FEBU Part 1 exam-day guide
FEBU Part 1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID in the exact form the provider accepts
Bring the original document (passport or national ID card) whose name matches your registration exactly, and check that it has not expired. Do not rely on a photocopy, a driving licence, or a digital ID unless the provider has confirmed in writing that it is accepted. Confirm accepted document types with the provider before travel.
Registration confirmation or admission letter
Carry a printed copy plus a copy on your phone for backup. It usually carries your candidate number, the session time, and the venue address, and staff may ask for it at reception alongside your ID.
Confirmed test-centre logistics
Write down the exact building, entrance, and room, not just the street address. Check the provider's instructions for arrival time and how early the doors open, and confirm these details with the provider if anything in the joining instructions is ambiguous.
Transport and, if travelling far, overnight accommodation
Book to arrive with margin for delays; if the centre is more than about 90 minutes away, consider staying nearby the night before. Save an offline map and the venue phone number.
Clear understanding of the paper's format
Know in advance the number of questions, the time allowed, and whether questions are single-best-answer or extended-matching. Also confirm whether unanswered questions and wrong answers are penalised, because this decides whether you should guess. Confirm the current format with the provider - do not rely on what earlier candidates described.
Exam-language and glossary policy checked
The examination is delivered in English. If English is not your first language, confirm with the provider whether any dictionary or glossary is permitted, and whether extra time is available; assume neither unless it is confirmed in writing.
Any access or medical accommodation requested in advance
Extra time, a separate room, medication at the desk, or rest breaks normally require an application with supporting documentation well before the exam date. Confirm the deadline and the approval in writing with the provider.
Approved personal items only
Plan for phones, smart watches, and bags to be stored outside the exam room. Confirm whether lockers are provided, and bring a small clear bag for keys and a wallet if that is permitted.
Water and a snack for before or after the session
Check whether drinks are allowed at the desk; if not, hydrate before entering. Plan a snack for after the exam rather than during it.
Provider contact details and a backup plan
Save the examinations office phone number and email so you can report a delay, an illness, or a problem at the centre. Also note who to call if you cannot reach the office.
A short, personal revision sheet
One or two pages of high-yield facts you keep getting wrong, such as stone composition and management, haematuria pathways, staging basics, and common antibiotic or alpha-blocker doses. Read it once on the morning and then put it away.
Realistic self-assessment of your weakest areas
In the final days, spend time only on topics where your practice scores are consistently low, and stop adding new material in the last 24 hours.
Plan the day
Lock down logistics: re-read the joining instructions, verify your ID is valid and the name matches, confirm the venue and journey, and print your confirmation. If anything is unclear - arrival time, permitted items, format, timing, or accommodation requests - email the provider now rather than on the day.
Do targeted revision of your highest-yield weak areas rather than a full re-read. Work through timed question blocks under exam conditions to practise pacing, and review only your errors. Confirm you know roughly how many seconds per question you can afford.
Stop learning new material. Pack your bag with ID, printed confirmation, and travel details. Reconfirm the journey and set two alarms. Eat a normal meal, avoid late caffeine and alcohol, and go to bed at your usual time - a full night's sleep is worth more than an extra hour of revision.
Do a final check that the ID and confirmation are in the bag, that your phone is charged with the venue details saved, and that you know what time you must leave. Skim your one-page summary sheet once, then stop.
Eat a proper breakfast and drink water. Leave earlier than the map suggests. Arrive at the centre with margin so that a delay does not unsettle you; use the waiting time for a brief look at your summary sheet only, not for new topics.
Follow the registration and ID-check process, switch off your phone completely and store it as instructed, and locate the toilets before you are seated. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions on timing, breaks, and how to raise a hand.
Read each stem fully, note the key discriminators (age, presentation, imaging finding), and commit to the single best answer. Answer in order but flag long or unfamiliar items and return to them. Keep to your per-question time budget, and do not leave blanks if wrong answers are not penalised. Check that your answers are being recorded before the end.
Note anything that went wrong - a late start, a faulty workstation, or a disturbance - and report it to the provider promptly in writing. Keep your confirmation and candidate number until results are released, and confirm the results date and appeal route with the provider.
Rules to check
The name on your ID must match your registration exactly. If your name has changed or the spelling differs, contact the provider well before the exam date; do not assume the discrepancy will be resolved at the desk.
Electronic devices, including phones and smart watches, must normally be switched off and stored outside the exam room. Confirm the provider's policy on what may be kept at the desk, and treat any unauthorised device in your possession as a potential misconduct issue.
Arrive by the stated reporting time. Confirm with the provider the cut-off after which admission is refused, and what happens to your fee if you are late or absent; do not assume you will be admitted once the paper has started.
Confirm in advance whether there are scheduled breaks, whether unscheduled toilet visits are allowed, and whether the clock stops during them. If you need to leave the room, expect to be escorted and to be subject to re-checking on return.
The paper is normally single-best-answer with one correct response per question. Confirm with the provider whether incorrect answers are penalised, since this determines whether you should attempt every question, and budget your time per question accordingly.
Bring only permitted items into the exam room. Notes, textbooks, dictionaries, or scratch materials are allowed only if the provider has explicitly authorised them, so check this in writing rather than relying on what other candidates tell you.
Do not discuss, reproduce, or share the content of the questions afterwards. Examination material is confidential, and sharing remembered questions can be treated as misconduct and may affect your result.
Confirm the results timeline and the appeal or re-mark procedure with the provider before exam day, so that you know the deadline for raising a query if the outcome or your attendance record appears wrong.