Key facts
- Level I of the CFA® Program: you need your original, valid, unexpired international travel passport, with your name exactly as in your CFA Institute account; no admission ticket is needed (check the official website).
- Part I of the FRM® Exam: you need an original, current, unexpired government-issued photo ID – a passport, or a driving licence issued by the country where you sit the exam – with your name exactly as in your appointment confirmation; photocopies and digital versions are not accepted (check the official website), and a printed copy of your confirmation of appointment email – an electronic version is not accepted (check the official website).
- Arriving late for Level I: you may be refused admission, and the exam fee is forfeited (it is non-refundable and non-transferable) (check the official website). For Part I: you are not admitted, and you get no refund or deferral (check the official website).
- Part I breaks: restroom breaks are allowed, but the exam clock keeps running (check the official website).
- Pace: 1 min 30 s a question in Level I, 2 min 24 s in Part I (our calculation from the exam formats).
Check your ID first. Level I of the CFA® Program needs your original, valid, unexpired international travel passport, with your name exactly as in your CFA Institute account; no admission ticket is needed (check the official website). Part I of the FRM® Exam needs an original, current, unexpired government-issued photo ID – a passport, or a driving licence issued by the country where you sit the exam – with your name exactly as in your appointment confirmation; photocopies and digital versions are not accepted (check the official website), and a printed copy of your confirmation of appointment email – an electronic version is not accepted (check the official website). Both exams let in only a calculator from the permitted list, and arriving late can cost you the exam and its fee. (Soleadea, exam day checklist (secondary source)) (300Hours, exam day checklist (secondary source))
Months of study come down to one appointment, and it is natural to worry about the day itself. Most of what can go wrong is admin, and nearly all of it can be settled in the week before. This page sets the two exams side by side, then gives you a week-before list, a packing list, pace checkpoints and what to do if something goes wrong. The rules are CFA Institute’s and GARP’s; each one links to their page so you can check it.
What do you need for each exam?
| On the day | CFA® Program Level I | FRM® Exam Part I |
|---|---|---|
| The exam | two sessions of 90 questions, 2 hours 15 minutes each | 100 questions in 4 hours |
| Identification | your original, valid, unexpired international travel passport, with your name exactly as in your CFA Institute account; no admission ticket is needed (check the official website) | an original, current, unexpired government-issued photo ID – a passport, or a driving licence issued by the country where you sit the exam – with your name exactly as in your appointment confirmation; photocopies and digital versions are not accepted (check the official website) |
| Appointment confirmation | Not needed – see the identification row | a printed copy of your confirmation of appointment email – an electronic version is not accepted (check the official website) |
| What you may take in | your passport, a calculator from the permitted list (with its case, a keystroke card and loose batteries, but no manual), water in a clear container with a lid, glasses without the case and items cleared in advance such as earplugs; phones, watches, wallets, bags, food, pens and notes go in a locker (check the official website) | only your ID, the printed confirmation and a calculator from the permitted list; scratch paper and a pencil are provided and collected at the end; pens, watches, bags, notes and study material stay outside (check the official website) |
| Notes | scratch paper or an erasable writing tablet provided by the test centre; your own pens and paper are not allowed (check the official website) | Scratch paper and a pencil at the desk – see the row above |
| Breaks | an optional break between the two sessions; you reach your locker – and any snack in it – only during a scheduled break (check the official website) | restroom breaks are allowed, but the exam clock keeps running (check the official website) |
| A calculator not on the list | using or having a calculator that is not on the list during the exam can make your results null and void (check the official website) | using a calculator that is not on the list at any time during the exam means your exam is not graded (check the official website) |
| Arriving late | you may be refused admission, and the exam fee is forfeited (it is non-refundable and non-transferable) (check the official website) | you are not admitted, and you get no refund or deferral (check the official website) |
Formats as on our course pages (CFA Institute, Level I exam) (GARP, FRM Exam information). Which models are on each calculator list is set out in which calculators each exam allows.
What should you check in the week before?
