Exam day, rules & kit
What equipment do I need for my GCSE exams?
For maths and science papers: at least two black pens, a pencil with rubber and sharpener, a ruler, a protractor, a pair of compasses, and a scientific calculator on the papers that allow one - all in a clear pencil case. Tracing paper is allowed in maths and sometimes provided; ask your teacher. For written subjects, the pens alone cover it. Pack the night before, and pack spares.
Last updated 29 July 2026 · Written and fact-checked by the GCSEwiz team
The checklist
Here is the full kit, and what each piece is actually for. Print it, screenshot it, or just pack down the list:
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Black pens - two or more | Answers must be in black ink; the second pen is for when the first dies |
| Pencil, rubber, sharpener | Diagrams, graphs and constructions only - never written answers |
| Ruler | A 30cm one earns its place on graph questions |
| Protractor | Angles, bearings, constructions - maths papers |
| Pair of compasses | Constructions and loci; buy one that holds its setting |
| Scientific calculator | On calculator papers only - battery checked, memory cleared, case left outside |
| Clear pencil case | See-through, or carry items loose in a clear bag |
| Water | Clear bottle, label removed |
The tracing-paper question
Tracing paper is allowed in GCSE maths as an optional extra - it is genuinely useful for transformation questions, where you can trace a shape and physically rotate or reflect it instead of holding the move in your head. Some schools hand it out with the paper, some provide it on request, some expect you to bring your own. The move here is simple: ask your maths teacher before exam season which way your school does it. If you are allowed to bring your own, a few sheets weigh nothing.
What the pencil is for (and not for)
Written answers go in black pen - that is a JCQ rule, because scripts are scanned for marking. The pencil is for the visual work: graphs, diagrams, constructions, anything you might want to adjust. This split matters because drawing a graph in ink and getting it slightly wrong leaves you crossing out on the grid, while writing an essay answer in pencil risks a faint scan. Pen for words, pencil for pictures, and you are aligned with what examiners want to see.
Pack it the night before
Exam mornings go best when the only decision left is breakfast. Pack the case the evening before - pens tested, calculator battery checked, compasses actually in the case rather than wherever they were last used. Spares of the cheap things (a third pen, a second pencil) cost pennies and buy calm. Our night-before guide covers the rest of that evening; the kit is the five-minute part.
Kit sorted - now rehearse the paper
The pencil case is the easy half of exam readiness. Wiz's timed exam mode runs GCSE-style papers under exam conditions, so the format feels familiar before the real morning. Start on the free plan - no card needed.
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Keep reading
- What can you bring into a GCSE or A-level exam?
- Do exams have to be written in black pen?
- Which calculator do I need for GCSE maths?
- What should I do the night before an exam?
- What happens if you are caught with a phone in an exam?
- Can you go to the toilet in an exam? (And the other exam-day rules)
- What are the JCQ exam rules I actually need to know?
- Do you get a formula sheet in GCSE maths?
- GCSE Maths on GCSEwiz