When I take my exam am I allowed to take in a pen and a piece of paper?

I find it much easier to write out my 568 wiring guide, osi network model etc just to refer back to and double check, but didnt know if this is allowed?

Thanks

It depends...

Most testing facilities no longer offer pen and paper anymore; they may offer writing pads and erasable ink for your use... then collect those after exam completion. No graphing hand calculators ... only basic, if they are allowed at all, hand calculators and PDA are too powerful to take a chance on compromising the test process. A few bad apples have ruined it for everyone!

In times past, it was recommended, as you pointed out - that you could / should document tables, specifications, (classfull Networks: a, b, c, d), OSI/TCPIP - etc. from memory - before starting the actual exam - then refer to them as needed. In essence, you did a data dump to the paper - thus freeing up your "working memory" for search/seek/computation.... it also relieved some of the stress when you faced "brain freeze" during an exam.

Alas - with rampant cheating schemes becoming more prevalent - we've seen the little courtesy's being modified, restricted or curtailed.

That, use of pen & paper, is no longer a given. In most certification exams, I've taken in the last 2 - 3 years everything is leaning toward plastic coated sheets and erasable markers. Nevertheless, they do provide access to CALC- calculator on-screen utilities to assist you in calculating IPv4 subnet masks, etc…. they didn’t do that in the past.

In some countries, it’s likely they still allow pencil & paper - but in the USA, most issue markers & plastic pads, which are pretty useless for any complex calculation or detailed documentation.

Best recommendation: call ahead find out how your chosen test/exam center handles things, its important as computers being used, air conditioning, dust, cleanliness, noise...anything which distract you from doing your best on the exam should be eliminated...if possible. Better yet - go there before the exam and get a feel for the environment - ask yourself "do I feel comfortable here? Can I do good work, without major distractions?".

The test franchises are raising the bar on who they allow to administer exams, getting rid of contractors who just tossed a desk in a back room and hung out a sign - these exam are expensive, you deserve the best conditions you can get to enhance your chances of passing - the 1st time!

I've been to two different testing centers (different companies -- not same company but different locations). They both handed out a single transparent plastic-coated sheet along with a marker pen. On my CCENT exam I asked for a couple extra sheets and was told only one sheet was allowed. I could exchange a sheet for a new one in the middle of the test -- but of course, that would have meant the clock was still ticking as I left my computer terminal.

A word of advice: leave some room on the sheet to do calculations during the test.

Thanks to both of you for the advice, much appreciated
Ill start practising writing a small as I can