United States
Hong KongThe night before
Pack the references and confirm they meet the approved list, check your identification against the bulletin, plan the journey, and stop studying early. A 330-minute exam rewards rest more than one more chapter.
Five and a half hours is a long time to sit. Being rested is worth more than anything you could learn that evening.
Pack the books
Check every reference against the current approved list, edition by edition. An edition mismatch found in the morning is a problem you cannot solve in the morning. Check the editions.
Confirm your tabs are permanent and your notes comply with the bulletin. Loose paper is not permitted and this is the point to find any.
Identification
Read what the bulletin asks you to bring and lay it out on the table. Requirements are specific and centers apply them strictly.
Two dozen references is a real load. Work out how you are carrying them and whether the center has any restriction on containers, because arriving unable to carry your own materials in is an avoidable problem.
The journey
Know the route, the parking and the arrival time in the bulletin. Add margin. A late arrival can forfeit the sitting and the fee.
Stop studying
By early evening. Material learned the night before an open-book exam does not enter your index, and the index is what you are relying on.
If you need something to do, review your tab layout. That is retrieval practice rather than learning, and it is the only kind that helps now.
Eat and sleep
Unglamorous and it decides the last hour of the exam. Candidates who fade after question 90 usually did not sleep.
Common questions
What should I do the night before the NASCLA exam?
Pack and check the references, confirm identification against the bulletin, plan the journey, and stop studying early.
Should I study the night before?
No. Material learned then does not enter your index, and the index is what an open-book exam relies on.
What should I check about the books?
Every edition against the current approved list, and that tabs are permanent with no loose paper.
What about identification?
Read the bulletin requirements and lay out exactly what it asks for. Centers apply them strictly.
Why does sleep matter here?
It is a 330-minute exam and candidates who fade in the last hour usually did not sleep.