AFM Enlistment (Maths) exam-day guide
AFM Enlistment (Maths) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring the exact ID document named in your joining instructions
Use the original, valid photo ID type and name spelling specified by your assessment provider. Do not assume a student card or expired passport will be accepted; confirm with the provider which documents are valid and whether photocopies are allowed.
Printed or downloaded admission confirmation
Have your booking reference, candidate number, and test centre address or online session link accessible offline. If the provider issues a printed admission ticket, bring it; otherwise save a screenshot. Confirm with the provider whether printed copies are mandatory.
Permitted calculator
Bring a calculator you have practised with. Check the provider's rules on permitted models and modes: many numerical reasoning tests ban programmable or graphing calculators and require a basic scientific model. Confirm with the provider before relying on any specific model.
Spare batteries or a second permitted calculator
A dead calculator mid-section wastes time. Bring spare batteries if your model uses them, or a second calculator of the same permitted type. Check that the second device is also on the permitted list.
Pens and pencils plus eraser
Even computer-delivered tests often supply rough paper and expect you to bring your own writing implements. Bring two pens and two pencils. Confirm with the provider whether rough paper is supplied or whether you may bring your own.
Watch or timing method
If the test centre has no visible clock, a plain analogue or basic digital watch helps you pace sections. Smartwatches and phones are normally prohibited at the desk. Confirm with the provider whether wristwatches are permitted.
Water and a light snack for before or after the test
Hydration and stable blood sugar support concentration. Check the provider's rules on bringing drinks into the test room; many centres require them to be stored outside.
Travel plan with a buffer
Plan to arrive well before your reporting time, allowing for transport delays and security checks. For online tests, test your link, camera, and microphone the day before. Confirm the provider's late-arrival policy, as candidates arriving after a cut-off may be refused entry.
Rough-paper strategy rehearsed
Practise doing multi-step arithmetic and unit conversions on paper under time pressure, since mental arithmetic alone is slow and error-prone. Know how you will lay out working so you can check it quickly.
Formula and unit recall sheet reviewed
Revise the arithmetic and quantitative-reasoning basics the test assumes: percentages, ratios, averages, rates, currency and unit conversion, and reading tables and graphs. Do not expect a formula sheet unless the provider states one is supplied.
Rest and logistics confirmed for the night before
Confirm your start time, reporting time, and journey in writing, and protect sleep. Fatigue is the most common avoidable cause of careless errors in timed numerical tests.
Provider rules on personal items and breaks confirmed
Ask in advance where phones, bags, and notes must be stored and whether breaks are allowed and timed. Policies vary, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Plan the day
Switch from learning to rehearsal. Take one or two full-length timed practice sets under exam-like conditions, using only your permitted calculator and rough paper. Score them, then list your three most frequent error types, such as misreading units, dropping a decimal place, or rushing percentage change questions. Spend the remaining study time only on those weaknesses.
Re-read the joining instructions line by line and write a short list of anything unclear, such as ID requirements, calculator rules, or rough-paper policy. Contact the provider now so you have time for a reply. Do not leave policy questions until the morning of the test.
Check your equipment: calculator working with fresh batteries, spare device if permitted, pens, pencils, eraser, and ID. Set them aside in one bag so nothing is hunted for later. For an online test, run a full equipment and connection check at the same time of day as your slot.
Do light revision only: review your error list, the core formulas, and a handful of short questions to stay sharp. Avoid new topics and avoid cramming late into the night, because accuracy in timed arithmetic depends heavily on rest.
Confirm logistics: exact address or session link, reporting time, journey and parking or transport, and what you will eat beforehand. Lay out clothes and your equipment bag. If the test is online, confirm the room you will use is quiet, well lit, and free of prohibited materials.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive with a buffer. Re-check that your ID and admission details are in your bag. Avoid last-minute intensive practice, which tends to raise anxiety and can disrupt the calm, methodical approach the test rewards.
Follow staff or proctor instructions exactly, store personal items where directed, and confirm your calculator is permitted before the test begins. If anything about the setup is wrong, such as a broken machine or a missing rough-paper supply, raise it immediately rather than after the clock starts.
Read the instructions and section timings before starting. Work at a steady pace, do the easier questions first if the platform allows navigation, and flag anything long so you can return to it. Show working on rough paper for multi-step items, watch units and decimal places, and do a quick sanity check on each answer, for example whether a percentage increase should make the result larger.
Manage the clock by sections rather than by individual questions. If a question is consuming disproportionate time, make a reasoned guess, mark it, and move on. In the final minutes, check that every question has an answer if there is no penalty for guessing, and confirm with the provider in advance whether unanswered questions are penalised.
Note which question types felt slow or uncertain while it is fresh, and record anything about the process you would do differently. If you have further assessment stages, use this to target practice. Ask the provider about result timelines rather than relying on rumour.
Rules to check
Bring the ID document specified by the provider and ensure the name matches your booking. If your ID is lost, expired, or has a different name, contact the provider before test day; do not assume an alternative will be accepted.
Use only calculators and equipment the provider permits. Programmable, graphing, or stored-formula devices are commonly restricted, and using a prohibited device can lead to invalidation. Confirm the permitted list with the provider.
Do not bring notes, formula sheets, phones, smartwatches, or other unauthorised aids into the test room unless the provider explicitly allows them. Store personal items where instructed.
Follow all instructions from invigilators or remote proctors, including room, camera, and screen-sharing requirements for online tests. Suspected misconduct or rule breaches may result in a void result, so ask before acting if unsure.
Treat breaks as governed by provider policy. Many timed tests allow no unscheduled pauses, and leaving the room may end your session. Confirm in advance whether scheduled breaks exist and whether the clock stops during them.
Understand the scoring and navigation rules before you start: whether questions can be revisited, whether wrong answers are penalised, and how sections are timed. If the instructions are unclear, ask the invigilator before the clock begins.
Do not discuss, record, or share specific test content afterwards. Reproducing questions may breach the provider's terms and could affect your candidacy.
If something goes wrong, such as a technical failure, illness, or a disruption in the room, report it to the provider immediately and ask what evidence they require. Late claims are harder to resolve, so confirm the provider's incident procedure.