Matura Math exam-day guide
Matura Math · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID / school ID card
Bring a document with a photo that confirms your identity (dowód osobisty, legitymacja szkolna, paszport). You may be asked to show it when entering the exam room. If your school requires a specific document, confirm with the provider.
Two black pens (or black-ink pens that do not smudge)
Final answers must be written in black ink. Bring two so a failing pen does not cost you time; blue ink, pencil and erasable pens should not be used for final answers. Confirm with the provider whether a spare pen may be borrowed from the school.
Pencil and eraser for rough work
Useful for drafts, sketches and checking. Draft work in pencil is not scored, so make sure every final answer and key step ends up in black ink in the designated answer area.
Ruler
The official list of permitted aids for the mathematics paper is short; a plain ruler for drawing straight lines and reading diagrams is the item most commonly allowed. Confirm with the provider which geometry tools (e.g. set square, compass, protractor) are permitted for your session before relying on them.
Do NOT bring a calculator
Calculators and any electronic calculating devices are not permitted on the mathematics paper at either level. Do all arithmetic by hand; practise this in your final revision.
Formula sheet: use the one given with the paper
A printed booklet of selected mathematical formulas is supplied with the exam paper. Do not bring your own notes or formula sheets into the room - outside materials are not allowed. Familiarise yourself with the booklet's layout beforehand so you can find formulas quickly.
Leave your phone at home or switched off and handed in
Mobile phones and smart devices must not be in your possession during the exam. Follow your school's procedure for depositing devices before you enter the room. A device found during the exam can lead to the paper being annulled.
Water in a clear bottle (optional)
Rules on drinks and snacks vary by school. Ask your provider in advance rather than assuming; if allowed, keep it on the floor and out of the way of your answer sheet.
Know your exam room, seat and start time
Check the school's notice board or your account for the room number and reporting time. Aim to be at the building well before the start - arriving late may mean you are not admitted once the paper has been distributed. Confirm the exact cut-off with the provider.
A simple watch (no smart features)
The room should have a clock, but a plain wristwatch helps you manage the 170 minutes at basic level / 180 minutes at extended level. Smartwatches fall under the ban on electronic devices. Confirm with the provider whether any watch is permitted.
Read the instructions page and the answer-sheet layout
Check how the paper labels tasks, where answers must be written, and how to mark multiple-choice answers. Answers written outside the designated areas are not scored.
Plan a realistic route and back-up transport
Know how long the journey takes at that hour and have a fallback (earlier bus, lift, bike). Traffic or a delayed train is the most common avoidable cause of a ruined exam morning.
Plan the day
Sit one full past paper under real conditions: 170 minutes (basic) or 180 minutes (extended), no calculator, no phone, black pen, printed formula booklet if you have one. Mark it and list the two or three topics that cost you the most marks.
Spend the remaining study time only on those weak topics and on the formula booklet: where each formula is, and which ones are NOT given (so you must memorise them). Do not start new material.
Check the logistics: exam date, start time, room, reporting time, and what your school requires you to bring or hand in. Resolve every open question with the provider now, not on the day.
Shift to short, timed blocks (20–30 minutes) of mixed tasks rather than long sessions. Practise arithmetic without a calculator - fractions, roots, powers, percentages, logarithms - since slips here are a top source of lost marks.
Light review only: formula booklet, key techniques for the topics you listed, and a look at how open tasks are marked (method marks for correct steps, so write the reasoning down). No new topics, no full mock.
Pack the bag: ID, two black pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, water if allowed, watch if allowed. Lay out clothes. Set two alarms. Go to bed at a normal hour - sleep beats one more hour of revision.
Eat a proper breakfast, drink water, avoid heavy caffeine if you are not used to it. Glance at the formula booklet for ten minutes maximum; do not attempt new problems.
Arrive at the building early (aim for at least 20–30 minutes before the start), leave your phone at home or hand it in as instructed, show your ID, and find your seat. Use the toilet before entering the room - there are normally no breaks.
Fill in the answer sheet and codes exactly as instructed, then read the whole paper quickly. Note which tasks are routine for you and which are long. Budget roughly one minute per mark as a rough guide and keep a reserve of 10–15 minutes at the end.
Work in two or three passes: first collect the marks from tasks you can do reliably, then return to the harder ones. For open tasks, write down the method, the formula you use and the intermediate steps - partial credit is awarded for correct reasoning even if the final number is wrong.
Stop new work. Check that every answer is in the correct designated place in black ink, that multiple-choice marks are unambiguous, that units and rounding are as requested, and that nothing important is left only in pencil or in the margins.
Rules to check
Bring a photo ID and be ready to show it. If you cannot prove your identity, the school may not admit you to the exam - check the exact requirement with the provider in advance.
Mobile phones, smartwatches and any other electronic devices must be switched off and out of your possession for the whole exam. A device found with you can result in the paper being annulled.
No calculators and no outside notes or formula sheets. Only the aids specifically permitted for the mathematics paper (and the formula booklet supplied with the paper) may be used - confirm the permitted list with the provider.
Write final answers in black ink in the designated areas. Work in pencil, in the margins, or on rough paper is not scored; crossed-out work is not marked.
Work independently: no talking, no looking at another candidate's paper, no passing of anything. Any form of cheating or disruption leads to the exam being annulled for the candidates involved.
There are normally no breaks. If you must leave the room, you will be accompanied, and the clock does not stop - ask the invigilator before you go.
Scoring: at basic level you need at least 30% to pass; at extended level there is no pass/fail threshold, but the result counts towards university recruitment. Open tasks are marked with partial credit, so show your method.
Follow the invigilators' instructions at all times, including when told to stop writing. Writing after the signal to stop can invalidate your answers.