Guidelines for Examinees

Before the Test

Review the types of questions appearing on the test and the various test instructions.

Prepare everything that you must bring to the test:

• The ID card with which you registered for the test (ID card or passport) – you will not be allowed to take the test without it.
• Two pencils, a pencil sharpener and an eraser.

We also recommend that you bring:

• Your test notification slip, to check the exact time and place of the test.
• Food and drink – please avoid food that could disturb others as you eat or unwrap it.
• Simple earplugs – there are good test conditions in all the test halls, but there may be background noise in some locations, so it is recommended to bring simple earplugs.
• Suitable clothing – the test hall may be colder or warmer than you expected.

Make sure you know how to get to the testing center so that you do not arrive late. The test is administered on many campuses throughout the country, and the test halls are scattered across the campuses. Finding your way around campus is not always easy and may take longer than you expected. It is therefore important to find out exactly where on campus your test will take place, how best to reach the campus (by car or public transport), where to park and how to get from the parking area (or transport station) to the test hall. The homepages of the academic institutions feature directions and maps of the campuses. The maps also appear on the NITE website.

Once you have found your test hall, check that your name appears on the list posted on the door. If your name is not on the list, let the proctors know immediately. Do not enter the room until the proctors give you permission to do so.

You may not use the following devices: cellular telephones (not even to check the time), walkie-talkies, cameras, recording devices, earphones, computers, tablets, calculators, watches that beep or have built-in calculators, portable music players or any other item that might disturb other examinees in the test hall. When you enter the test hall, you will be asked to turn off all electronic devices, to place them in your bag and to put your bag in a designated area of the room. You may not use calculators (including watch calculators), dictionaries of any kind, books, papers, or any other study aids. If you need scrap paper, you may use only the pages of the test booklet itself.

Anyone found with an electronic device or prohibited study aid in his or her possession during the test will be asked to leave the test hall immediately.

The test is approximately three and a half hours long. There are no breaks. No visitors will be allowed into the test halls during the test, nor will messages be given to examinees.

If you arrive at the test and feel for any reason (illness, stress or anxiety) that you are unable to take it, you must let the proctors know before the test begins. In such cases you may defer your test to a later date. If you do not feel well during the test, let the proctors know, and they will instruct you. Note: examinees who complain after the test that they were sick while taking it will not be accommodated.

Guidelines for Examinees

During the Test

Pay attention to the proctors’ instructions and follow them exactly.

The proctors will pass out the answer sheets on which you are to mark the answers to multiple-choice questions and the writing task page on which to write your essay. You will receive two test booklets – first, the booklet that includes the writing task, and afterwards, the test booklet that includes all the other sections. The proctors will announce when you may begin, when you must stop writing, and when you must turn to the following section. An examinee who fails to follow these instructions will be disqualified.

Every examinee must complete all the sections in the test booklet, without exception. The time allotted for each section appears on its first page. Reading the instructions is included in the allotted time. Each section consists of several parts that must all be completed in the allotted time. There is no break between two parts of the same section. At the end of the allotted time for each section, you will be told to turn to the next section. You may not turn to any section other than the one you have been told to turn to, even if you have time remaining. An examinee who opens the test booklet, or turns from one section to another without being instructed to do so, or changes an answer after the time for a particular section has ended will be disqualified.

You may not leave the room during the test. An examinee who needs the restroom must raise a hand and a proctor will accompany them. Restroom breaks do not stop the clock for that examinee. Examinees will not be permitted to leave the room for any other purpose (cigarette break or purchase of food and drink, for example).

Note: No study aids or electronic devices are permitted during the test! Anyone found with an electronic device or prohibited study aid in his or her possession during the test will be asked to leave the test hall immediately.

Maintain suitable decorum during the test. Treat the proctors and the other examinees with respect. Do not make noise or cause any other kind of disturbance during the test. If you need to get a proctor’s attention, raise your hand.

Read the instructions and questions carefully

Each type of question is preceded by instructions. Although these instructions appear in the Guide for Examinees, do not rely solely on your familiarity with them. Read the instructions again, carefully. Misunderstanding an important instruction might lead to mistakes in all of the questions of that type. Moreover, the test might contain new instructions that were incorporated after the Guide was published. It is also very important that you carefully read the questions themselves and all of the possible responses before choosing the correct answer. Likewise, before you begin the writing task, it is important to read the assignment carefully. Note exactly what is being required of you in each question, and only then answer accordingly. Make sure you write/mark answers in the correct places.

