ORE Part 1 exam-day guide
ORE Part 1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Booking confirmation and candidate number
Print or save the confirmation email and joining instructions, and note your candidate number, venue, reporting time and any stated arrival cut-off. Confirm with the provider whether printed copies are required or digital copies are accepted.
Valid photo ID matching your booking name
A current passport is the safest option. Check the expiry date now, and check that the name matches exactly how you registered. Confirm with the provider which forms of ID are accepted, since the rules are set by the exam provider and can change.
Joining instructions / venue details
Re-read the instructions for the venue address, entrance to use, security screening, permitted items and reporting time. Confirm with the provider if anything in the instructions is unclear or contradicts your confirmation email.
Travel plan with a backup
Plan your route and a fallback route, and aim to arrive with a buffer before the reporting time. Check for engineering works, strikes or road closures on the day before. If you are travelling from abroad, confirm the visa or entry requirements that apply to you well in advance.
Approved access arrangements confirmed in writing
If you need extra time, a separate room, a medical item or any other adjustment, confirm that it has been approved and recorded for you. Applications are usually made weeks before the exam, so check the deadline; if you have not applied, ask the provider whether anything can still be done.
Only permitted items in your bag
Pack only what the joining instructions allow. Leave notes, textbooks, phones, smart watches and other electronic devices at home or in the storage the provider specifies. Confirm with the provider which items, if any, are permitted at your desk.
Layered clothing and a drink
Exam halls can be cold or warm. Wear layers that you can remove, and bring water only if the instructions permit it. Confirm with the provider whether drinks or snacks are allowed in the exam room.
A reliable watch (if permitted)
A simple analogue watch helps you pace yourself if the room clock is hard to see. Confirm with the provider whether watches are permitted at all, because some centres prohibit all wrist-worn devices.
Contact details for the provider saved on your phone
Save the provider's candidate services phone number and email so you can report a delay, illness or travel problem as soon as it happens rather than after the exam.
Sleep, food and hydration planned
Protect your sleep in the week before, eat a normal breakfast, and avoid a heavy or unfamiliar meal on the morning of the exam. Avoid alcohol for 48 hours beforehand and keep caffeine at your usual level rather than increasing it.
Plan the day
Re-read the joining instructions line by line and check your ID expiry and name match. Confirm the travel booking and print or save the confirmation. Then stop trying to learn new topics. Use the remaining time for short, timed practice sets and for reviewing summary notes on your weakest areas, and shift your sleep schedule so that you wake at the time you will need on exam day.
Do a light review of summary sheets only, with no new material and no all-night cramming. Recheck the route and the weather, and set out your clothes, ID, confirmation and permitted items by the door. Check what time you need to leave, and set two alarms. Eat a normal dinner, stop studying by early evening, and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Eat breakfast and leave earlier than you think you need to. Avoid group discussions about difficult topics at the venue, because they raise anxiety without adding knowledge. Arrive before the reporting time. Follow the registration and ID checks, and listen carefully to the invigilator's briefing on timing, answer recording and how to raise a hand.
Read the instructions and check how many questions there are and how long you have, then calculate a rough time per question. Answer in order, flag anything that takes too long and move on. Every few questions, check that the answer you marked matches the question number. Mark answers exactly as instructed, and do not leave blanks unless the scoring penalises wrong answers; confirm with the provider whether negative marking applies. Use the last minutes to revisit flagged items and confirm that no answer is missing.
Note down any incident that affected your performance (for example, illness, a disruption in the room or a technical fault) and report it to the provider through its stated process as soon as possible, keeping the deadlines in mind. Confirm with the provider how and when results will be released, and do not rely on informal accounts of the pass standard.
Rules to check
Bring the exact ID specified in your joining instructions. If the name on your ID does not match your booking, or the ID is expired, you may be refused entry; confirm the accepted ID types with the provider before the exam, because this is the provider's rule and not yours to vary.
Switch off and store all phones, smart watches, earbuds and other electronic devices as directed. Having a device on you in the exam room when it should have been stored may be treated as misconduct, regardless of whether you used it. Confirm the storage arrangements with the provider.
Do not communicate with other candidates once you are in the exam room, and do not look at anyone else's screen or paper. If you need something, raise your hand and wait for an invigilator.
Only use materials that the instructions explicitly permit. Unauthorised notes, writing on yourself, or any attempt to record or share questions is misconduct, and it can lead to your result being voided. Confirm what is allowed with the provider rather than assuming.
Breaks and restroom visits: confirm with the provider in advance whether these are permitted, whether you are escorted, and whether the clock keeps running. Do not assume you can leave and return freely.
If you are unwell or there is a disruption on the day, tell an invigilator immediately and follow the provider's process for reporting it. Mitigation or special consideration usually has strict deadlines and evidence requirements, so confirm them with the provider.
Scoring and results: the pass standard is set by the provider for each sitting, and results are released through its official channel. Do not rely on rumour or on past sittings for the pass mark or the format. Check the provider's published guidance for the definitive position.