WBCHSE HS Alternative English (ALTE) exam-day guide
WBCHSE HS Alternative English (ALTE) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / hall ticket
Carry the admit card issued for the WBCHSE HS Alternative English paper. Confirm with your school or the council's instructions whether a printed copy plus school attestation is required, and keep a spare photocopy in your bag.
Valid photo ID
Bring the identity document your school or the council requires (usually a school ID card or another photo ID). The exact accepted list varies by centre, so confirm with the provider before the exam.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (two or more)
Use the ink colour your school instructs for answer scripts. Carry at least two working pens plus one spare refill, and test each pen beforehand.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
Useful for rough work and for any objective or multiple-choice section. Keep them in a clear pouch if your centre requires transparent stationery.
Transparent water bottle
Stay hydrated across a long paper. Many centres allow only clear bottles with labels removed; confirm the centre's rule on drinks.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you pace the long-answer section. Smartwatches and phones are almost always banned at the desk, so leave them outside or switched off as instructed.
School uniform or prescribed dress code
Wear the uniform or dress code your school specifies for board examinations. Confirm with the provider if you are unsure whether casual clothing is permitted.
Know your centre and reporting time
Check the exact centre address and the reporting time printed on your admit card. Visit or map the route a day early and plan to arrive well before the gates close.
No prohibited electronics
Leave phones, smartwatches, earbuds and any other electronic devices out of the exam hall. Possession at the desk is usually treated as malpractice, so confirm the centre's storage arrangement.
Revision sheet of key texts and formats
Carry a one-page handwritten sheet for last-minute review outside the hall: prescribed text names, authors, key themes, and the formats for letters, reports, notices and précis. Leave it outside the hall before entry.
Reading glasses or medication if needed
If you use glasses, an inhaler or prescribed medication, bring them and inform the invigilator where your centre allows it. Confirm the provider's rule on bringing medicines into the hall.
Small cash and a backup contact
Keep a little money and your guardian's phone number for travel emergencies. Note that phones are not allowed inside the hall, so coordinate a pickup point with your guardian in advance.
Plan the day
Switch from new learning to consolidation. Re-read your summaries of the prescribed prose, poetry and drama texts, and list each author, title and central theme from memory. Practise one full-length sample paper under timed conditions so you know how long each section really takes. Review the formats for formal letters, notices, reports and précis, and write at least one of each. Confirm your centre address, reporting time and the exact stationery rules with your school, and set aside your admit card, ID and pens in one place.
Do a light revision only: skim your one-page sheet of text names, authors, themes and writing formats. Do not start a new text or a new topic. Pack your bag with the admit card, photo ID, pens, pencil, eraser, water bottle and watch, and lay out your uniform. Check the route and travel time to the centre, plan to arrive early, and set two alarms. Eat a normal meal, avoid late-night cramming, and aim for a full night's sleep; memory recall is better after rest than after an all-night session.
Eat a proper breakfast and drink water. Re-check that the admit card, ID and pens are in your bag. Leave home with enough margin for traffic and for finding the room. At the centre, stay calm, avoid comparing preparation with other candidates, and use the time before entry only for a quick glance at your revision sheet. Follow invigilator instructions, keep phones switched off and outside the hall, and settle into your seat early.
Read the whole question paper during the reading time and mark which questions you will attempt. Check the instruction on choice and on any internal choice within questions. Divide the time in proportion to marks, and keep a few minutes at the end for checking. Answer the section you are most confident about first, number answers exactly as in the paper, and write in clear, legible handwriting. For long answers, state your point, support it with textual evidence, and close with a short conclusion. For writing tasks, follow the required format and word limit. Leave nothing blank if there is a choice to attempt something, and cross out rough work neatly.
Rules to check
Carry your admit card and the required photo ID to every session; candidates without valid documents may be refused entry, so confirm the accepted ID list with your school or the provider beforehand.
Electronic devices, smartwatches, earbuds and unauthorised printed material are prohibited in the exam hall; possession is generally treated as malpractice. Confirm the centre's exact rules and storage arrangements with the provider.
Enter only at the reporting time printed on your admit card and remain seated until the invigilator collects your script; do not leave the hall during the examination except with invigilator permission. Confirm the provider's policy on toilet breaks.
Write only in the ink colour and on the answer booklet supplied as instructed, and do not write your name or any identifying mark in places where the paper says not to, to preserve anonymity in evaluation.
Follow the question paper's instructions on choice, internal choice and word limits; answers beyond the prescribed choice or format may not earn credit. Ask the invigilator only about printing errors or unclear instructions, not about content.
Any communication with other candidates, copying, or use of unfair means is malpractice and can lead to cancellation of the paper; keep your eyes on your own script and your materials on the desk.
Scoring is based on the marks assigned in the question paper; allocate time by marks and attempt every required question rather than perfecting one answer. Confirm the exact marks distribution and pass criteria with the provider.
If you feel unwell or face an emergency during the exam, raise your hand and inform the invigilator immediately; do not leave the hall unaccompanied. Confirm the centre's procedure for medical issues with the provider.