United States
Hong KongExam day
Arrive early, present identification, store everything, and sit a 110-minute exam inside a two-hour appointment. A preliminary result appears on screen at the end.
A well-drilled process that goes smoothly for people who know what it is and badly for people improvising.
Before you go
- Confirm the center address and how long the journey takes
- Check the identification requirements and lay the documents out the night before
- Know the arrival time Pearson VUE asks for, which is earlier than the appointment
At the center
Check-in involves identification and usually a photograph and signature. Personal items go into a locker, including your phone, watch and any notes.
You are given whatever writing materials the center provides. You do not bring your own.
Test centers run appointments back to back and a late arrival may not be admitted. Since a retake is a fresh application at USD 129, the margin you build into the journey is the cheapest insurance available on this exam.
The exam itself
Ninety multiple-choice questions in 110 minutes, within a two-hour appointment that also covers a short tutorial and a post-exam survey.
The tutorial is worth doing properly. Knowing where the flag and review functions are before question one is worth more than the minute it costs.
Pacing
Ninety questions in 110 minutes is about 73 seconds each. That is comfortable for recall and tight for calculations, so bank time early.
At the end
A preliminary pass or fail appears on screen. The official scaled score follows from PTCB.
You will not be told which questions you got wrong, and you cannot reconstruct it afterwards because ten of the 90 were unscored.
One practical note
Eat beforehand. It is under two hours, so this is a smaller factor than on a six-hour paper, but a candidate concentrating on hunger is not concentrating on question 70.
Common questions
How long is the PTCB appointment?
Two hours, covering a tutorial, the 110-minute exam and a survey.
What can I bring in?
Essentially nothing. Personal items go in a locker and the center supplies writing materials.
What happens if I am late?
You may not be admitted, and a retake is a fresh application at USD 129.
Do I get my result on the day?
A preliminary pass or fail on screen, with the official scaled score following from PTCB.
Should I do the tutorial?
Yes. Knowing where the flag and review functions are before question one is worth the minute.