SLLA exam-day guide
SLLA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID. The name on the ID must match your registration exactly; resolve any mismatch (maiden name, middle initial, hyphenation) before test day. Confirm the specific accepted ID forms with the test provider, since rules about expired IDs, photocopies, and digital IDs vary.
Registration confirmation / admission document
Print or save your registration confirmation showing your test, date, time, and test center. Confirm with the provider whether a printed admission ticket is required or whether the confirmation on your phone is sufficient - phone use at the testing workstation is typically restricted.
Confirmed appointment details: date, start time, arrival time, address
Verify the appointment time and the recommended arrival window, plus the exact street address and which entrance/building to use. Test centers are often inside larger office parks or university buildings. Arrival cut-offs are strict; confirm the late-arrival policy with the provider.
Confirmed delivery format and, if remote, a tested setup
Confirm whether you are testing at a test center or by remote proctoring. If remote, run the provider's equipment/system check several days ahead, and confirm camera, microphone, browser, and internet requirements plus the room and desk rules. Do not assume your laptop meets requirements without running the check.
Your state's passing score and score-report timing
Look up the score your state licensing agency requires and when scores are released for a test containing constructed-response items. These are set by the state and by the provider, not by the test center - confirm both with your state agency and the provider.
Knowledge of the prohibited-items list
Review the provider's list of items not permitted in the testing room. Assume phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, notes, and study materials must be stored outside the testing room. Confirm the policy for keys, wallets, and medical items with the provider before test day.
A plan for storing personal belongings
Plan where your bag, phone, and notes will go. Most centers provide a locker or storage area, but space and rules vary. Leave last-minute study sheets in the car or at home rather than counting on being able to review them on site.
Water and a snack for the break
Bring something to eat and drink if a break is offered, and confirm storage/access rules at your center. Avoid heavy meals and excessive caffeine immediately before testing. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are permitted in the testing room.
A practiced timing plan for constructed responses
Decide in advance how many minutes you will spend on selected-response items versus each constructed response, and how much time you will reserve for review. Practice this plan on at least one full-length timed practice set before test day.
A short, structured review sheet from your own notes
Condense the major leadership domains and the structure of each constructed-response prompt type (what the question asks, how you will organize the answer, how you will justify recommendations) onto one page for the final 24 hours only. Do not attempt to learn new content in the last day.
Sleep and travel buffer
Plan to arrive with a margin - parking, security screening, and check-in can add time. Confirm the provider's recommended arrival window and late-arrival rule; arriving after the cut-off generally forfeits the appointment and fee.
Emergency contact and provider phone number
Save the test provider's customer service number in case of a last-minute change, cancellation, or center problem. Confirm the reschedule/emergency policy with the provider rather than relying on memory.
Plan the day
Reconfirm appointment date, time, arrival window, address, and delivery format. Verify your ID name matches your registration and resolve any mismatch immediately. Take one full-length timed practice set under test-like conditions and use the results only to finalize your time budget; stop introducing new content after this.
Review your own condensed notes by domain, focusing on the areas that scored weakest on practice. Practice outlining two or three constructed responses under time without writing them in full, so the structure is automatic.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation, water and snack, directions. Lay out clothes. Do a light pass over your one-page review sheet, then stop. Eat a normal dinner, set two alarms, and prioritize seven to eight hours of sleep over additional studying.
Eat a normal breakfast with protein and moderate caffeine. Leave study materials at home or in the car. Arrive within the provider's recommended window rather than exactly at the start time. Use the wait to do a brief calming routine, not to cram.
Read the on-screen directions and confirm how many questions of each type you have and whether you can flag and return to items. Write your time budget down using the scratch materials provided, then start.
Work steadily and do not over-invest in any single item. Flag anything you are unsure of and return to it only if your time budget allows. Watch the clock at the one-third and two-thirds marks.
Before writing each response, spend the first minute identifying exactly what the prompt asks for and sketching a short structure. Answer every part of the prompt explicitly, connect recommendations to evidence in the scenario, and state the reasoning behind each choice.
Check that every item and every constructed response has been attempted and that each response addresses all parts of its prompt. Fix incomplete sentences and missing parts rather than rewriting for style. Submit deliberately and confirm the submission screen.
Rules to check
Bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly. Confirm the accepted ID forms and the name-match rule with the provider before test day, and do not rely on a digital copy or an expired document.
Assume all personal items - phone, smartwatch, fitness tracker, notes, and study materials - must be stored outside the testing room. Do not access them during testing; unauthorized access can void your score. Confirm the specific prohibited-items list with the provider.
Confirm the break policy in advance: whether breaks are scheduled, whether they are timed, and whether unscheduled breaks count against your testing time. Leave the room only through the proctor and follow sign-out procedures.
Scoring: selected-response items are typically scored electronically and constructed-response items are scored by trained raters against published rubrics. The passing score is set by your state, not the test center - confirm your required score with your state licensing agency.
Use only the scratch materials or on-screen tools the proctor provides. Do not write on your ID, on your body, or on anything brought from outside the room, and do not bring in your own paper or writing instruments unless the provider explicitly allows them.
If equipment fails or the room is disruptive, notify the proctor immediately, note the time and nature of the problem, and ask what documentation will be created. Follow up with the provider afterward rather than assuming the incident will be handled automatically.
Do not discuss, record, or reproduce test content in any form, including online. Test security rules apply after the exam as well as during it; confirm the confidentiality terms in the provider's registration agreement.
If you must reschedule or if an emergency arises, contact the provider directly and confirm the reschedule, refund, and retake policies and any waiting period before retesting - these vary and should be verified rather than assumed.