III IC-99 exam-day guide
III IC-99 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the exact ID type and name spelling used on your registration. If your ID name differs from your registration name, contact the provider before test day; do not assume a correction can be made at the desk. Confirm with the provider which ID forms are accepted for your location.
Appointment confirmation and test-center address
Save the confirmation email or number offline on your phone and print a copy. Note the arrival time the provider instructs, which is often earlier than the scheduled start, and check the building entrance and parking or transit route the day before.
Login credentials for the testing platform
If your delivery is online-proctored, confirm your username and password work at least 48 hours ahead and complete any required system or identity check the provider specifies. Keep credentials somewhere other than the device you will test on.
Approved calculator or reference materials
Check the current candidate handbook for what is permitted, whether an on-screen calculator is provided, and whether any formula sheet is supplied. Do not bring your own unless the handbook explicitly allows it.
Know the question format and navigation
Review whether the exam is multiple-choice only or includes other item types, whether you can flag and revisit questions, and whether answers can be changed before final submission. Practice with any sample interface the provider publishes.
Know the score scale and passing standard
Read how your exam reports results (scaled score, pass/fail, or domain-level feedback) and what the passing standard is. This affects how you pace yourself and when you should guess versus move on.
Confirm break and scheduling rules
Find out whether breaks are scheduled, optional, or unavailable, and whether the clock stops during them. Plan hydration and caffeine around that answer rather than assuming.
Simple layers and comfort items
Dress in layers in case the room is cold, and bring only items the provider permits into the testing room. Lockers or storage rules vary, so check what you must leave outside.
Arrival buffer
Plan to arrive with a margin for traffic, parking, and security screening. Late arrival can mean forfeiture of your seat and fee under many providers' policies, but confirm the exact cutoff with the provider.
Rest and logistics the night before
Set two alarms, lay out your ID and confirmation, and avoid last-minute cramming that shortens sleep. Fatigue costs more points than one extra hour of review gains.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Reread your own summary notes and error log, focusing on the topics you have repeatedly missed. Take one timed practice set under exam conditions to calibrate pacing, then review only the explanations for questions you got wrong.
Reread the provider's candidate handbook for logistics: ID rules, permitted items, break policy, scoring, and what happens if you need to reschedule. Send any clarification questions to the provider now, not the night before.
If testing online, run the full system check and identity verification the provider requires, and test your webcam, microphone, and internet connection. If testing in person, confirm the address, parking, and travel time, and decide your departure time.
Do a light review of high-yield summaries and formulas only. Pack your ID, confirmation, and any permitted items in one place. Confirm the start time and arrival instruction once more, then stop studying in the early evening.
Eat a normal dinner, limit alcohol and caffeine late in the day, and aim for a full night's sleep. Set two alarms and, if possible, arrange a backup ride or a backup internet option for an online exam.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately, and avoid heavy caffeine if breaks are limited. Do a five-minute review of your single most-missed topic, then put the notes away to keep working memory clear.
Arrive or log in at the instructed time with your ID and confirmation ready. If online, close other applications, silence notifications, and tell household members not to interrupt. Follow proctor instructions exactly during the check-in.
Read each question fully, including qualifiers such as 'best', 'first', and 'except'. Answer the ones you know, flag the rest, and move on. Do not let one hard item consume time budgeted for several easier ones.
Work the flagged items using elimination. For scenario questions, identify what is being asked and the setting or constraint before choosing. If a question is truly unfamiliar, make your best reasoned choice and move on rather than leaving it blank, unless the scoring rules penalize wrong answers, which you should confirm in advance.
Use remaining time to verify that no question is unanswered and that your flagged choices still reflect your reasoning. Submit deliberately, confirm the submission screen, and note what the provider says about when and how results are released.
Rules to check
Bring the ID type your registration requires, with names matching exactly. If you are unsure what is accepted, confirm with the provider before test day rather than risking denial of entry.
Follow all proctor and test-center instructions, including rules on personal items, phones, notes, and leaving the room. Unauthorized materials or devices can lead to score cancellation, and the specific policy should be confirmed with the provider.
Do not communicate with other candidates about exam content during or after the test. Sharing recalled questions or answers violates most providers' confidentiality agreements and can invalidate your result.
Ask about breaks before you begin, and follow the announced procedure for leaving and returning. Whether the clock pauses, and whether you may access notes or devices, varies by provider, so confirm the rule rather than assuming.
Understand how your exam is scored before you sit: whether unanswered questions count as wrong, whether there is a penalty for guessing, and how the passing standard is applied. Confirm these details with the provider.
If a technical problem, illness, or other disruption occurs, stop and notify the proctor or support channel immediately and follow their instructions. Ask what documentation is required and how to request a remedy, since processes differ by provider.
Keep your registration confirmation and any case or ticket numbers until results are issued. If you need to dispute an outcome or reschedule, you will need those references.
Do not rely on memory of another candidate's experience for logistics. Policies on ID, timing, and permitted items change, so verify current requirements directly with the provider.