NG Bar Part I Criminal Law exam-day guide
NG Bar Part I Criminal Law · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket / confirmation notice
Print or save the confirmation you received when you booked. It shows your candidate number, test center, and reporting time. If you never received one, contact the provider before test day rather than arriving without it.
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original physical ID in the name used on your registration. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether a photocopy or digital version is allowed - do not assume.
Know your exact reporting time and address
Test centers sometimes sit inside larger buildings or campuses. Look up the entrance, transit route, and realistic travel time the day before. Arrive earlier than the stated reporting time to absorb delays.
Confirm the test format and permitted materials
This exam is normally delivered as a multiple-choice test. Confirm with the provider whether it is computer-based or paper-based, and whether any reference materials, calculators, or notes are permitted. Do not bring prohibited items into the testing room.
Restate the core offences from memory
Be able to state the elements of the main offences tested - theft, robbery, assault, homicide, sexual offences, and the general defences - without notes. If you cannot recite an element, that is your last-48-hour revision priority.
Practise element-by-element application
Most questions turn on one missing or misread element (for example, intent to permanently deprive, or the threshold for a defence). Drill short fact patterns and identify which element each option attacks.
Watch the clock on practice sets
Do timed sets at roughly the pace the real exam allows. Confirm the number of questions and total time with the provider so your pacing matches the actual paper.
Sleep and logistics plan
Protect sleep in the final two nights. Arrange transport, parking, or accommodation in advance if the center is far from home. Fatigue costs more marks than one extra hour of revision.
Water and a light snack for afterwards
Confirm with the provider what may be brought into the testing room; many centers restrict food and drink to outside the room. Plan to eat lightly before the test rather than relying on snacks during it.
Backup plan if something goes wrong
Save the provider's contact details. If you are delayed, ill, or your ID is questioned, contact the provider immediately and ask what options exist. Do not simply leave without asking.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Review your own summary of offence elements and defences, and re-read your notes on the topics you have most often got wrong. Confirm test center address, reporting time, and ID requirements with the provider if anything is unclear.
Do one or two timed practice sets under exam conditions, then review every wrong answer by asking which element or rule you missed. Write a one-page 'error list' and revise only that list.
Light review only: the error list, key definitions, and the difference between similar offences (for example, theft versus robbery, or murder versus manslaughter). Pack ID, confirmation, and travel details. Check transport for the morning. Go to bed at a normal hour.
Eat a proper breakfast, leave with buffer time, and arrive early. Do not cram new material in the final hour - skim your error list only. Follow center instructions on phones, bags, and permitted items.
Read each question fully before looking at the options, and identify the precise issue (which element or defence is in play). Answer the easier questions first if the format allows, flag uncertain ones, and return to them. Watch for absolute words in options ('always', 'never') and for options that state the law correctly but do not fit the facts. Leave time to transfer or check answers and to confirm no question is left blank unless the format penalises guessing - confirm the scoring rule with the provider.
Rules to check
Bring original government-issued photo ID matching your registration name. If your ID name differs from your registration, contact the provider before test day to resolve it.
Arrive at or before the stated reporting time. Late arrival may mean exclusion, but the exact cut-off is set by the provider - confirm it in advance rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
Follow all instructions about personal belongings, phones, and prohibited materials. If you are unsure whether an item is allowed, ask the invigilator before the test begins.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test and do not attempt to copy, photograph, or remove exam materials. Suspected misconduct is handled under the provider's rules.
If you need to leave the room - for a break, illness, or another reason - raise your hand and wait for instructions. Confirm with the provider in advance whether breaks are permitted and whether test time is paused.
If a question seems ambiguous or you believe there is an error, answer as best you can and note it afterwards; do not spend excessive time on one item. Report concerns to the provider after the test.
Scoring rules (whether wrong answers are penalised, and the pass mark) are set by the provider. Confirm them before test day so your guessing and time-allocation strategy is correct.
If you are ill or cannot attend, contact the provider as early as possible to ask about deferral, withdrawal, or refund options. Do not assume a re-sit is automatic.