NNAT3 Level E exam-day guide
NNAT3 Level E · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission notice / registration confirmation
Print or save the confirmation showing the test date, time, and location (or device/login details for a remote administration). Bring it even if you expect to be on a list; confirm with the school or testing provider whether a printed copy is required.
Acceptable photo ID for the student
Requirements vary by site and by whether the test is group- or individually administered. Ask the school or provider in advance which ID, if any, the student must present, and bring the original rather than a photocopy.
Arrival time and check-in procedure
Confirm with the provider how early to arrive, where to check in, and whether a parent or guardian must sign the student in and out. Build in buffer for parking and security screening.
Testing location and route
Do a route check the day before. Note the exact building and room, since large campuses often have multiple entrances and the main office may not be the testing room.
Permitted materials list from the provider
The NNAT3 is typically administered with minimal materials, and scratch paper or calculators are generally not permitted. Confirm with the provider exactly what the student may bring into the room; do not assume.
Transportation and backup plan
Arrange a ride and a fallback (rideshare, alternate driver, public transit) so a single delay does not cause a missed administration. Late arrivals may not be admitted - confirm the provider's late-arrival policy.
Breakfast, water, and a normal night's sleep
Treat the morning as a routine school day. A normal bedtime and a familiar breakfast are more useful than last-minute cramming, which tends to raise anxiety without improving reasoning performance.
Comfort items that fit the site's rules
A light layer in case the room is cold, and a quiet snack and water for afterward. Confirm whether snacks or drinks are allowed in the testing room; many sites restrict them.
Accommodations paperwork, if applicable
If the student has an approved accommodation (extended time, separate setting, preferential seating), confirm with the provider that it is documented and will be in place on test day, and bring any confirmation letter.
Plan for the waiting period
For a parent or guardian: confirm whether you must remain on site, how long the session runs, and how dismissal works. Bring something quiet to do and keep your phone silenced.
Scratch-paper and calculator assumptions verified
Do not bring these unless the provider explicitly permits them. The NNAT3 measures reasoning with figural and spatial items, so external aids are usually prohibited - verify rather than guess.
Post-test decompression plan
Keep the rest of the day low-pressure. Avoid quizzing the student about specific items right after the session; item-level discussion is usually discouraged and adds stress.
Plan the day
Confirm the logistics in writing: date, start time, arrival window, room or building, and the provider's list of permitted and prohibited items. If anything in the confirmation is unclear, contact the school or testing provider now rather than the morning of the test. Check that any accommodation approval is on file. Keep practice light - at most one short familiarization session with the question formats (pattern completion, analogies, serial reasoning, spatial visualization) so the student recognizes the item types without drilling. Protect sleep for these three nights; a rested student outperforms a rehearsed but tired one.
Lay out everything on the checklist: confirmation, ID if required, a light layer, water, and a snack for afterward. Confirm the ride and set two alarms. Do a dry run of the route or a quick check of the remote-testing setup if the administration is online - verify the device, camera, microphone, and internet connection and any required software in advance. Eat a normal dinner and go to bed at the usual time. Do not introduce new practice material, new routines, or a late-night study session; unfamiliar tasks the night before increase anxiety without improving reasoning scores.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive with buffer time. Leave phones, smartwatches, and any other devices with the parent or guardian unless the provider says otherwise; confirm the device policy at check-in. Keep the tone calm and matter-of-fact: brief reassurance, no last-minute quizzing, no talk about scores. At check-in, follow the site's sign-in procedure and confirm the pickup time and location. If the student feels unwell, contact the provider before the session begins rather than after - rescheduling rules vary and must be confirmed with the provider.
Read or listen to the directions carefully and ask the proctor to repeat anything unclear before the section starts. Work at a steady pace and answer every item; there is no penalty described in the standard directions for guessing, but confirm this with the provider rather than assuming. On figural items, look for the rule that connects the shapes - rotation, reflection, addition or subtraction of elements, size change, or progression across a series - and eliminate answer choices that break the rule. If an item is taking too long, mark the best answer and move on. Use restroom breaks only when offered, and follow the proctor's instructions about stopping and turning the page or submitting the section.
Keep the afternoon light. Do not press the student for item-by-item recall; item-level discussion is generally discouraged and can distort how the student feels about the experience. Note any logistics issues for next time. Score reporting timelines and the method of delivery (to the school, the parent, or both) vary - confirm with the provider when and how results will be shared, and ask what the score report includes before interpreting it.
Rules to check
Follow the proctor's directions exactly, including when to begin, when to stop, and how to submit or hand in materials. Directions are read aloud or provided in writing at the start of the session; ask for clarification before the section begins, not during it.
Bring only what the provider permits into the testing room. Phones, smartwatches, and other devices are typically prohibited or must be silenced and stored; confirm the specific device policy with the provider at check-in.
Present the identification the site requires. ID rules differ between group and individual administrations and between school-based and remote testing, so confirm in advance with the school or provider rather than relying on general assumptions.
Do not discuss, copy, or share specific test items. Test content is secure, and item-level discussion after the session is generally discouraged; direct any questions about the content to the provider.
Breaks are set by the proctor. Do not leave the room unless a break is offered or you are escorted; if the student needs a restroom break, raise a hand and wait for instructions. Confirm the provider's break policy for the specific administration.
Arrive within the provider's arrival window. Late arrivals may be denied entry or rescheduled, and the exact cutoff is site-specific - confirm it with the provider before test day.
Accommodations must be approved and documented in advance. On test day, confirm with the proctor that the approved accommodation is in place before the session starts; requests raised for the first time on test day may not be honored.
Scoring and reporting are handled by the provider. Do not expect an immediate score, and confirm with the provider how and when results are released and what the report contains before drawing conclusions from any score.