Iran Specialty Board Dermatology exam-day guide
Iran Specialty Board Dermatology · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm the exact exam date, session time, and venue address with the provider
The Iran Specialty Board (بورد تخصصی) dermatology exam is administered under the national residency/board examination system. Venue, building entrance, and reporting time are set by the administering body and can change between cycles. Re-check the official notice and your admission card in the final week rather than relying on what a colleague told you last year. If any detail is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Printed admission card / exam entry document (کارت ورود به جلسه)
Most Iranian national exams require a printed entry card generated from the registration portal, often with a photo and registration number. Print at least two copies and keep a digital copy on your phone. Whether a printout is mandatory or a digital copy is accepted varies by cycle, so confirm with the provider.
National ID card (کارت ملی) or the identity document specified in the notice
Identity is checked at the hall door against the registration record. Bring the original document, not a photocopy. If your ID is lost or expired, ask the provider in advance what alternative documentation (e.g., a temporary certificate) is accepted; do not assume a driver's license will be accepted.
Two or more black ballpoint pens and a pencil with eraser
Answer sheets are usually machine-read, and smudged or non-black marks can cause scoring errors. Bring spare pens. If the exam uses optical answer sheets, confirm whether correction fluid or tape is permitted; many providers prohibit it, so write carefully and correct by clean erasure or a single strike as instructed.
A watch (non-smart, no alarm sound)
Halls do not always have a visible clock, and invigilators may give time warnings only at fixed intervals. A simple analog or digital watch without communication features is generally acceptable; smartwatches are usually prohibited. Confirm the provider's device policy.
Leave phone and smart devices outside the hall or switched off and stored as instructed
Possession of a phone, smartwatch, or earbud during the exam is commonly treated as a serious irregularity even if unused. Plan a place to leave them before entering. The exact rule on where devices must be deposited is set by the provider; confirm with the provider.
Review the official exam format and scoring notice for this cycle
Confirm the number of questions, whether the paper is single-best-answer or includes negative marking, and the time allowed. Iranian board exams typically use multiple-choice questions, but the precise format, item count, and any penalty for wrong answers are set per cycle. Do not rely on memory of previous years; confirm with the provider.
Plan food, water, and medication around the reported schedule
Long sittings with limited breaks are common. If you take regular medication or need food for a medical reason (e.g., diabetes), ask the provider in advance about bringing it into the hall and about break arrangements. Do not assume you can leave the hall mid-session.
Arrange transport and, if needed, accommodation near the venue
Tehran traffic and unfamiliar campuses cause avoidable lateness. Do a dry run to the exact building entrance, note where the candidate entry gate is, and allow a large buffer. Keep the provider's contact number for the exam day on paper as well as on your phone.
Prepare a one-page personal high-yield summary for the final review
Limit last-minute review to your own condensed notes: dermatopathology patterns, genodermatoses and inheritance, drug eruptions, blistering disease immunofluorescence, STI treatment regimens, and pediatric dermatology red flags. Reading a single familiar sheet reduces panic and avoids the temptation to cram new material in the last hour.
Sleep and arrive rested rather than studying through the night
Recognition-based recall on image-free clinical vignettes and pattern questions degrades sharply with sleep deprivation. Stop studying at a fixed hour the night before and protect at least seven hours of sleep.
Confirm what is prohibited in the hall (bags, notes, calculators, outerwear)
Rules on bags, printed notes, calculators, and coats differ between administrations and seasons. Check the notice or confirm with the provider so nothing is confiscated at the door.
Plan the day
Re-read the official notice and admission card line by line: date, reporting time, building, entry gate, ID requirements, and prohibited items. Resolve every ambiguity by contacting the provider now, not on exam morning. Confirm transport and accommodation, print the entry card, and check that your ID is valid and present.
Switch from broad reading to consolidation. Work through your own summary sheet and a limited set of high-yield topics: inflammatory dermatopathology patterns, direct immunofluorescence in blistering diseases, inherited syndromes and their genes, severe cutaneous adverse reactions, and first-line management of common STIs. Stop opening new textbooks.
Do one timed practice block in the same format as the real paper, using your own questions or notes, to rehearse pacing. Record how many minutes you spend per question and decide your strategy for difficult items, for example flagging and returning rather than stalling.
Pack the bag: printed entry card, original ID, spare black pens, pencil and eraser, watch, water, permitted medication, and your one-page summary. Lay out clothes. Check the route and set two alarms. Do a final light review of the summary sheet only, then stop.
Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine after midday, and go to bed at your usual time. Do not attempt an all-night review; the marginal gain is small and the cost in attention on the day is large.
Eat a proper breakfast, take regular medication as prescribed, and leave earlier than the calculated travel time. Arrive at the venue with a generous buffer so that security checks and finding the hall do not consume exam time. Keep your ID and entry card in one accessible pocket.
Before entering the hall, switch off and stow your phone as instructed, use the restroom, and drink only enough water to stay comfortable. Once seated, confirm your name and registration number on the answer sheet before the start signal.
Read the instructions on the cover page first, especially any rule on negative marking or on how to correct an answer. Fill in identifying fields exactly as printed on your entry card, and check that the answer sheet version or booklet code matches what the invigilator announces.
Work in passes. First answer every question you recognize quickly, marking uncertain ones. Then return to flagged items with remaining time. For clinical vignettes, identify the single most discriminating finding before looking at the options, and be wary of absolute words such as always and never.
Reserve the final minutes to verify that answers are transferred correctly, that no item is left blank if blank answers are scored as wrong, and that erasures are clean. Follow the invigilator's stop signal exactly; writing after the stop signal is commonly treated as an irregularity.
Note the date and channel through which results are announced, and keep your entry card and registration number, since they are often needed to retrieve results or to file an objection. Do not discuss or reproduce specific questions in a way that breaches the provider's confidentiality rules.
Rules to check
Bring the original identity document specified in the official notice and the printed entry card if required. Identity is verified at the door and again at the desk; a mismatch between the document and the registration record can result in exclusion. If your documents are incomplete, contact the provider before exam day rather than negotiating at the gate.
Do not bring unauthorized material into the hall: notes, textbooks, phones, smartwatches, earbuds, or any communication device. Possession alone, even if unused, is typically treated as an irregularity. Confirm the exact permitted and prohibited items with the provider, since the list is set per administration.
Follow all invigilator instructions and the printed exam regulations. Start only at the announced signal and stop writing immediately at the end signal. Talking, exchanging material, or looking at another candidate's paper is grounds for removal.
Breaks are usually limited and may require escort or permission. Do not leave the hall without informing an invigilator, and expect that leaving may not extend your time. Ask the provider in advance about any medical need for food, medication, or extra breaks, and obtain any approval in writing before the exam.
Scoring is determined by the administering body for that cycle. Do not assume a particular penalty for wrong answers or a particular pass mark; read the instructions on the paper and, if the scoring rule is not stated, confirm with the provider. Answer according to the rule actually in force, not according to rumor.
Mark the answer sheet exactly as instructed, using the specified pen or pencil, and keep it clean and unfolded. Corrections must follow the stated method; correction fluid or tape may be prohibited. Illegible or ambiguously marked answers may not be scored.
Maintain confidentiality of exam content. Reproducing, photographing, or distributing questions after the exam may breach the provider's regulations and can have consequences for your registration. If you believe an item is flawed, use the official objection channel rather than public discussion.
If you have a disability, chronic illness, or other circumstance requiring accommodation, request it from the provider well before the exam and obtain confirmation. Accommodations are not granted retroactively on exam day.