Iran General Surgery Board Exam exam-day guide
Iran General Surgery Board Exam · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
National ID card (kart-e melli) plus a second photo ID
Bring your original national ID card and, as a backup, your passport or driver's license. Confirm with the provider (the examination center responsible for the Iran General Surgery Board / دستیاری تخصصی جراحی عمومی) which exact document is accepted on the day; requirements can change between cycles, so verify on the official notice for your year.
Printed admission card / exam entry permit
Print the entry permit (کارت ورود به جلسه) from the official portal once it is released, usually a few days before the exam. Check that your name, national ID number, photo, exam site, and session time are correct. If anything is wrong, contact the provider immediately - do not try to fix it at the door. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory or a digital copy is accepted.
Site, building, and gate confirmed in advance
Re-read the address on your entry permit and identify the exact building and entrance. Exam sites are often university faculties or large halls with several gates; arriving at the wrong gate is a common cause of lateness. Confirm with the provider if the site is not clearly stated.
Travel and parking plan
Plan to arrive well before the reporting time, with a margin for traffic, weather, and security checks. If you are travelling from another city, book accommodation near the site and visit the site the day before. Exact reporting time must come from your entry permit; confirm with the provider if it is unclear.
Permitted stationery only
Bring several dark blue or black ballpoint pens, a pencil, and an eraser if the answer sheet is filled by hand. Check the official instruction sheet for what is allowed; many exams prohibit pencil cases, notes, and electronic devices. Confirm with the provider whether pens are supplied at the desk.
No prohibited electronics
Leave smart watches, phones, earbuds, and any other electronic device at home or hand them in as instructed. Carrying a phone into the hall, even switched off, is a common ground for disqualification. Confirm with the provider where devices must be deposited.
Light layers and a small water bottle
Exam halls are often cold or unevenly heated, and sessions can run for hours. Dress in layers you can remove, and confirm with the provider whether water bottles are allowed at the desk.
Simple, quiet snack for after the exam
Long sessions drain energy; keep a snack and water in your bag for after the exam rather than at the desk, unless the provider states food is allowed during the session.
Review the official format and scoring notice
Know in advance the number of questions, session length, and whether wrong answers carry a penalty (negative marking). This affects guessing strategy. Do not rely on rumor - confirm with the provider from the current year's official notice.
Sleep and medication plan
Protect sleep in the last two nights. If you take regular medication or need a permitted medical item (inhaler, glucose source), confirm with the provider in advance how to declare it and bring documentation.
Emergency contact and backup transport
Save the exam center contact number and a local contact, and have a backup way to reach the site if your main transport fails.
Plan for the day after
Arrange rest and a debrief with your study group after the exam. Avoid scheduling clinical duties or long travel immediately after a multi-hour session.
Plan the day
Switch from new material to consolidation. Re-read your own summary sheets of high-yield general surgery topics - trauma and damage control, acute abdomen, hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease, colorectal and oncologic surgery, breast, endocrine, vascular, pediatric surgery, and surgical critical care - plus the guideline updates you flagged during study. Do timed practice blocks under exam conditions and review errors by topic, not by question. Verify your entry permit is issued and printed, and re-check the site address and reporting time.
Do one full-length timed simulation at the same time of day as the real exam to train your pacing and fatigue tolerance. Decide your personal rule for unanswered questions based on whether the exam uses negative marking. Prepare your bag: IDs, printed permit, pens, pencil, eraser, layers, water. Confirm travel and, if relevant, accommodation.
Stop intensive studying in the evening. Do a light pass over your one-page summaries and the list of mistakes you repeatedly make, then close the books. Lay out clothes and documents by the door. Charge nothing you cannot bring - leave electronics at home. Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine after midday, and go to bed at your usual time. Do not start a new topic or a new textbook.
Eat a normal breakfast, take regular medication if prescribed, and leave earlier than your plan requires. Re-check that you carry both IDs and the printed permit before locking the door. Arrive at the site with time for security and seating. Use the waiting time for calm breathing and a glance at your one-page summary - not for group discussion of uncertain answers, which raises anxiety.
Read the instructions on the cover and check the number of pages and questions before starting. Fill identifying fields carefully. Work in passes: answer clear questions first, mark uncertain ones, and return to them. Keep an eye on the clock and allocate roughly equal time per question, leaving time to transfer answers if the sheet is separate. When transferring, check numbering alignment every few questions. For clinical vignettes, identify the diagnosis first, then the single best next step; watch for words like 'most appropriate', 'initial', and 'contraindicated'. If negative marking applies, guess only when you can eliminate at least one option. Do not leave early without checking that every item is answered as intended.
Write down the topics that felt weak while memory is fresh, for future reference or an oral/practical stage. Rest, and avoid comparing answers exhaustively with peers, which adds little and increases stress. Watch the official portal for results announcements and any subsequent stage instructions; confirm with the provider the timeline for results and appeals.
Rules to check
Bring the identification documents specified in your entry permit, in original form. The exact accepted documents and the procedure for a lost ID must be confirmed with the provider before exam day; do not assume a photocopy will be accepted.
Arrive before the reporting time printed on your entry permit. Late-entry cutoffs and whether any entry is allowed after the session starts are set by the provider - confirm with the provider rather than relying on what happened in previous years.
Electronic devices, smart watches, notes, and unauthorized printed material are prohibited in the hall. Follow the invigilators' instructions on where to deposit belongings; refusal or concealment can lead to disqualification.
Follow the seating assignment and keep your answer sheet covered. Any communication with other candidates during the session, or looking at another candidate's sheet, is treated as misconduct.
Breaks, water, and toilet visits are at the discretion of the invigilators and are usually limited. Confirm with the provider whether scheduled breaks exist and whether leaving the hall during the session is permitted.
Scoring, including the number of questions, the pass mark, and whether wrong answers are penalized, is set by the provider for each cycle. Read the official notice and confirm with the provider; do not base your guessing strategy on unofficial reports.
If you believe there is an error in a question or a disturbance in the hall, report it to the invigilator at the time and follow the formal complaint channel described in the official instructions. Confirm with the provider the deadline and format for objections.
Any special accommodation or medical need must be requested and approved before the exam through the provider's official process. Requests made for the first time on exam day may not be granted.