Iraqi Board Emergency Medicine exam-day guide
Iraqi Board Emergency Medicine · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo identification (original, not a copy)
Bring the same ID document type you used at registration (typically national ID or passport). Confirm with the provider which forms are accepted and whether an expired document disqualifies you.
Printed admission permit / exam card
If the provider issues an entry card or permit, print it and keep it with your ID. Confirm with the provider whether a digital copy on your phone is accepted, since phone use is often restricted in the hall.
Exact venue, building, and gate confirmed in advance
Verify the address, which entrance is open to candidates, and whether parking or security screening adds time. Confirm with the provider if the venue differs from the one on your registration.
Report time versus start time
Candidates are usually required to arrive well before the start for ID checks and seating. Confirm with the provider the exact reporting time and the cut-off after which entry is refused.
Station and timing format for the practical component
Know in advance whether the practical is run as timed stations, an OSCE-style circuit, or viva stations, and whether there is a rest station. Confirm with the provider the number of stations and time per station.
Permitted and prohibited items list
Assume phones, smart watches, and notes are prohibited in the hall. Confirm with the provider what is allowed: stethoscope, pen, water, calculator, or any clinical equipment.
Scrubs or professional dress per provider instructions
Practical exams often require clinical attire rather than formal dress. Confirm with the provider the dress code and whether a white coat or name badge is required or banned.
Break and refreshment arrangements
Long circuits can run several hours with short breaks. Confirm with the provider whether water and food are allowed at your seat or only outside the hall.
Personal clinical equipment if you rely on it
If the provider permits your own stethoscope or torch, bring them; otherwise use what is supplied at the station. Confirm with the provider before bringing anything beyond the permitted list.
Travel and accommodation buffer
Plan to arrive the day before if you are travelling from another city, and identify a backup route to the venue. Traffic and security checks are common causes of late arrival.
Rest plan for the 48 hours before
Protect sleep in the two nights before; fatigue degrades station performance more than one extra hour of revision helps.
Emergency contact and provider phone number saved
Save the examining body's candidate enquiries number so you can report an unavoidable delay or document problem immediately. Confirm with the provider which number to call on exam day.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Rehearse the practical format: practise timed stations aloud with a colleague, focusing on structured communication, hand hygiene, and closing the station with a clear plan. Review the provider's candidate instructions line by line and write down every question you still have, then resolve them with the provider rather than guessing.
Confirm travel, accommodation, and venue route. Lay out ID, permit, and permitted equipment. Rehearse the opening and closing sentences you will use at every station so they are automatic under stress.
Do a light review only: resuscitation priorities, safe prescribing, and how you will introduce yourself and obtain consent. Check the reporting time and set two alarms. Pack your bag with ID, permit, and permitted items. Eat a normal meal and aim for a full night's sleep; do not study past the early evening.
Eat a proper breakfast and hydrate moderately. Arrive at the venue earlier than the stated reporting time to absorb security and ID checks. Switch your phone off and store it as instructed. Use waiting time for calm breathing and a mental checklist of your station routine, not for last-minute cramming.
Read the station instructions fully before acting. Introduce yourself, confirm the patient's identity, obtain consent, and state hand hygiene aloud if the format expects it. Manage time: spend the first moments planning, the middle performing, and the final moments summarising findings and the immediate plan. If a station goes badly, deliberately reset before the next one; marks are scored per station, not carried over. If equipment fails or instructions are unclear, ask the examiner immediately rather than improvising.
Note anything you want to raise with the provider while it is fresh, and submit any incident report the same day if there was a disruption. Do not attempt to reconstruct questions to share; candidate confidentiality rules usually prohibit this.
Rules to check
Bring original photo identification matching your registration; a mismatch or missing document may bar entry. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and what to do if your ID is lost.
Arrive by the stated reporting time. Candidates arriving after the cut-off may be refused entry, and the cut-off is set by the provider, so confirm it in advance rather than assuming a grace period.
Phones, smart watches, and any notes must be switched off and stored as instructed. Possession in the hall is typically treated as misconduct regardless of whether it was used.
Follow examiner instructions exactly at each station, including when to stop and move on. Speaking with other candidates about station content during the circuit may be treated as a breach of confidentiality.
Breaks are taken only at designated times and places. Confirm with the provider whether you may leave the hall between stations and whether supervised toilet breaks are permitted.
Scoring is set by the provider and may include a minimum pass standard per component as well as an overall mark. Do not assume a strong written performance compensates for a weak practical station; confirm the weighting with the provider.
If you believe a station was compromised by equipment failure, noise, or unclear instructions, tell the examiner at the time and follow the provider's incident procedure; complaints raised only after the exam are harder to substantiate.
Do not record, photograph, or reproduce exam material in any form. Confirm with the provider the exact confidentiality undertaking you signed at registration and what it prohibits.