HAVO NLT exam-day guide
HAVO NLT · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring a valid identity document
Take the ID document the school or examination centre has asked you to show at registration. Which document counts as valid is set by the provider, so confirm with the provider in advance rather than assuming a school pass is enough.
Confirm the exact start time and location
Check your personal timetable or invitation letter for the room, building entrance and reporting time. NLT subjects are often scheduled in fixed national windows, but the exact slot is set by your school; confirm with the provider if anything is unclear.
Bring pens and any permitted writing materials
Take several working black or blue ballpoint pens and a pencil with eraser for rough work. Ask your teacher which materials are allowed for your subject, since rules differ between subjects and between paper and digital administration.
Know whether your exam is on paper or on a computer
NLT is increasingly taken digitally, but schools may still use paper. The format changes how you answer and what you may bring, so confirm with the provider which format applies to your sitting.
Leave your phone and smart devices at home or switched off in your bag
Phones, smartwatches and earbuds are almost always forbidden at the workplace. Do not rely on using your phone as a clock; wear an ordinary watch instead if your centre allows it.
Bring a clear water bottle
A small unlabelled water bottle is normally acceptable. Labels and loose caps are often removed at registration, so prepare the bottle before you leave.
Check transport and plan to arrive early
Work out the route and add at least 15 to 20 minutes of buffer for delays. Arriving late can mean losing reading time or, in some cases, being refused entry, so treat the reporting time as the deadline, not a target.
Prepare for a long silent session
Eat a normal breakfast or lunch before you go in and use the toilet beforehand. Breaks are limited and supervised, so do not plan on stepping out mid-section.
Review the subject-specific instruction sheet
For each NLT subject, check the official instruction page or your teacher's summary for permitted aids such as a dictionary, calculator or formula sheet, and for the structure of the paper. Confirm with the provider if the information is not published.
Sleep and stop cramming the night before
A full night's sleep improves performance more than an extra hour of last-minute revision. Pack your bag the evening before so the morning is calm.
Plan the day
List every subject you are sitting with its date, time and room. Re-read the official instruction for each subject and note what aids are permitted. Make a one-page summary per subject of the structures, formulas or text types you most often get wrong, and practise one timed task per subject under realistic conditions.
Switch from learning new material to consolidating. Rework your earlier mistakes rather than new exercises, and rehearse the answer formats the exam expects, for example a structured argument, a calculation with units, or a short essay with a clear introduction and conclusion. Check that your calculator works and that you know how to use it for the operations your subject requires.
Pack your bag: ID, pens, pencil, eraser, permitted aids and water. Check the transport route and the weather. Do a light review of your summaries only, then stop early in the evening. Set two alarms and go to bed at your normal time.
Eat a proper meal and drink water. Do a final five-minute glance at your summary sheet, not a full revision session. Leave with enough margin to arrive at the reporting time, and switch your phone off before entering the building.
Show your ID, take your assigned seat and place only permitted items on the desk. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions about filling in your name and candidate number and about the start and end times.
Read the whole paper or the overview of sections before writing. Check the number of questions and the marks per question, and divide your time so that the highest-value parts get enough attention. Start with a question you can answer confidently to settle your nerves.
Watch the clock at fixed checkpoints, for example after each section or every 20 minutes. Answer every question, since a partial answer usually earns more than a blank. Write legibly and show your working in subjects that award method marks.
Check that your name and candidate number are correct, that you have answered every question, and that units, rounding and spelling of key terms are right. Correct obvious slips, then stop writing immediately when told.
Rules to check
Follow the invigilator's instructions at all times; they control entry, seating, start and stop signals, and their word overrides your own plan.
Bring the identity document your school requires and keep it on your desk if asked. If you are unsure what is accepted, confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Phones, smartwatches and other electronic devices must be switched off and out of reach. Having a device on you during the exam can lead to invalidation of your result.
Only use aids that are explicitly permitted for that subject, such as an approved dictionary or calculator. If a subject's permitted aids are not published, confirm with the provider.
Breaks and toilet visits are supervised and usually only allowed in limited circumstances, so plan ahead and ask the invigilator by raising your hand.
Do not communicate with other candidates once you are in the exam room, and do not take question papers, answer sheets or notes out of the room unless the invigilator says you may.
Scoring rules, grade boundaries and resit possibilities are set nationally and by your school. Check the official NLT information and confirm with the provider rather than relying on rumours.
If something goes wrong, such as illness, a broken device or a disturbance, report it to the invigilator immediately and ask your school afterwards about the official procedure.