CRA (OPS) exam-day guide
CRA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Appointment confirmation / admission document
Save and print (or download to your phone and to a backup device) the confirmation showing your appointment time, test-center address or remote-proctoring link, and your candidate/eligibility number. If you never received one, contact the provider before test day. Confirm with the provider exactly what document, if any, the proctor will ask to see.
Primary photo ID
A current, government-issued photo ID with your signature, with the name spelled exactly as it appears on your registration. Accepted ID types and whether expired IDs are rejected vary by provider - confirm the accepted list with the provider in advance. If your legal name differs from your registration name, resolve the mismatch before test day, not at check-in.
Secondary ID (only if required)
Some providers require a second form of identification. Check your candidate handbook or ask the provider; do not assume one is or is not needed.
Calculator, only if permitted
Determine in advance whether a calculator is allowed, whether it must be a specific type (for example, non-programmable, no memory), and whether the testing software supplies an on-screen calculator. Never bring an unapproved device into the testing room.
Remote-proctoring equipment check
If testing online, run the provider's system test at the same time of day as your appointment: webcam, microphone, browser lock, bandwidth. Have a backup internet option (mobile hotspot) and a phone charged for technical support, kept out of reach during the exam unless the proctor directs otherwise.
A clear, quiet testing space (remote exams)
Bare desk, no notes, books, second screens, or smart devices within reach; door closed; household members told not to enter. Proctors typically require a room scan - know how you will show the space.
Plan for storing personal belongings
At a test center, know where bags, phones, and watches must go and whether lockers are available. Assume no access to notes or phone during the exam unless the provider states otherwise.
Travel and arrival plan
Confirm the address and entrance, parking or transit options, and traffic patterns. Arrive earlier than you think you need to; late arrivals may be refused entry and forfeit fees. The exact cut-off is a provider policy - confirm it.
Break supplies
Water and a snack if your exam includes scheduled breaks and the venue permits them. Whether you can reach them mid-exam depends on locker and break rules - confirm with the provider.
Nothing that looks like study material
Leave notes, flashcards, textbooks, smart watches, and earbuds at home or in the locker. Even glancing at prohibited material can void your result.
Plan the day
Re-confirm the appointment, location or remote link, and start time. Run the system test if testing remotely. Check the provider's website and your email for schedule changes. Build a light review plan: skim your own summary sheets and the exam content outline, and stop learning brand-new topics. Shift sleep and meal times toward your appointment slot.
Take one short, timed practice set to calibrate pacing, then review only the questions you missed. Pack your ID, confirmation, and approved items in one bag. Decide your travel route and departure time, including a buffer.
Do a final pass over high-yield lists and formulas, then stop. No new material, no all-nighters. Lay out clothes and ID, charge devices, confirm the alarm, set out a simple breakfast, and go to bed at a normal hour.
Eat a normal meal and hydrate moderately. Arrive early or log in early as the provider instructs, but avoid last-minute cramming that spikes anxiety. Take the tutorial seriously - it shows you the exact interface, how to flag items, and how to reach the break screen.
Write down nothing unless permitted; instead, mentally note your pacing checkpoints (for example, where you should be at the one-quarter and one-half marks). Read the first few items slowly to settle in, then move to normal speed.
Answer every item as you pass it. Flag long or uncertain items and move on rather than burning time. At each pacing checkpoint, adjust speed. Use scheduled breaks to stand, drink water, and reset - check the clock on return. In the final block, clear flagged items, then sweep for any unanswered questions before time expires.
Rules to check
Bring only what the provider permits. Anything not explicitly allowed - notes, phones, smart watches, earbuds, unapproved calculators - should stay in a locker or at home. When in doubt, ask the provider before test day rather than arguing at check-in.
The name on your photo ID must match your registration. Contact the provider well ahead if it does not, or if your ID is expired; a mismatch at check-in can mean being turned away and losing your fee.
Treat all exam content as confidential. Most certification programs require you to agree not to discuss, reproduce, or share exam questions, and violating this can invalidate your result or your credential.
Do not leave the testing room or the camera view during the exam without following the proctor's instructions. Whether the clock pauses during breaks is a provider-specific rule - confirm it beforehand and assume your time keeps running unless told otherwise.
If the technology fails during a remote exam, stay calm, note the time, and contact the proctor or technical support immediately through the approved channel; ask for an incident or case number. Do not troubleshoot in ways that take you out of view without being told to.
Scoring and the passing standard are set by the provider, not by a fixed percentage of correct answers you can compute on the day. Report any suspected item error through the provider's comment or challenge process, not by refusing to answer.
Answer every question. Unanswered items are almost always scored as incorrect; there is normally no penalty for guessing beyond being wrong, so eliminate options and choose.
Results timing, score reporting, and retake policies vary by provider. Confirm where and when your score will be posted and what the retake window is before you leave the test.