Week Before
Confirm test date, time, and venue
Log into the NSW DoE portal and screenshot the confirmation. Put it on the fridge.
Free Resource
Exam Day Checklist — Week Before, Night Before, Morning Of | Cognora
What to do in the week before, the night before and on the morning — plus the two things worth telling your child before they walk in. Written for the parent, not the student.
Print this and stick it on the fridge. The night-before and morning-of sections are designed to be read in 60 seconds each — no fluff.
Week Before Week Before
Week Before
Do one full timed mock
Same time of day as the real test. No pauses, no notes. Build stamina, not just knowledge.
Week Before
Review mistake patterns, not content
Look at the last 3 practice sessions. Which topics? Which question types? Drill those only.
Week Before
Set up device & run updates
Charge iPad/iPhone to 100%. Update iOS. Open the app and verify it loads. No surprises on test morning.
Week Before
Sleep schedule shift
Move bedtime 15 min earlier each night. A tired brain loses 15–20% on reasoning tasks.
Night Before Night Before
Night Before
Pack the "test bag"
Device + charger + power bank + water bottle + tissues + any approved medical items. Nothing else.
Night Before
Light review only
15 minutes max: glance at your mistake bank summary. No new topics. No cramming.
Night Before
Screens off by 9 pm
Blue light delays melatonin. Read a physical book instead. Sleep is the best prep.
Night Before
Alarm ×2
Phone + backup alarm clock. Test starts early — no "I overslept" stories.
Morning Of Morning Of
Morning Of
Protein breakfast
Eggs, yoghurt, toast with nut butter. Stable blood sugar = stable focus. Avoid sugar spikes.
Morning Of
Arrive 30 min early
Buffer for traffic, parking, finding the room. Rushing burns working memory you need for the test.
Morning Of
Bathroom visit before check-in
Obvious, but overlooked. The test clock doesn't pause.
Morning Of
Three slow breaths at your desk
In for 4, hold 2, out for 6. Lowers cortisol, sharpens prefrontal cortex.
Parent Talk Parent Talk
Parent Talk
"I'm proud of your effort, whatever the result."
Say it before they walk in. Reduces threat response, frees up cognitive bandwidth.
Parent Talk
"If you don't know it, skip it. Come back if time."
Permission to move on prevents spiral on one hard question.
Parent Talk
"Read the question twice. The answer is in the stem."
Most "careless" errors are reading errors, not knowledge gaps.
Press ⌘P / Ctrl+P → "Save as PDF" for a clean print version
Cognora · NSW OC & Selective Placement Prep
Practise hundreds more adaptive questions with timed mock exams, mistake analysis, and parent reports on iPad & iPhone.
Scan with camera to install on the App Store · cognora.com.au