The Writing Task

The answer sheet for the writing task is two-sided, and you may write on both sides. Some of the lines are numbered so that you can see how much you have written. Make sure to write only in the designated places and not to stray beyond the marked margins. The answer sheet is read by an optical scanner, and anything written outside of the margins will not register. The scanner is designed to read marks made by a pencil. Any unwanted writing or marks should be erased. Make sure to bring two pencils, an eraser and a sharpener to the test.

Note: Each examinee will receive only one answer sheet for the writing task! You will not be able to receive an additional answer sheet or replace the one you have with another one. There is a place in the test booklet which includes the writing task that can be used to write a draft of your essay. Please note: You must write your essay on the writing task page. Anything written on scrap paper will not be checked. Plan your essay so that it fits into the numbered lines. An example of the writing task answer sheet appears in the practice tests.

Multiple-choice Sections

Each question in the multiple-choice sections has four possible responses from which you must choose the best answer. Choose only one answer. Mark your answers on the answer sheet, making certain to mark the correct question in the correct chapter. The answer sheet for the multiple-choice sections is also read by an optical scanner that feeds the data directly into a computer. We recommend using a pencil so that you can erase and correct your answers.

Below is a section of the answer sheet.

Mark your answer to each question by filling in the ellipse that corresponds to the correct response, as follows:

For example: Let us assume that you are answering question number 2, and you have decided that the correct response is 3. Find the corresponding ellipse (number 3) in the column for question 2, and fill it in as shown.

Note!

The only correct way to mark an answer is by completely filling in the ellipse. Any other mark – a vertical line, a horizontal line, a circle, etc. – will not be read by the scanner.

Fill in only one ellipse in the column corresponding to each question. If you fill in more than one ellipse per question, your answer will be disqualified, even if one of the possible responses you have chosen is correct.

If you want to change an answer that you have already marked, use a clean eraser to erase the incorrect answer, and then mark the answer you feel is the correct one. Make sure your previous answer is completely erased; otherwise, the optical scanner might read your answer incorrectly.

You must mark your answers in the time allotted for the section. You will not be given time to fill in the answer sheet after the time has elapsed.

Do not fold the answer sheet, use tape on it or write anywhere other than in the designated places. Doing so could interfere with the optical scanner and affect your score. You may use only the test booklet for scrap paper; the answer sheet or other papers are not to be used for this purpose.

If you take practice tests while preparing for the real one, mark the answers to the multiple-choice sections on the attached answer sheet in order to practice using it.

Make sure that each answer is marked in the correct place. If you skip a question in the test booklet, make sure that you skip the corresponding place on the answer sheet. When answering subsequent questions, always check that the number of the question matches the number of the column in which you are marking your answer.

Note: You bear sole responsibility for what appears on the answer sheet. It will be read exactly as you filled it in. If you mistakenly marked answers in the wrong place, there is no way to reconstruct what you really intended, and the answer sheet that you filled in incorrectly will determine your score.

Guidelines for Examinees

Use Your Time Wisely

As mentioned previously, the number of questions included in each section and the time allotted for answering them appear at the beginning of each section. The proctors will announce the time allotment at the beginning of each section and write the start and finish times on the board (according to their watch/clock). The proctors will announce when there are five minutes left to complete the section. At the end of the allotted time, you will be instructed to turn to the next section, and you will not be allowed to return to the previous section.

Below are some suggestions for how to use the allotted time efficiently:

