United States
Hong KongWhat to bring
Bring acceptable identification and nothing else you need in the room. Personal items are stored, and the test center supplies any writing materials and calculator function.
A short list, which is the point: this is a closed exam at a controlled center.
Bring
- Acceptable identification, matching the name on your application exactly
- Your appointment details, though the center will have them
- Nothing else you expect to use
Leave in the locker
Phone, watch, bag, notes, books, food and drink. Test centers provide lockers and everything goes in.
A smartwatch counts as a phone for this purpose. It is a common and avoidable problem at check-in.
Requirements are specific about the form of identification and about the name matching. A candidate whose ID carries a maiden name, a shortened first name or a middle initial that differs from the application has a problem that cannot be solved at the desk. Check both documents against each other before the day, not on it.
Calculators
Do not plan on bringing one. Where a calculator is available it is provided by the center or built into the exam software, and the current candidate rules govern.
Practice your arithmetic on whatever you will actually have, which means practicing without your own familiar calculator.
Writing materials
Supplied by the center. You do not bring paper, and you do not take anything out.
Check the current rules
Pearson VUE and PTCB publish the candidate rules and they govern. Read them rather than relying on a summary, including this one.
Common questions
What do I bring to the PTCB exam?
Acceptable identification matching your application name. Essentially nothing else.
Can I bring a calculator?
Do not plan on it. Any calculator is provided by the center or built into the software.
What about a smartwatch?
It goes in the locker. It counts as a phone at check-in.
Do I bring paper?
No. The center supplies writing materials and nothing leaves the room.
What is the most common problem?
A name mismatch between identification and the application.