What to expect on the day

Know your test centre. After booking, Pearson VUE sends a confirmation email with the test centre address, your scheduled start time, and directions. Save or print this; you'll need to show it on arrival.

Arrive at least 30 minutes early. UAT-UK's official guidance is to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled start time. Entry is not permitted if you arrive more than 15 minutes late; there is no grace period at a Pearson VUE appointment. Check-in involves ID verification, a security scan or wand, a photograph, and a pre-test tutorial, all before the clock starts on question one.

Bring valid photo ID. An original, unexpired photographic ID with a signature is required: a passport, photo-card driving licence, or government-issued ID card. The name must exactly match your UAT-UK account. A mismatch can result in being denied entry, with no remedy available on the day.

No personal items are permitted in the test room. This includes food and drink (including water), bags, books, notes, phones, pagers, watches of any kind, and wallets. Store everything in the locker provided before you enter. The only exception is comfort aids or items pre-approved under your access arrangements.

On arrival, staff will verify your photo ID, photograph you, and run a security check (scan or wand). You will store all personal items in a locker outside the test room before entering; nothing goes in with you except pre-approved comfort aids.

Before the live test starts, you'll complete a brief on-screen tutorial covering the interface. Use this time to orient yourself: confirm where the timer is, where the Flag for Review button sits, and how to use the question navigator. Don't use it to review content.

You will be given a notebook and pen for rough working. You may not bring your own paper. Check that your pen works before the test begins: ask for a replacement pen right away if it doesn't, not mid-test. If you fill the notebook, raise your hand and a proctor will provide a fresh one.

The test room is shared with candidates sitting different Pearson VUE exams. There will be ambient noise: keyboard clicks, air conditioning, doors opening. If you're sensitive to background sound, bring foam earplugs (check with your centre ahead of time that they're permitted).

Each module is timed separately. Between modules the interface shows a short timed break: you can leave the room to use the toilet or get a drink of water, but the timer keeps running. Make sure you are back at your desk before the break expires, or you will lose time from the next module.

If you finish a module early, you can review your answers within that module: use the time to revisit flagged questions or double-check anything uncertain. Once you confirm you're done with a module, you cannot return to it.

Some questions include diagrams or graphs embedded in the screen alongside the stem. Scroll down before reading a question; some questions have more options than fit on screen, and missing an option is an easy way to make the wrong choice.

If you encounter a technical problem (screen freezes, timer behaves unexpectedly, audio disturbance), raise your hand and do not close the application. A proctor will assist; any time genuinely lost to a technical fault should be restored.