ACCA MA exam-day guide
ACCA MA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the original passport or national photo ID in exactly the name used on your ACCA booking. Copies and expired documents are generally not accepted and you can be refused entry. Confirm the accepted ID forms with your exam provider before the day.
Exam appointment confirmation
Carry your booking confirmation showing exam date, start time, centre address (or remote-session link), your ACCA registration number and the exam you are sitting (MA).
Approved calculator
Bring a non-programmable calculator you are used to. ACCA publishes a calculator policy; check it and, if your model is unusual, confirm with the provider that it will be allowed into the exam room. The CBE also has an on-screen calculator.
CBE interface familiarity
Before exam day, practise on the ACCA specimen/ practice platform: on-screen calculator, the formula sheet provided within the exam, flagging questions, the navigator, and the spreadsheet and word-processing tools used in Section B multi-task questions (MTQs).
Scratch paper / notepad policy
At test centres, rough paper is normally supplied and you should not bring your own; remote sessions use an on-screen notepad. Confirm the exact arrangement for your sitting with the provider rather than assuming.
Arrival time and route
Plan the journey and aim to arrive with time to spare before your start time; late arrival can mean refused entry or reduced exam time. Confirm the required arrival time with your centre.
Remote invigilation set-up (if sitting remotely)
Run the system/equipment test in advance, use a quiet private room with a clear desk, a working webcam and microphone, and a stable internet connection. Follow the provider's room-scan and identity-check instructions on the day.
Know the paper's shape and timing
2-hour computer-based exam, 100 marks, 50 marks to pass. Section A: 35 objective test questions worth 2 marks each (70 marks). Section B: 3 multi-task questions worth 10 marks each (30 marks). That is roughly 1.2 minutes per mark.
Personal belongings plan
Phones must be switched off and stored as instructed; smartwatches, notes and unauthorised materials are not allowed at the desk. Leave valuables at home where possible.
Rest and fuel
Sleep properly the night before, eat something before you go in, and take water for afterwards. There is no scheduled break in a 2-hour exam, so arrive comfortable.
Plan the day
Sit one full timed mock under exam conditions (2 hours, no pauses, CBE interface if possible). Mark it, list your two or three weakest syllabus areas, and spend the remaining time only on those. Re-read the formula sheet so nothing on it is a surprise.
Do targeted practice on Section B MTQs (budgeting, standard costing variances, cost accounting techniques, performance measurement) since each MTQ carries 10 marks. Practise typing numbers into the CBE spreadsheet tool rather than writing by hand.
Confirm centre address and travel, or re-run your remote system test. Pack ID and calculator. Stop learning new topics; do a light review of formulae and your own error list. Go to bed at a sensible time.
Eat, check you have ID and calculator, and travel early. Avoid cramming new material in the queue; at most skim the formula sheet. Switch your phone off before entering the exam area.
Work through the on-screen instructions and any tutorial, check the on-screen calculator and scratch pad work, note your checkpoints (about 84 minutes for Section A, 36 for Section B), and start with a question you find straightforward to settle in.
Keep to roughly 1.2 minutes per mark. If a question stalls you, flag it, make a best guess and move on. Never leave anything blank - there is no negative marking. Do Section B calculations methodically, one line per figure, and check units and rounding.
Use the navigator to confirm every question has an answer, revisit flagged items, and check that you have not mistyped numbers into MTQ answer boxes. Do not start a long new calculation you cannot finish.
Rules to check
Bring original, valid photo ID matching the name on your ACCA booking. Entry can be refused without acceptable ID, and impersonation is treated as malpractice. Confirm accepted ID forms with your provider.
Do not take notes, textbooks, smartwatches or a switched-on phone into the exam room. Possession of unauthorised material or any attempt to communicate with another person is malpractice and can lead to the loss of your result.
There is no scheduled break in the 2-hour exam. If you must leave the room, this is at the invigilator's discretion and the clock does not stop - confirm the centre's procedure in advance if you have a medical need.
The exam is marked out of 100 and the pass mark is 50. Objective test questions are marked right or wrong with no negative marking, so always submit an answer even when guessing.
Each Section B multi-task question is broken into smaller tasks that are marked separately, so attempt every part of every MTQ rather than abandoning a question you find hard.
Follow all invigilator and, for remote sittings, invigilator-software instructions, including identity checks and desk/room scans. Any behaviour the provider judges to be misconduct may be referred under ACCA's disciplinary procedures.
Check how and when your result will be released, and any deadline for raising a query, with the provider - release arrangements vary by sitting.