- The name on your ID. For Level I, the passport has to match your CFA Institute account (AnalystPrep, before test day (secondary source)). For Part I, the name has to match your confirmation email exactly; if it does not, contact GARP member services as soon as possible (300Hours, exam day checklist (secondary source)).
- The expiry date of that ID: it must still be valid on exam day.
- The confirmation (Part I). Print the confirmation of appointment email now, and do not write on it (300Hours, exam day checklist (secondary source)).
- Your calculator. Check that the model is on the list, that the battery works and that you know how to clear the memory (AnalystPrep, before test day (secondary source)); a fresh battery is cheap insurance. The settings worth changing first are in BA II Plus vs HP 12C.
- The journey. Find the centre, plan the route with a margin and aim to arrive about 30 minutes before your appointment, as prep websites recommend for both exams (Soleadea, exam day checklist (secondary source)) (300Hours, exam day checklist (secondary source)). GARP publishes no recommended arrival time (300Hours, exam day checklist (secondary source)); treat the reporting time on your confirmation as the deadline, not the start (MidhaFin, exam day checklist (secondary source)).
- Your last full mock early in the week; after that, short reviews and normal sleep.
What goes in your bag the night before?
Our own packing list – take nothing into the room beyond the “What you may take in” row above:
- The ID from the table, and for Part I the printed confirmation
- Your calculator, with the fresh battery already in
- For Level I, water in a container that meets the rule above, and a light snack for the locker
- Glasses if you need them, and layers of clothing for a room that is too warm or too cold
- The centre’s address and your appointment time on paper, in case your phone is already in the locker
How does the day run?
| Stage | CFA® Program Level I | FRM® Exam Part I |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | About 30 minutes before your appointment | By the reporting time on your confirmation at the latest; prep websites suggest at least 30 minutes early |
| Check-in | ID check, items into the locker, instructions on the testing software | ID and confirmation check, items into the locker; scratch paper and pencil at the desk |
| Exam | Session 1: 90 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes; optional break; session 2: the same again | 100 questions in 4 hours; restroom breaks come out of that time |
| Total | 4 hours 30 minutes of exam time, plus check-in, instructions and the break | 4 hours of exam time, plus check-in |
Check-in, tutorials and breaks add time to the Level I day (AnalystPrep, before test day (secondary source)), so plan for a day well beyond the exam time itself – and for a meal before you go.
How should you pace each exam?
Level I gives you 1 min 30 s a question, Part I 2 min 24 s. Checkpoints help more than a limit per question (our calculation at an even pace):
| After question | Level I, each session | Part I |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 0:37 | 1:00 |
| 50 | 1:15 | 2:00 |
| 75 | 1:52 | 3:00 |
| 90 | 2:15 | – |
| 100 | – | 4:00 |
In Part I the clock keeps running during a restroom break, so a five-minute break costs about two questions’ worth of time. Rehearse your own pace, with time kept back for a final check, in the exam pace calculator.
What if something goes wrong?
- You are running late. There is nothing to negotiate at the door – see the late-arrival rules above. Leave a margin that covers a cancelled train.
- You feel ill before a Level I exam. From the February 2027 exams, a deferral is possible only for a qualifying emergency; should you defer Level I? sets out the rules and what not sitting costs.
- Your calculator stops working. Raise your hand and tell the test-centre staff straight away. A spare battery helps only where the rules above allow it at the desk.
- Something at the centre disrupts you – noise, a frozen screen. Tell the staff at once and note the time, so you can describe it later.
- Nerves take over. Breathe out slowly, leave the question for now and come back to it. Our guide to exam anxiety has techniques for the day itself.
Common mistakes on exam day
- An ID whose name does not match the account or the confirmation exactly.
- For Part I, a confirmation on the phone instead of on paper.
- Planning to arrive for the start time rather than the reporting time.
- A calculator with an old battery, or with settings changed since your last mock.
- A watch on your wrist when you reach the desk.
- Spending five minutes on one question instead of moving on and coming back to it.
