to confirm section weighting, and stop opening new textbooks. Take one timed practice set under exam conditions to calibrate pacing, then review only the explanations for questions you missed.
Verify logistics: reconfirm the appointment time and address, check the ID name matches registration, and confirm break and permitted-item policies with the provider. If testing remotely, run the full system test and confirm your room meets the provider's requirements. Plan the route and a backup transport option.
Do a light pass over your summary notes and the exam interface tutorial, then stop. Prepare your ID, confirmation, and any permitted items in one bag. Confirm the arrival time and set alarms. Eat a normal dinner, avoid alcohol and heavy caffeine, and aim for a full night's sleep rather than late-night review.
Eat a normal breakfast and limit caffeine to your usual amount. Leave with buffer time so you arrive within the provider's check-in window. Leave notes, phones, and smart devices outside the secure area as instructed. At check-in, follow proctor instructions, use the restroom before the clock starts if breaks are limited, and read the testing agreement carefully.
Read the instructions and note the number of questions and the time limit. Do a quick mental pacing calculation - total minutes divided by questions - and write your target checkpoints on the provided note board if permitted. If the interface has a tutorial, skim it rather than skipping blindly.
Work in passes: answer questions you know, flag uncertain ones, and skip anything that would stall you. Budget extra time for scenario or calculation items. Do not leave questions blank unless the exam penalizes wrong answers - confirm the scoring rule with the provider beforehand. Re-check flagged items in the final portion of your time, and reserve a few minutes to confirm no questions are unanswered before submitting.
Note whether a provisional result is shown and how official results will be delivered. Record which domains felt weak while the memory is fresh, in case a retake is needed. Follow the provider's process for score reporting and any retake waiting period.
Rules to check
Bring valid government-issued photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly; if it does not match, resolve the discrepancy with the provider before test day.
Arrive within the provider's stated check-in window. Arriving late may result in being turned away and losing your fee - confirm the exact cutoff with the provider.
Do not bring unauthorized materials into the secure testing area: notes, phones, smart watches, and other devices are typically prohibited. Ask the provider what is permitted and where to store personal items.
Follow all proctor instructions. Suspected cheating, communicating with others, or leaving the secure area without permission can lead to score cancellation - the specific consequences are defined in the provider's candidate handbook.
Confirm the break policy before test day: whether breaks are scheduled or optional, whether the clock runs during them, and what you may access during them.
Understand the scoring rule for unanswered questions and whether any sections are weighted or must be passed individually; confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
If you need accommodations, they must be approved and arranged in advance; test-day requests are generally not accommodated.
Report any technical or environmental problem to the proctor immediately rather than trying to resolve it yourself, and note the time and nature of the issue in case you need to file an incident report with the provider.