WBCHSE Applied AI exam-day guide
WBCHSE Applied AI · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / registration card
Carry the original admit card issued for the examination; keep a photocopy in a separate pocket. Whether a photocopy is accepted in place of the original varies by centre - confirm with the provider (your school's exam coordinator) before the day.
School identity card
A second photo ID is useful if the examiner needs to verify you against the admit card. Confirm with the provider which additional ID, if any, is mandatory.
Completed practical file / record book
All prescribed practicals written up, numbered, dated, and signed by the teacher wherever signatures are required. An unsigned or incomplete file is the most common avoidable mark loss. Check the exact list of practicals and the required format with the provider.
Index page and file order
Put the index at the front with page numbers matching the actual pages. Examiners often spot-check the index first; a mismatched index looks careless even when the work is good.
Project report (printed, bound or stapled as required)
Include aim, problem statement, dataset description, method or model used, results with at least one table or chart, limitations, and conclusion. Confirm with the provider the required length, binding, and whether a soft copy is also submitted.
Working project demo, tested offline
Code, model file, and dataset in one folder named with your roll number. Have it on a USB drive and in your own email or cloud space. Assume there may be no internet at the centre unless the provider confirms otherwise; test the full run with networking switched off.
Software and accounts you depend on
If your project uses Python, an editor, or an online notebook, know exactly which is available on the centre's machines. Pre-installing software on lab computers may not be allowed - confirm with the provider which tools the centre supplies and whether you may bring your own laptop.
Backup copies of data and screenshots
Keep at least two copies: one on USB, one in email or cloud storage. Also keep a printed set of key screenshots so you can still explain results if a machine fails.
Viva preparation notes (one page)
Write out: why you chose this problem, where the data came from, what you did to it, which algorithm or tool you used and why, what accuracy or result you got, what failed, and what you would improve. Almost every viva question maps to one of these.
Stationery and a spare pen
Pen, pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler, and a small notebook for rough work. Do not assume the centre supplies these.
Power and device essentials
If you are permitted to bring a laptop, carry it charged plus the charger; a power bank is useful for a phone you are not allowed to use, so treat it as optional. Confirm with the provider whether chargers can be plugged in during the test.
Reporting time, venue, and travel plan
Note the exact reporting time and room, and plan to arrive at least 30–45 minutes early. Practical exams often start before the stated time while candidates are still being seated. Confirm the reporting time with the provider, since it is set by the centre, not by the syllabus.
Plan the day
Open the syllabus practical list and your file side by side and tick off every required practical. Finish missing write-ups now, not on the last night; writing up while also debugging code is how candidates lose both sets of marks.
Do one full clean run of the project from a fresh folder: open, load data, run, produce output. Fix anything that depends on an internet connection, an absolute file path, or a library that may not be on the centre machine. Replace those with relative paths and offline data.
Record yourself answering the six viva points in the checklist out loud, in under three minutes. Then answer follow-ups: why not a simpler method, how big was the dataset, what would happen with more data, is the result reliable. Speaking the answers once is far more effective than re-reading notes.
Stop adding features and stop rewriting sections. Only fix errors and formatting. Late changes usually break a demo that was already working.
Disconnect the internet and run the whole demo, then pack the USB, printed report, practical file, admit card, and stationery into one bag. Label the USB and the folder with your roll number and name.
Confirm venue, reporting time, and required documents with the provider one last time. Sleep properly; viva performance drops sharply when you are exhausted, and no amount of extra revision fixes that.
Eat something light, re-check that the admit card, ID, file, and USB are in the bag, and arrive early. Once seated, arrange your file and printed report in the index order so you can open any page the examiner names without fumbling.
Read the question or instruction paper fully before writing anything. Note how marks are divided among the written/observation part, the program or practical task, the project, and the viva, so you spend time where the marks are. Confirm the split with the invigilator or examiner if it is not stated.
State the aim, then the procedure, then the observation, then the conclusion - in that order. In code, use clear variable names and brief comments, and save after every meaningful change with your roll number in the filename.
Show the working result first, then explain how you got there. If something fails, say what you expected, what happened instead, and what you would check - examiners award marks for understanding, and a calmly explained failure is far better than silence or repeated retries.
Answer briefly and honestly. If you do not know something, say so and add what you would do to find out. Never invent a dataset size, accuracy figure, or algorithm property - examiners routinely ask a follow-up that exposes it.
Confirm with the examiner that your file, report, and any submitted digital copies have been received and recorded, and take back your USB only when told you may. Collect your admit card and belongings.
Rules to check
Carry your admit card and ID for the whole session, and produce them whenever asked. The exact list of accepted documents is a centre decision - confirm with the provider.
Work only on your own file, project, and machine unless the examiner explicitly permits collaboration or sharing. Two identical projects are usually treated as a misconduct case for both candidates.
Keep phones off and out of sight unless the examiner permits their use for the demo. Internet access during the practical is normally restricted - confirm with the provider what is allowed.
If you need to leave the room, ask the invigilator first and follow their instruction. Do not assume a break is permitted at a particular point.
If the computer, software, or projector fails during your demo, raise your hand and tell the examiner immediately; do not attempt to repair or reconfigure the centre's equipment yourself.
Expect to be asked to explain any part of your project or file. Being unable to explain a section you submitted can cost marks even when the output is correct.
The marks split between the practical file, the project, the practical task, and the viva is set by the board and the centre, not by this guide - confirm the weighting with the provider so you prepare in proportion.
Follow the examiner's instructions on how and where to submit files and printed material, and confirm that your submission has been recorded before you leave the venue.