HAVO Wiskunde A exam-day guide
HAVO Wiskunde A · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring a valid ID document
In the Netherlands a passport, identity card, or residence permit is normally required for centrally administered exams. Confirm with your school which document it accepts and whether an expired document is tolerated; do not rely on a student card alone.
Bring your exam admission letter / registration confirmation
Your school issues a letter showing your candidate number and the subjects and times you sit. Check that Wiskunde A is listed with the correct level (HAVO) and whether you sit it in the first or second time slot.
Bring pens, pencil, eraser and a ruler
Work in blue or black ink for your final answers; use pencil for constructions, graphs, and sketches you may need to correct. A transparent ruler and a protractor are useful for geometry and graph work; bring a spare pen.
Bring a permitted calculator
HAVO Wiskunde A allows a graphing calculator (in the Netherlands typically a CE-approved graphing calculator). Check the current permitted-models list and whether the memory must be cleared before the exam; confirm with your teacher which model and settings are allowed.
Know the formula sheet situation
In the Dutch centraal examen a formula sheet (examenblad) is provided with the paper; you do not normally bring your own. Confirm with your teacher which formulas are supplied and which you must know by heart, and practise with the official sheet.
Bring a watch or check the clock in the room
You are usually not allowed to use a phone as a clock. Know how much time remains at the 15-minute warning and plan which questions you will skip or return to.
Leave phone and smart devices at home or switched off in your bag
Phones, smartwatches, and earbuds are generally not allowed at your table. Confirm your school's rule for where bags and devices must be stored.
Bring water and something small to eat
A 3-hour exam is long; a drink and a snack help concentration. Check that your school allows these at the table and whether you may leave the room for a short break.
Prepare your calculator the evening before
Charge or replace batteries, clear memory if required, and set the mode you normally use. Test one graphing question and one statistics calculation so you know the device works.
Practise with official past papers under time pressure
Use published HAVO Wiskunde A exam papers and marking schemes. Time yourself at the official duration and mark yourself strictly so you know which topics cost you points.
Write down your weak topics and one fix for each
For example: exponential growth (know the growth factor and how to solve with logs), normal distribution (use invNorm and normalcdf correctly), and box plots (median, quartiles, outliers).
Know the location and travel time
Check the room and start time on your admission letter, plan your journey, and arrive early. Confirm with your school what happens if you are late.
Plan the day
Do not start new topics. Rework two or three official past papers, focusing on the question types you lose marks on. For each wrong answer, write the correct method in one line and redo the question without looking. Check the current exam regulations and permitted calculator list, and confirm with your teacher which formula sheet is provided.
Practise calculator routines you will need under pressure: normalcdf and invNorm, binomial probabilities, solving equations with intersect, and reading tables. Make a one-page sheet of your own common mistakes (for example forgetting to round as asked, or not writing units).
Do a light review only: read your mistake sheet and the formula sheet, and skim the topics list. Pack your bag with ID, admission letter, pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, calculator, water, and snack. Charge devices and set an alarm. Sleep at a normal time; do not cram past midnight.
Eat breakfast, check your bag against the checklist, and leave with extra travel time. At school, switch your phone off and store it as instructed. Find your seat, check that the paper is the correct subject and level, and read the front page instructions before the start signal.
Read the whole paper quickly, note the point values, and plan your time. A rough guide: about one minute per point plus reading time, so a 3-hour paper with around 80 points leaves little slack. Start with questions you can do confidently to secure marks.
Show your method: many marks are for the steps, not just the answer. Write down the formula or calculation you use, round only at the end unless told otherwise, and state units. If a question stalls you, mark it and move on; return with the time left.
Check that every question has an answer, that you have not left a calculation unfinished, and that graphs have labels, axes, and a title where asked. Re-read questions that said 'explain' or 'argue' to be sure you wrote reasoning, not just a number.
Rules to check
Identification: bring the ID document your school requires and place it on your table if asked. If you do not have acceptable ID, you may not be admitted; confirm the exact requirement with your school in advance.
Permitted aids: only use the calculator and other aids on the current permitted list. Phones, smartwatches, and unauthorised notes must be off and stored away; using them can lead to invalidation of your exam.
Timing and lateness: the exam starts and ends at fixed times. If you arrive late, the invigilator decides whether and how long you may still sit the paper; confirm your school's lateness policy beforehand.
Breaks: short supervised breaks may be allowed, but you normally cannot make up the time. Ask the invigilator before the exam how breaks are handled and whether you may take your paper with you.
Conduct: work silently, do not communicate with other candidates, and raise your hand if you need the invigilator. Do not remove question papers or answer sheets from the room unless you are told to.
Scoring: marks are awarded for method as well as answer, and a wrong final answer with a correct method can still earn points. Read each question's point value and write enough working to show your reasoning.
End of the exam: stop writing when the signal is given, hand in all materials as instructed, and leave quietly. Confirm with the provider how and when results are released and how to request a review if needed.