Superannuation and Retirement Applications (SRA) exam-day guide
Superannuation and Retirement Applications (SRA) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID document the provider names in your admission notice (typically a passport or driver's licence). Confirm with the provider which ID forms are accepted and whether a digital copy is permitted; do not assume.
Admission ticket or confirmation email
Print or download your booking confirmation showing test centre, date, time, and candidate number. If you have not received one, confirm with the provider before test day.
Confirmation of permitted test format
Confirm with the provider whether you are sitting at a test centre, via remote proctoring, or under supervision at your employer's premises, and what equipment each format requires.
Approved calculator
Retirement and superannuation calculations require compounding, present value, and drawdown arithmetic. Confirm with the provider which calculator models are permitted and whether an on-screen calculator is supplied.
Permitted reference materials
Confirm with the provider whether any formula sheet, tax tables, or legislative extracts are supplied on screen or in hard copy. Assume nothing may be brought in unless explicitly listed.
Remote-session system check
If sitting remotely, run the provider's equipment and identity-verification check ahead of time and confirm the required browser, webcam, microphone, and internet speed. Book a backup location and connection.
Quiet, distraction-free room and clear desk
For remote sittings, clear the desk of notes, phones, and second screens, and confirm with the provider what items may remain in the room during the test.
Time-zone and reporting-time check
Convert your scheduled start time into your local time and arrive or log in early. Confirm with the provider the latest arrival time and the cut-off after which entry is refused.
Accessibility or special-consideration arrangements
If you need extra time, a separate room, or medical consideration, confirm with the provider that approval is recorded and will be applied on the day. Requests are usually cut off well before the test date.
Personal medication and comfort items
Bring only what the provider permits; declare any medication, insulin, or food needed for a medical condition at check-in. Confirm with the provider how such items are handled.
Backup contact and provider support number
Save the provider's candidate support line and your booking reference so you can report a technical failure or late-running issue immediately.
Study summary of key rates and thresholds
Prepare a one-page summary of the superannuation and retirement figures you have been taught (contribution caps, preservation age, pension thresholds) for revision only. Do not carry it into the test unless the provider confirms it is permitted.
Plan the day
Re-read the admission notice line by line and confirm venue, start time, format, and ID requirements with the provider if anything is unclear. Re-run any remote system check.
Do a final pass over your weakest topics: contribution caps and division 293-style thresholds, preservation age and condition of release, transfer balance cap mechanics, minimum pension standards, and taxation of benefits. Work practice calculations rather than re-reading notes.
Do one timed practice paper under exam conditions, then review every wrong answer to identify the reasoning error, not just the correct figure.
Plan the journey or the remote set-up: travel time, parking, public transport, backup internet, and a charged laptop if one is used. Confirm any calculator or materials policy with the provider.
Stop learning new material. Consolidate your one-page summary of rates and formulas and rehearse it from memory.
Lay out ID, admission confirmation, approved calculator, and any permitted items by the door. Check the weather and travel disruptions.
Confirm the exact start time in your local time zone, set two alarms, and note the latest reporting time.
Avoid last-minute cramming into the night. Aim for a normal night's sleep; fatigue costs more marks than one extra hour of revision gains.
Eat a proper meal, hydrate, and arrive or log in well before the reporting time. For remote sittings, start the proctor check-in early.
Do a short warm-up of three or four calculation questions to activate the arithmetic, then put the notes away.
Read the whole paper or section structure first if the platform allows it, and budget time per question based on the marks available.
Answer the questions you know first, flag the rest, and return to them. For calculations, write down the formula and inputs so you can check your work.
Watch for qualifying words such as 'maximum', 'minimum', 'assessable', 'tax-free', and 'preserved'. Re-read the final line of each scenario question before selecting an answer.
Leave the last few minutes to check that every question is answered, flagged items are resolved, and any saved answers have been submitted before the timer ends.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID specified by the provider and present it at check-in or to the remote proctor. Name on the ID must match your registration; confirm with the provider how to fix a mismatch before test day.
Arrive or log in by the reporting time stated in your admission notice. Candidates arriving after the cut-off may be refused entry or given reduced time; confirm with the provider what applies.
Unless the provider expressly permits it, bring no notes, textbooks, phones, smart watches, or second screens into the testing area. For remote sittings, keep the webcam on and the room in view as instructed.
Use only the calculator and reference materials the provider allows. If an on-screen calculator is supplied, do not use a personal device in addition.
Ask the invigilator or proctor before leaving your seat. Confirm with the provider the rules on breaks, since unscheduled breaks may not stop the clock and may be recorded.
Report any technical failure, interruption, or disturbance to the invigilator or proctor immediately and note the time; do not attempt to fix platform problems yourself. Confirm with the provider how incidents are assessed.
Scoring rules, including whether wrong answers attract a penalty and how partial marks are awarded for calculations, vary by provider. Confirm with the provider before the test and answer accordingly.
Follow all invigilator and proctor instructions. Suspected misconduct or unauthorised material can lead to invalidation of your result; confirm with the provider the appeals process if an issue arises.