7 Essential Reminders for Students to Cross Off Their Test Day Checklist

As a test-prep professional, your students look to you for the best advice in planning and prepping for their big test day. To aid you in providing them with that advice, we’ve compiled a list of 7 of the most important reminders for you to offer your students. 

Additionally, we’ve provided an illustrated Test Day Checklist that you can download and share with your clients before test day. Because who doesn’t love a checklist … with pictures … and puns! 

Okay, enough said - let’s dive in!

1. Necessities

  • Exam Admission Tickets. Students must bring a printed copy of their ticket to the test center. They literally will not be admitted to test if they do not have a printed copy of their ticket.

    • To access their ACT® admission ticket, they must log into their ACT® account.

    • To access their SAT® admission ticket, they must log into their College Board account.

  • Valid Photo Identification. A student’s ID must be original, current, and valid; issued by a city/state/federal government agency or their school. 

    NOTE: School IDs must be of hard plastic card format.

  • Sharpened No. 2 Pencil. Sharpened, soft lead No. 2 pencils with good erasers are a must for test day. Students may not bring any other writing instruments (i.e., mechanical pencils or ink pens); they will not be allowed to use them.

2. Tools

  • A BUNCH of No. 2 Pencils. Bringing one No. 2 pencil would be silly. There’s no risk in having too many pencils. Tell your students to bring a bunch. They can even share a few. Save someone’s day.

  • A Manual Pencil Sharpener. With enough pencils, this item is most likely overkill. Even so, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Students cannot assume that the testing center will have a pencil sharpener available.

  • A Hi-Polymer Eraser. High-quality, latex-free erasers that remove lead easily and cleanly with very little pressure are vital on test day. No smudges, no ripped papers, no ghost marks, no tears, no tears. Hear what I’m saying? No drama.

3. Technology

4. Fuel

  • A Healthy Breakfast. “Brain foods” contain good fats, nutrients, water, and limited carbs. Good options for test day include: eggs, nuts, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Advise students to avoid sugary pastries (e.g., donuts, muffins, croissants, danishes - ya know, the delicious stuff); coffee (seriously); and caffeinated energy drinks. They will want to fill up with foods and drinks that will give them energy that will last the duration of the test - without caffeine or sugar crashes!

  • Bottled Water. Hydration is VERY important! A well-hydrated brain functions optimally. Dehydration can cause headaches, confusion, slow reaction time, fatigue, and sensitivity to light and sound. 

  • Healthy Snacks. Think protein! Students should bring snacks like nuts, jerky, apples with peanut butter, cheese, dried fruit, trail mix, granola bars, banana, yogurt, cottage cheese. 

    Pro Tip: Advise students to “practice” snacking between sections of practice tests so they’re dialed in for test day.

5. Comfort

  • Layered Clothing. Regardless of what Mother Nature has going on outside of the testing center, Mr. Thermostat might have different plans inside. It could be 60 degrees or 88 degrees in that room. Dressing in layers will prepare students for any temperature, so they can get comfortable and focus on their exams.

  • Relaxation Techniques. Encourage your students to learn a few relaxation techniques to help them stay calm and collected: focus on their breathing, walk around during breaks - activity crushes stress!

    Pro Tip: The brain responds to signals from the body: force a smile! Acting relaxed and happy can actually trick the brain into playing along. Your students will probably roll their eyes at this, but encourage them to give it a try! Go on, you first - smile! There, see?

  • Something Fun for Later. Nothing helps with test anxiety like knowing that the world (especially their world!) will go on after the test is over. Encourage your students to make plans with friends or family to go decompress after the test by doing something fun and active. Go karts, anyone?

6. Logistics

  • Route & Departure Time. Nothing packs on the stress like being unprepared when driving to a new location - especially when you’re already anxious. Not a bad idea to give a friendly reminder to your students to make sure that they know: where they’re going, how to get there, and when to leave. Using an app like Google Maps or Waze is super helpful in accounting for traffic or detours when planning their route and travel times. 

    Pro Tip: Scheduling the best time to leave, leaving on time, arriving early, and checking in before the rush will allow students to take a breath, sit back, and relax before test time.

  • Pack Up the Day Before. Preparedness is the key here and having a bag packed the night before to be ready to leave on time the next day is a huge time saver. Advise students to leave themselves enough time to buy anything that they discover they need - timer/watch, snacks, No. 2 pencils, etc. - and double check that they have everything packed before they go to bed. 

    Pro Tip: Organizing supplies in a bag or backpack with individual plastic baggies (e.g., No. 2 pencils and hi-polymer erasers in one baggie, calculator and replacement batteries in another) will save students from having to dig around looking for essential items when they need them on test day.

  • Know Parking! All puns aside, students should already know where they can park for test day. Are there meters? Do they need to purchase a parking permit? Can they pay in quarters or do they need a credit card? These are all things that they need to research and know before they leave their house on test day. 

The List of NOPES

Just to be 100% clear: the following items should NOT be brought into the testing room on test day!

  • Cell Phones. Students may not handle or access a cell phone or electronic device at any time in the testing room or during break times. All devices - including cell phones and wearable devices - must be turned off and placed out of sight. If a student fails to follow this rule, their score may be disqualified.

  • Textbooks, Notes, Study Aids. The ACT® and SAT® are not open-book or open-note tests. Printed or written materials are not allowed in the testing room. This means no dictionaries, translation guides, or thesauruses either. If it’s on paper and it conveys information that could help a student or anyone else on the exam, it is not allowed in the testing room.

  • Pens, Highlighters, Whiteout. No. 2 pencils are the only writing implements permitted in the testing room. Even if a student is taking the essay portion of an exam, they may only use a No. 2 pencil.

    Pro Tip: Have your students practice with only No. 2 pencils ahead of time, so that they do not become dependent on pens or highlighters.

  • Unapproved Devices. If it’s not a permitted calculator or timer/watch, then it must be left at home. This includes cell phones, smart watches, fitness bands, media players, iPads, iPods, headphones, cameras. - you get it. 

    Pro Tip:  Remind your students that if they leave any of their devices in their cars to be sure that they are stored someplace safely out of sight.

For more information on test day dos and don’ts, see the ACT® and College Board, respectively, for contact info and frequently asked questions.

As always, feel free to contact us here at Clear Choice Prep for more information on our 100% custom-labeled test-prep software and materials. And, while you’re here, subscribe and follow along with us as we continue to share more test-prep tips and tricks to help you and your fellow test-prep professionals better serve your students and your tutoring business.

Matt McCorkleTest Prep, Test Day Checklist, Tutoring Advice, Test Prep Advice, Test Prep Tips