Iran Teacher Employment Exam exam-day guide
Iran Teacher Employment Exam · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Printed admission card / exam entry permit
Print the entry permit issued through the official recruitment portal (typically the Sanjesh or the recruiting organization's system). Confirm with the provider which portal applies to your cohort and whether a printed copy is mandatory; keep two copies.
National ID card (kart-e melli) plus a photocopy
Bring the original national ID card. Many Iranian exam centres also ask for a photocopy of the ID page; bring two. If your ID is lost or expired, ask the provider in advance about the temporary ID receipt procedure rather than assuming it will be accepted.
Birth certificate (shenasnameh) or ID booklet page
Some recruitment stages require identity matching against the birth certificate. Confirm with the provider whether the original booklet or only the national ID is needed on test day.
Two or three black ballpoint pens
Answer sheets are usually machine-read. Use black ink, not blue or gel, and bring spares. Do not bring correction fluid or tape; these are commonly prohibited.
Simple pencil and eraser
Useful for rough work and for checking box positions before inking. Keep them in a clear bag if the centre requires transparent pouches.
Watch without smart features
Many halls have no visible clock. A plain analogue or basic digital watch is usually acceptable; smartwatches and phones are not. Confirm the provider's device policy.
Clear plastic bag for personal items
Several Iranian test centres require belongings in a transparent bag and leave bags at the hall entrance. Pack light: ID, pens, pencil, watch, water, keys.
Printed location map and arrival plan
Check the exact building and gate printed on your permit the day before, and plan to arrive well before the reporting time printed on the permit. Reporting times are strict; confirm the cut-off with the provider.
Water and a light snack for after the test
Leave these outside the hall if food and drink are not allowed inside. Eat a normal breakfast; do not try a new routine on exam morning.
Review the announced scoring and negative-marking rule
Confirm with the provider whether wrong answers carry a penalty and how the general and specialist sections are weighted. This changes your guessing strategy, so settle it before the test, not in the hall.
Check prohibited items list
Phones, smart devices, notes, and often calculators are banned. Confirm whether a basic non-programmable calculator is allowed for your subject before bringing one.
Sleep and medication routine
Keep the two nights before the exam boring: normal sleep, normal meals, no all-night review. If you take regular medication, keep it with you and inform the invigilator if needed.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Re-read your own summary sheets for the general section (religious literacy, Persian language and literature, general knowledge) and the specialist section (educational psychology, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and your subject content). Work through one full timed mock under exam conditions, then mark it and list only the three weakest topics.
Re-check the practical logistics: permit printed, ID valid, travel time to the centre, and whether you need accommodation. Confirm with the provider any point you are unsure about, such as calculator rules, ID alternatives, or the reporting time, while offices are still open.
Do targeted repair on the three weak topics: reread the relevant definitions, laws, and theorists, and write a one-page cheat sheet in your own words. Then stop. Do not start a new textbook chapter.
Pack the clear bag and lay out clothes. Print a second copy of the permit. Visit or mentally rehearse the route and note the gate. Set two alarms. In the evening, review only your one-page summaries for about 60 to 90 minutes, then stop and sleep at your normal time.
Eat a normal breakfast, leave early, and arrive ahead of the reporting time. At the gate, keep the permit and ID in your hand. Once seated, check that your answer sheet identity fields are correct before the start signal.
Read the instructions on the cover, check the number of questions and the time allowed, and note whether sections have separate timing. Count the answer boxes to make sure the sheet matches the booklet.
Work in passes. First pass: answer every question you know immediately. Second pass: work the moderate ones. Third pass: return to hard items only if time remains. Mark answers on the sheet as you go rather than batching them at the end, and keep the box shading clean and dark.
Stop solving new items. Verify that every answered question has exactly one shaded box, that no stray marks remain, and that skipped questions are left blank rather than half-filled. Apply your pre-decided guessing rule for blanks.
Rules to check
Bring the original national ID card and the printed entry permit; entry is normally refused without identity documents that match the registration record. Confirm with the provider what substitutes are accepted if a document is lost.
Arrive before the reporting time printed on the permit. Late candidates are commonly excluded once the hall has been sealed; confirm the exact cut-off with the provider rather than estimating it.
Phones and smart devices must be switched off and left outside the hall or surrendered as instructed. Possession of a phone during the test is typically treated as a serious violation, so do not rely on keeping it in a pocket.
Do not communicate with other candidates, exchange papers, or look at another answer sheet. Invigilators may void the sheet of anyone involved in copying or disturbance.
Mark only one box per question, in black ink, and do not fold, tear, or punch the answer sheet. Multiple marks or machine-unreadable sheets are usually scored as wrong or unread, so confirm the marking instructions on the sheet itself.
Follow the announced rule on wrong answers. If negative marking applies, guess only when you can eliminate at least one option; if there is no penalty, leave no blank. Verify which rule applies with the provider before the test.
Breaks are usually not permitted once the test begins, and leaving the hall may end your session. Use the washroom before entering and confirm the provider's policy on emergencies and on medical needs.
Scoring and weighting between the general and specialist sections, and any minimum cut-off per section, are set by the recruiting organization. Read the current announcement for your cohort and confirm any ambiguity with the provider instead of relying on older candidates' accounts.
Keep all personal belongings in the permitted clear bag and place them where instructed. Bringing notes, books, or unauthorized aids into the hall can lead to disqualification from the current stage.