• When starting the writing task, spend a few minutes thinking about the ideas you want to present. Plan out the structure of your essay and draft a rough outline. In the first section of the test booklet – the writing assignment – there is space provided for writing a draft. Remember that the time it will take to copy the draft to the answer sheet is included in the total time allotted for the section, and no additional time will be given for copying the draft. Of course, you may erase words or entire sections on the answer sheet, but remember that your handwriting must be legible and the flow of the essay must be clear. A short while before the end of the allotted time, read over the writing assignment again to make sure it is legible and comprehensible.
• In the multiple-choice sections, try to answer each question in a reasonable amount of time. Once you have answered one, go on to the next question. If you cannot answer a question, do not spend too much time on it! Remember, you must answer all of the questions in the section. If you spend too much time on one question, you will not have enough time to answer the remaining questions and to receive points for them. Easy questions and difficult questions have equal weight for scoring purposes. Therefore, there is no reason to get stuck on one difficult question. In the time that you save, you could answer several easier questions.
• If you feel that you know how to answer a question but need a bit more time, mark it and return to it later. If you have time at the end of the section, go back to all of the questions that you marked and try to answer them.
• If you feel that you will not be able to answer a question even if you spend more time on it, guess the answer! Your guess need not be a random one. You might be able to rule out some of the possible responses on the basis of partial knowledge, thereby increasing your probability of guessing correctly. The test score is calculated only on the basis of correct answers, and no points are deducted for incorrect answers. Therefore, if you are unable to answer a question, it is worth taking a guess. Guessing cannot harm your score; it can only improve it.
• Leave yourself a minute before the end of the section. Randomly guess the answers to all of the questions that you skipped – in other words, mark any answer on the answer sheet without trying to solve the question or rule out possible responses. At this stage, there is no time for anything except to quickly fill in missing answers and make sure you have marked an answer for every question.
• NITE receives many appeals as a result of students having mistakenly marked the wrong place on the answer sheet. This is not something that can be corrected after the test. Make absolutely sure that you mark the answers in the correct place on the answer sheet. Corrections can only be made by the examinee, during the time allotted for the section. No extra time can be given for this purpose.
• Every section is important! There is no way for you to tell which sections will not be used for calculating your score. Therefore, treat every section as if it determines your score! Deciding for whatever reason that a particular section is not important could seriously harm your score.

Compromising the Integrity of the Test and Cheating

NITE views very seriously any attempt to compromise the integrity of its tests, including any behavior that infringes on the confidentiality of the test or the use of its results. We also view very seriously any attempt to obtain a score by illegal means, such as copying during the test or impersonating someone else. Among other things, cheating may lead to situations in which unsuitable candidates are accepted, sometimes even at the expense of candidates who are better qualified for the study program in question. The National Institute for Testing and Evaluation has methods for detecting cheating and attempts to compromise test integrity, and reserves the right to react to such situations using all means at its disposal and at its discretion. These may include:

1. Invalidating the test
2. Prohibiting an examinee from taking any test administered by NITE for a period of 12 months
3. Filing a civil suit
4. Submitting a complaint to university or college disciplinary committees

Please note: Impersonating another person (such as sending someone to take the test in your place) is a criminal offense. If someone is suspected of committing such an offense, a complaint will be filed with the police and with university disciplinary committees.

It is strictly forbidden to copy, distribute or teach the contents of a test or any part of it, in any form or by any means, without written permission from the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation. The Institute will take administrative, legal or other appropriate action against anyone violating this prohibition. Before the test begins, you will be asked to sign a declaration stating that you are aware of this prohibition and that you undertake to behave in accordance with it.

Any of the following constitutes grounds for disqualifying an examinee:

• Disruptive behavior during the test
• Copying, and giving or receiving help in answering a question
• Using forbidden study aids, such as papers, books, calculators and dictionaries
• Opening the test booklet before being instructed to do so
• Turning to another section without being instructed to do so
• Continuing to work on a section after the end of the allotted time
• Taking test material out of the test hall
• Being in possession of an electronic device – cellular telephone, computer, music player, etc. – during the test
• Disregarding the proctors’ instructions

After the Test

After completing the test, you will receive an email with an online Feedback Questionnaire. You will be asked your opinion of the testing conditions. You may also be asked to rate your satisfaction with the registration procedure and with the test, or to express your opinion on other areas that the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation deals with. The Feedback Questionnaire is not part of the Psychometric Entrance Test; it is reviewed separately from the test answer sheets, and it cannot in any way affect you or your test score. Answering the questionnaire is optional, but we would appreciate your taking a few minutes to do so, as your answers will enable us to improve the service we offer examinees. Please note that the Feedback Questionnaire is not designed for dealing with individual complaints. If you have any questions or complaints about the test, please address them in writing to the Customer Relations Bureau at the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation within one week of the test date. You will receive a personal reply.

Some examinees might leave the test feeling that many questions were difficult, that they did not write a good essay, or that they did not manage to answer all of the questions in the allotted time. It is important to understand that even though the score is calculated on the basis of the quality of your essay and the number of questions you answered correctly, it is also equated with the performance of all other examinees on all versions of the test, in all languages, and for all test administrations. Therefore, even if you left the test thinking that you performed poorly, it is still entirely possible that you did well.