That is the most devastating… they should probably do a final mandatory “check-in” before the exam, to update all the information before exam, like people who changed their name after getting married/ divorced…
NANA
less funny story a girl in my section (milan g) showed up with an expired passport. head proctor showed her to the door.
The guy next to me had like 8 pens and 10 pencils and two calculators for both sessions. What are the chances that 7/8 pens won’t work???
i would like to defend that approach. I had two calculators, 7 pencils, and 3 pens.
First, I don’t want to stop and sharpen pencils in the PM session.
Second, I had several pens stop writing well during practice exams. Note to future Level 3 candidates: don’t leave your Frixion pens in a hot car or next to the office window. I had gotten new pens two days before the exam.
Third, I didn’t want to have to remember how to reset the beginning and end of period settings for annuities on my calculator. I had been distracted with this on a mock. I also didn’t want the possibility of forgetting to put the setting back to end of period. I set one calculator for end of period and one for beginning.
I use mechanical pencil and i use the same one as i did for my practice, and i bring maybe ONE extra mechanical pencil but that’s about it. i don’t see the benefit of bringing anymore than that, but if bringing more pens give you more confidence or if that’s your “ritual” why not! Personally i like to keep my desk very clean and organized, one calculator is fine, the battery doesn’t go out for 10 years!
NANA
Yeah i agree with NANA
I had my calculator, a schweser eraser, 2 mechanical pencils (for both AM and PM). Desk was clean besides the eraser-rubbish on the desk, passport and registration sheet.
I have nothing against too many pencils I hate to keep sharpening them. But over 4 pens is way too much… just saying
About 3 years ago in L1 exam, an Asian girl sitting in front of me brought in a big cukoo clock, and couldn’t believe the proctors let her use it… it was hard not to look at it occasionally because it was loud, tick-toc… was aftraid I might get a PCP because of it… just glad I had earplugs…
I’ve got two stories (not too funny, but still nice) from two of my colleagues:
Level 1 exam:
My colleague to another candidate: “Are you well prepared for the exam?”
Candidate: “Sorry, I am not allowed to talk about this due to the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct.”
My colleague: “Was something wrong with your breakfast?”
Level 1 exam:
Another colleague to the candidate who was seated next to him: “Is this your first try? Are you well prepared for the exam?”
Candidate: “I didn’t learn for the exam.”
Colleague: “Why?”
Candidate: “I live in the city where the exam takes place and I refuse to invest any time to learn for the exam. When I fail I’ll come back next year and try again.”
Colleage: “?!”
hahahaha… oh man… Level 1 rookies, those were the days. The cream of the crop.
I have never once had a mechanical pencil or calculator not work, not during the actual exam, nor during practice exams. I still bring 2 calculators (with 2 backups in the car), about 6 mechanical pencils with extra graphite and 2 pens, even though I don’t use them in the morning session (I use pencil). Why? Because the peace of mind it gives me and knowing that if something did go wrong I would not have waisted 5 months of studying. The inconvenience of having to retake the exam because my only pencil broke or my only calculator died FAR outweighs the inconvenience of having my pockets filled with extra stuff.
Last year I wrote Level II and part way through the afternoon session the guy next to me just put his head on the desk, and remained that way for a long time. At the end he looked pretty defeated… Felt bad for him.
This year at Level III, after the morning session I looked over and saw a guy had completely shredded up an entire eraser. It was in small chunks all over his desk and floor with erasing every where. I felt bad for the person who had to share a desk with someone erasing that intensely.
When I wrote Level 1 an asian girl sat next to me, hammering her calculations in the calculator. Thought she hit it through the desk. Disturbed a lot in my concentration.
As I was standing in line waiting to get checked in, a guy behind me was recalling a story about an incident he witnessed last year when he sat for Level 3. Apparently, someone at his test center had an expired passport. They allowed the individual to sit for the AM session, but when he came back for the PM session, they wouldn’t let him sit because of his expired passport. He made an extreme scene and was absolutely livid. Ouch…
not a funny one, but the room did not have a clock really to my horror- First time in an examination hall without a clock.They had these flipping sheets with 15 mins interval reminders-which doesn’t meet the purpose in the AM sections.
Lost track time int he second hour. had to complete 71 marks in 60 minutes, so literally I was harassing the proctor every 5 mins to tell me how many minutes left for the exam.
Managed to complete the paper although I did not know 2 -3 mark questions.
I can’t remember but do they remind people to bring their pencils, calculator and watch on the exam ticket? if they don’t, they SHOULD!
NANA
I’ve been taking the tests in Philadelphia and all they’ve had are the flip boards, thought that was normal. Didn’t realize that other locations had an actual clock. I don’t always wear a wrist watch but that’s one of the things I make sure I have along with all the other stuff before I head out on exam day…
i wore a diaper and thought it was great how it didn’t leak too much ok a little but whatevs 
That night I got really well hydrated on ale and I spent the night with a strange woman with dreadlocks and an appetite. I also have a high net worth (financial assets, excluding both my primary residence and vacation home) and have had hundreds of chess partners.
This happened to me last year in L2… a Chinese girl next to me was punching her calculator so hard it sounded like a woodpecker pecking an oak tree… really threw me off for a while… I gave her a nasty look, and she finally got the idea, and held it in her hand, and it was quieter.
. . . whereupon I became the subject of a PCP investigation for cheating.