You have studied, highlighted, revised, panicked slightly, revised again, and somehow reached exam day.
Now would be an excellent time not to discover that your student card is sitting on your desk while you are standing outside the exam venue.
Exam day is stressful enough without adding avoidable chaos. A simple university exam checklist can take care of the boring practical stuff so your brain can focus on the thing it actually needs to do: write the exam. If you are still in revision mode, our guide on how to stay focused during exams is a useful companion piece.
Check Your Exam Details The Night Before
Do not rely on the timetable screenshot your friend sent three weeks ago.
Open your university’s official timetable or student portal and check the module, date, start time and venue yourself. Universities can have different venues for different modules, and some campuses are large enough for “I’ll find it when I get there” to become a very sweaty mistake.
If you have never been to the venue, look it up before exam morning.
Also check your university’s current exam rules. Requirements differ between institutions, particularly around identification, calculators, electronic devices, food and what you may take into the room.
Pack Your Student Card First
Your student card or the identification specified by your university should be the first thing into your bag. UCT has specifically reminded students to carry their student cards during exam periods, especially for access to exam venues and libraries.
This is not the moment to assume a photo of it on your phone will do. Put it somewhere you can reach easily and check for it before leaving.
- Pens, plus at least one spare
- Pencils and an eraser if required
- A ruler if your subject needs one
- An approved calculator if permitted
- Water, if allowed
- Any authorised materials for an open-book or special-format exam
- A light layer in case the venue is cooler than expected
Leave anything unnecessary at home where possible. The fewer valuables you are worrying about, the better.
Give Yourself More Travel Time Than Usual
Exam morning is not the day to test your personal record for getting across Cape Town.
Traffic happens. Buses run late. Parking fills up. You take the wrong turn. Someone ahead of you orders a coffee involving six customisations.
Build in a buffer. Your institution may have specific arrival instructions, so check those rather than working backwards from the actual start time.
If you are travelling alone or leaving campus after an evening session, it is also worth revisiting these student safety tips for getting around on and off campus.
Eat Something You Know Works For You
Exam morning is a bad time to begin an experimental wellness routine.
Eat something familiar that will keep you comfortable through the session. You don’t need a complicated “brain food” breakfast. You need food that agrees with you and enough time to eat it without rushing.
The same applies to caffeine. If you normally drink coffee, fine. If you don’t, exam day probably shouldn’t begin with an enormous triple espresso because somebody on TikTok said it improves concentration.
Stop Studying Before You Enter
There comes a point when another frantic page of notes is doing more to raise your stress than improve your mark.
Use the final few minutes to settle yourself instead. Put the notes away. Check that you have the correct stationery and identification. Find your seat. Read the instructions carefully once the paper is handed out.
If you want a more structured lead-up next time, bookmark these exam preparation tips well before the night before.
One Last Check Before You Leave
Before you close the door, ask yourself:
Student card? Pens? Correct venue? Correct time? Approved calculator or materials? Water if permitted?
Good.
You cannot control every question that appears on an exam paper. You can control whether you arrive at the right building with a pen.
On exam day, that already counts as a win.