EDIC Part I exam-day guide
EDIC Part I · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID in the name used on your registration. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether a second form is required; do not rely on a photocopy or a digital ID in your phone.
Admission or confirmation document
Have the confirmation email or admission letter available (printed or as the provider instructs). Check the exact reporting time, venue address, and any candidate number on it the day before.
Know the venue and route
Rehearse the journey at the same time of day if possible, and identify a backup route. Plan to arrive with a buffer well beyond the reporting time, since late admission may be refused.
Check the current test-day rules with the provider
Rules on personal items, bags, phones, watches, food, and water vary by centre and can change. Confirm with the provider shortly before the exam rather than assuming from older candidate accounts.
Confirm permitted stationery and calculators
Some computer-based exams provide everything and forbid outside items. Confirm with the provider whether pens, paper, or a calculator are supplied or allowed before packing anything.
Understand the break and refreshment policy
Break timing, whether breaks are timed, and whether food or drink may be accessed differ between centres. Confirm with the provider so you can plan hydration and a snack around the actual rules.
Review the format and timing of each paper
Know the number of questions, the time allowed, and whether sections are separately timed. Practise pacing so you can finish each section with time to review flagged items.
Light, targeted revision only
In the final days, review your own summary sheets and previously missed concepts rather than starting new material. Stop heavy study the evening before to protect sleep.
Prepare a simple, familiar breakfast and hydration plan
Eat what you normally eat; avoid unfamiliar food or excessive caffeine. Follow the centre's rules on bringing water into the test room.
Plan for the practicalities of a long exam
A long computer-based paper is physically tiring. Practise full-length timed sessions beforehand so you know your concentration limits and how you will use any permitted break.
Know your candidate or registration number
Have it written down separately from any device you cannot take into the test room, in case it is requested at check-in.
Emergency contact and transport plan
Save the venue contact details and a local taxi or transport number. If something goes wrong en route, contact the centre immediately rather than arriving unannounced and late.
Plan the day
Switch from new material to consolidation. Re-read your own notes on high-yield topics, redo a small set of previously incorrect questions, and confirm venue, reporting time, ID requirements, and permitted items with the provider. Protect sleep: do not trade sleep for extra revision, because fatigue costs more marks than one more topic gains.
Complete at least one full timed paper or section under exam conditions, including the interface if it is computer-based. Note how long you spend per question and decide your flag-and-return strategy so it is automatic on the day.
Pack ID, confirmation document, and any permitted items in one place. Charge devices you need for travel. Check transport timetables and any planned disruptions. Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and set two alarms. Do a short, calm review of summary sheets only, then stop.
Eat a normal breakfast, allow generous travel time, and arrive early. Avoid last-minute cramming of new facts, which tends to increase anxiety without improving recall. Follow the centre's check-in instructions exactly and keep personal items where staff direct.
Read each question fully, including any negative wording, and answer the ones you know first. Flag uncertain items and move on rather than spending disproportionate time on a single question. For clinical scenarios, identify the key finding and what the question is actually asking before choosing.
Return to flagged items with the remaining time. Change an answer only when you can identify a specific reason the first choice was wrong. Ensure no question is left blank if the format does not penalise wrong answers, and confirm with the provider whether negative marking applies.
Check that every question has a response and that your answers are saved as the interface requires. Use remaining time for a final review of flagged items rather than leaving early.
Note which topics felt weak while memory is fresh, and record how you used your time. This informs any future attempt or further study; do not attempt to reconstruct or share exam content, which is prohibited.
Rules to check
Bring original, valid photo identification in the name used at registration. Confirm with the provider the accepted ID types and whether additional documentation is required; entry may be refused without acceptable ID.
Follow all instructions from invigilators and centre staff, including where to store bags, phones, and watches. Unauthorised items in the test room may lead to confiscation or invalidation of your result.
Do not attempt to record, copy, photograph, or share exam questions or materials in any form. Content is confidential, and sharing it breaches exam regulations and may invalidate your result.
Observe the centre's rules on communication and movement. Do not talk to other candidates during the test, and leave the room only as permitted, since unauthorised absence may end your session.
Confirm with the provider whether scheduled breaks are available, whether they are timed, and what you may access during them. Do not assume a break exists or that you can leave the building.
Understand the scoring and pass rules before the day: whether all sections must be passed, whether wrong answers are penalised, and when results are released. Confirm these with the provider rather than relying on secondhand reports.
If a technical problem, illness, or other disruption occurs, raise it with staff immediately and ask how it will be recorded. Reporting at the time is generally easier to resolve than after the exam.
Declare any special arrangements you need well in advance. Confirm with the provider the deadlines and evidence required; accommodations are usually not granted on the day.