What this means for you
Most of exam day can be settled before it starts: the ID, the confirmation, the calculator, the journey. Sit at least one full mock at exam length – two sessions of 90 questions, 2 hours 15 minutes each for Level I, 100 questions in 4 hours for Part I – before the day. Our Level I and Part I courses have exam-style practice questions with worked explanations for the weeks before.
What does this page cover?
- Last updated
- Based on
- Exam-day rules from our fact register, read from dated prep websites and linked to CFA Institute and GARP
- Exam formats as on our course pages
- Includes
- The rules side by side, a week-before list, a packing list, the day’s stages and pace checkpoints
- What to do if something goes wrong
- Not included
- Remote or special testing arrangements and accommodations
- The full lists of items each exam body permits; check their pages
Frequently asked questions
What ID do you need for Level I of the CFA® Program?
You need your original, valid, unexpired international travel passport, with your name exactly as in your CFA Institute account; no admission ticket is needed (check the official website).
What do you need to bring to the FRM® Exam?
You need an original, current, unexpired government-issued photo ID – a passport, or a driving licence issued by the country where you sit the exam – with your name exactly as in your appointment confirmation; photocopies and digital versions are not accepted (check the official website), and a printed copy of your confirmation of appointment email – an electronic version is not accepted (check the official website). At the desk: only your ID, the printed confirmation and a calculator from the permitted list; scratch paper and a pencil are provided and collected at the end; pens, watches, bags, notes and study material stay outside (check the official website).
Can you take water or food into the Level I exam?
Into the room you may take your passport, a calculator from the permitted list (with its case, a keystroke card and loose batteries, but no manual), water in a clear container with a lid, glasses without the case and items cleared in advance such as earplugs; phones, watches, wallets, bags, food, pens and notes go in a locker (check the official website). For the break: an optional break between the two sessions; you reach your locker – and any snack in it – only during a scheduled break (check the official website).
What happens if you arrive late?
For Level I, you may be refused admission, and the exam fee is forfeited (it is non-refundable and non-transferable) (check the official website). For Part I of the FRM® Exam, you are not admitted, and you get no refund or deferral (check the official website). Prep websites recommend arriving about 30 minutes early for both.
Can you take a break in Part I of the FRM® Exam?
Yes: restroom breaks are allowed, but the exam clock keeps running (check the official website). At 2 min 24 s a question, a five-minute break costs about two questions' worth of time.
How should you pace Level I and Part I?
Level I gives you 1 min 30 s a question: aim to finish question 50 of each session by 1:15. Part I gives you 2 min 24 s: question 50 by 2:00.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- Soleadea (exam prep provider, secondary source): What to Bring to CFA® Exam? 2026 CFA Exam Day Checklist (10 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- AnalystPrep (exam prep provider, secondary source): Sitting for the CFA Exam This November? Read This Before Test Day (27 October 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- 300Hours (finance careers website, secondary source): FRM Exam Day Checklist: What to Bring to Exams (4 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- MidhaFin (exam prep provider, secondary source): The FRM Exam Day Checklist: Everything That Is Not Curriculum (August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- CFA Institute: CFA Program Level I exam: format and topic weights. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP): FRM Exam information: format and exam topics. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- CFA Institute: CFA Program exam day preparation guide.
- Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP): FRM Exam policies: deferral, ID, calculator and more.
- CFA Institute: CFA Program personal belongings policy.
- UWorld Finance (exam prep provider, secondary source): CFA® Exam Calculators. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- CFA Institute: CFA Institute calculator policy.
High Performer Certs is an independent study platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CFA Institute or the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). We are not a CFA Institute Prep Provider and not a GARP Exam Preparation Provider. CFA Institute does not endorse, promote, review or warrant the accuracy or quality of our products and services. GARP does not endorse, promote, review or warrant the accuracy of our products or services. All questions and explanations are our own original material and contain no CFA Institute or GARP exam, curriculum or practice questions. CFA®, Chartered Financial Analyst®, CIPM® and GIPS® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute. FRM® and GARP® are trademarks owned by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.