RULE Dual Degree Economics Entrance exam-day guide
RULE Dual Degree Economics Entrance · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original document (passport or national ID card), not a photocopy or a photo on your phone. The name must match your registration exactly. If your ID is expired or the name differs, contact the admissions office before test day rather than at the door.
Admission ticket / registration confirmation
Print or download the confirmation the provider sends after registration and check the exact venue, building, and reporting time on it. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or an electronic version is accepted.
Permitted writing instruments
Bring several pens or pencils and a clean eraser. Confirm with the provider which types are allowed and whether the test is paper-based or computer-delivered, since that changes what you may carry to the desk.
Approved calculator (only if permitted)
The quantitative sections may or may not allow a calculator, and the permitted model list varies by provider and year. Confirm with the provider in advance; do not assume your usual graphing calculator is accepted.
Analog watch
Many test rooms have no visible clock and phones are not allowed at the desk. A simple non-smart watch lets you pace the sections. Smartwatches and fitness trackers are almost always prohibited.
Water and a light snack for the break
Bring these only if the provider allows food and drink in the waiting area. Keep them in a bag away from the desk during the test itself.
Venue route and travel plan
Do a route check the day before, including public transport schedules or parking. Aim to arrive ahead of the reporting time so a delay does not cost you the sitting.
Emergency contact and provider phone number
Save the admissions or test-center contact on your phone in case of a transport problem or a last-minute venue change. Confirm with the provider how late arrivals are handled.
Review the allowed and prohibited items list
Read the provider's current test-day regulations for phones, bags, notes, and outerwear. Rules change between cycles, so check the version for your sitting, not an older one.
Sleep and meal plan for the night before
Protect a full night's sleep and eat a normal breakfast. Cramming new material in the final evening rarely helps and often hurts timing and accuracy on the day.
Confirm the format and section order
Know in advance whether the exam is single-paper or multi-section, how many questions each part contains, and whether there is a penalty for wrong answers. Confirm with the provider if the current bulletin is unclear.
Plan the day
Stop learning new topics. Rework your error log: list the question types where you lost the most marks in practice and drill only those. Do one full timed mock under exam conditions, then review it the same day while your reasoning is fresh. Fix your logistics now: confirm venue, reporting time, ID validity, and permitted calculator. Prepare your bag so nothing depends on the final morning.
Shift from volume to precision. Rehearse the section strategy you will actually use: how many minutes per question, which items to skip and return to, and how you will handle a question that stalls you. For quantitative parts, redo a short set of core formula applications rather than reading formula sheets passively. For essay or short-answer parts, outline two or three responses to time yourself on structure, not content.
Do a light review only: formula summaries, your error log, and the section order. Check the route and transport times, lay out ID, admission ticket, pens, watch, and any permitted aids by the door. Avoid alcohol and late screens. Set two alarms. If the provider allows a calculator, verify it is the approved type and working, with spare batteries if relevant.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive early. Leave your phone and any prohibited items in your bag as instructed. Once seated, read the instructions and check the page or screen count before the clock starts. Write down the section end times if a clock is visible, so you are not doing arithmetic under pressure later.
Start with the questions you can solve cleanly to build rhythm, and flag anything that stalls you beyond your planned limit. Watch the clock at fixed checkpoints rather than every minute. If a section is strictly timed, do not borrow time from another section. Leave a few minutes at the end to transfer or verify answers, and never leave a blank where there is no penalty for guessing. During the break, eat lightly, avoid comparing answers with other candidates, and return to your seat on time.
Rules to check
Bring the original government-issued photo ID named in your registration. The name must match; if it does not, resolve the discrepancy with the provider before test day, as entry may otherwise be refused.
Arrive by the reporting time on your admission ticket. Confirm with the provider how late arrivals are treated, since cutoff rules differ by venue and sitting.
Phones, smartwatches, notes, and bags must be stored as the provider directs and must not be at your desk. Even an unused device visible during the test can lead to cancellation, so confirm the exact policy with the provider.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on breaks. Confirm with the provider whether breaks are scheduled, how long they last, and whether you may leave the room, since unscheduled movement may be treated as misconduct.
Use only permitted aids. If you intend to bring a calculator, check the approved model list with the provider for your cycle rather than relying on what was allowed in previous years.
Answer in the language and format the paper specifies, and write only within designated answer areas. Work outside them, or in the wrong language, may not be marked.
Scoring and negative marking vary by section and cycle. Confirm with the provider whether wrong answers are penalized before you decide to guess, and do not assume the same rule applies to every part of the paper.
Any suspected irregularity, from looking at another candidate's paper to using an unauthorized device, can lead to cancellation of your result. If something goes wrong during the test, raise it with the invigilator immediately rather than after the sitting.