1.2 Test-Day Sequence, Room Rules & the 30-Minute Essay Period

1.2 Test-Day Sequence, Room Rules & the 30-Minute Essay Period

Before Test Day

You register for the FCTC Written Test through your FCTC candidate profile. You can pick any date, time, and location that is open for registration. The test is given only in person; FCTC does not administer online tests. Written tests are held at least quarterly, with extra dates added as needed. Two more pre-test steps come from FCTC's written-testing page and study guide:

• Sign the Written Test digital waiver linked from the page.
• Watch your email. FCTC sends parking and building instructions before the event. Its study guide also recommends getting familiar with the test location in advance.

If something changes, you can reschedule your event or place it in pending status from your profile. Changes made less than two business days before the event carry a $10 processing fee (see Section 1.1).

Arrival, Registration & Identification

• Time budget: FCTC tells candidates to allow 1 hour for registration plus 2.5 hours for the test.
• Doors close 15 minutes before the test starts and "will NOT be opened for ANY reason," according to FCTC's study guide. If you arrive after the doors close, you do not test, and FCTC's fee rules treat a missed event as a no-show.
• Identification: bring at least one form of valid government-issued identification, such as a driver's license, state identification card, or U.S. passport.

What You May Bring: ID and Keys Only

FCTC's FAQ allows exactly two items in the testing room: your government-issued ID and your keys. FCTC provides all testing materials. The FAQ's list of prohibited items includes, but is not limited to:

• recording-capable eyewear, phones, and watches
• hats, backpacks, purses, and wallets
• liquids (including water) and food
• writing instruments and scratch paper

No electronic items of any kind are allowed. If you have special circumstances, contact FCTC before test day or tell an FCTC staff member at the site; staff will tell you whether an exception can be made. The practical plan is to leave everything except your ID and keys locked in your vehicle.

The Sequence of the Session

flowchart TD
    A["Check-in: government ID; doors close 15 min before start"] --> B["30-minute essay packet: read and annotate the essays; 5-minute warning"]
    B --> C["Essay packets collected; test booklet stays closed"]
    C --> D["Video 1 plays once, pencils down; 7-10 questions follow"]
    D --> E["Video 2 plays once, pencils down; 7-10 questions follow"]
    E --> F["Open booklet: remaining 80 questions in any order"]
    F --> G["10-minute and 2-minute warnings; answers only on optical scan form"]

Stage 1: The Essay Packet (30 Minutes)

• The packet holds one to four essays. FCTC sizes them for an average reading speed of 200 words per minute.
• You may write on the essays. FCTC's study guide explicitly allows underlining, asterisks, and even rewriting parts of the text to help you remember. All note-taking must be on the essay packet itself, not on any other testing materials.
• You get a five-minute warning before the 30 minutes end. Then all essays are collected, and you cannot refer to them again.
• 15–20 questions in the test booklet come from these essays. They must be answered from what the essays said, not from prior knowledge, schooling, academies, or classes.

Stage 2: Two Video Scenarios

• Candidates watch two short videos. No notes are allowed, and pencils must stay down on the desk while the videos play.
• A series of 7–10 questions follows each video. Questions can cover what is heard as well as what is seen.
• FCTC states that the videos and questions are played only once, so there is no going back to a video question later.
• Opening your test booklet during the essay or video sections is prohibited.

Stage 3: The Test Booklet (Remaining 80 Questions)

• When instructed, open the booklet. It contains questions on the pre-test essays, additional essays printed in the booklet (which you can refer back to), mechanical reasoning, and math.
• You may complete the booklet sections in any order. FCTC suggests starting with your strongest area. Whatever order you choose, check that each question number matches the line you are filling on the optical scan form.
• Work in the booklet, answer on the form. You may write in the test booklet: math work goes under each question or on the blank page opposite. Do not circle or mark your answers in the booklet. Only the optical scan form is scored.
• Time warnings come at 10 minutes and 2 minutes before time expires.

Conduct Rules and Consequences

FCTC's FAQ prohibits:

• distracting other candidates
• cheating or looking at other candidates' materials
• writing any notes on the optical scan form
• taking notes during the video section
• opening the test booklet before the administrator says to
• otherwise disobeying staff or disrupting the room

Breaking a rule or bringing a prohibited item gets you dismissed from the test with no score and no refund. FCTC's study guide adds these points:

• Using any aid, such as a calculator, concealed notes, an electronic device, or photos of test materials, results in automatic failure.
• Talking to other candidates after testing begins is not allowed.
• A cell phone in the room after the test has started means dismissal.
• Proctors will not help you understand a question. They will not rephrase it or explain words in the question, directions, or answer choices, and will tell you to do your best with the information you have.

Testing Accommodations

FCTC provides reasonable accommodations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The process:

• Request: submit the Testing Accommodations Request Form. FCTC staff contact you with details within five business days.
• Location: accommodated testing is performed at the Sacramento and South El Monte FCTC locations. Other locations are at the FCTC office's discretion.
• Documentation: you must provide documentation from a qualified evaluator. It must cover the disability or medical condition, its nature and extent, whether it is expected to change, its effect under standard testing conditions, and the recommended accommodation.
• Validity period: FCTC's policy document says documentation stays valid for five years, while its accommodations FAQ says three years. Confirm the current rule with FCTC before relying on older paperwork.
• Limits: FCTC will not approve an accommodation that fundamentally alters what the test measures, gives an unfair advantage, compromises test security, requires FCTC to provide personal services or devices, or creates an undue burden.
• Appeals: a denial can be appealed with a signed request that states your name, the date, the appeal, and the facts supporting it.

A Simple Test-Day Plan