FPAS Fire Systems Design (FSD) exam-day guide
FPAS Fire Systems Design (FSD) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring a current passport or driver licence with a signature and photo. The name must match the name on your FPAS application exactly; bring evidence of any name change if it differs.
Assessment confirmation or booking email
Carry the confirmation showing date, time, venue or session link and your candidate reference. A printed copy is safest; confirm with the provider whether a digital copy is acceptable at the venue.
Approved calculator
A silent, non-programmable calculator for hydraulic and coverage checks. Confirm with the provider which models are permitted, and expect phone-based calculators to be refused.
Standards and reference material - permitted status unclear
Bring nothing into the room until you have written confirmation from the provider on whether AS 1670.1, AS 2118.1, AS 2419.1 or similar references may be used. If closed-book, leave them in your bag. Mark as needs_review.
Design portfolio or drawings (if your assessment includes a technical review)
Where drawings, calculations or project evidence form part of the assessment, confirm the required format, file naming and submission cut-off with the provider well before the day. Mark as needs_review.
Remote-session equipment check (online candidates)
Test camera, microphone, browser, bandwidth and power supply at least 24 hours ahead, and confirm the session time zone in writing. Keep a phone number for the assessment coordinator as a fallback.
Arrival and travel plan
Plan to reach the venue or log on early enough to complete ID checks and settling in without stress. Check parking, public transport and building access the day before.
Water, snacks and any medication
Bring water and any prescribed medication. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed at the desk, particularly for longer sessions.
Watch (non-smart) for pacing
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you allocate time across questions. Smart watches are almost always prohibited; store them as directed.
Notes on break and re-entry rules
Before the day, ask the provider whether breaks are scheduled, supervised or optional, and whether the clock stops. Write the answer down so you are not guessing on the day.
Coordinator contact details
Save the assessment coordinator's phone and email in your phone and on paper, so a delay, illness or technical failure can be reported immediately rather than after the fact.
A settled preparation routine
In the final evening, review your own summary of design principles, occupancy classification, coverage and spacing rules and documentation requirements, then stop and sleep rather than cramming new material.
Plan the day
Re-read the provider's candidate information and confirm every logistic detail in writing: venue or session link, start time and time zone, ID requirements, permitted materials, break policy and scoring or results process. Where the provider's guidance is silent, email and ask rather than assuming. Then do two or three timed practice runs using your own worked design scenarios, focusing on the areas you find slowest, such as occupancy classification, coverage and spacing decisions, hydraulic checks or documenting the design basis. Consolidate your notes into a single short summary sheet you can review quickly, and stop introducing new reference material in the last 48 hours.
Lay out ID, confirmation email, approved calculator, water and any medication in one place. If the assessment is remote, run a full equipment and platform test at the same time of day as the real session, and confirm the time zone conversion. Check travel arrangements and the weather or traffic outlook for an in-person venue. Eat a normal meal, avoid late-night study, and set two alarms. Read your summary sheet once in the evening and again briefly in the morning.
Eat properly, arrive or log on with generous margin, and complete ID checks without rushing. Do not attempt last-minute discussion of technical content with other candidates, and do not open reference material you have not been told is permitted. Once seated, read the instructions and any scoring or marking notes before starting, note the finish time on your watch, and plan roughly how many minutes each section deserves.
Read each question twice and identify exactly what is being asked: a design decision, a calculation, a standard-based justification or a documentation step. Answer the questions you know first to bank marks, then return to harder items. Show working for calculations so partial credit is possible, and state assumptions explicitly where a question is ambiguous. If you hit a technical failure in a remote session, stop and contact the coordinator immediately and note the time. Leave the final minutes to check that every question has an answer and that units, occupancies and system types are consistently stated.
Rules to check
Bring identification that matches your application name exactly. If your name has changed or differs from your booking, resolve it with the provider before the assessment day rather than at the door.
Treat the assessment as closed-book unless the provider has confirmed otherwise in writing. Possession of unauthorised notes, marked-up standards or annotated drawings may void your result, so confirm the permitted-materials policy with the provider in advance.
Switch off and store phones, smart watches and other connected devices as directed. If you need a device for medical reasons, declare it to the coordinator before the session begins.
Breaks and re-entry are set by the provider and can vary between venues and delivery modes. Confirm in advance whether breaks are scheduled or on request, whether they are supervised, and whether the clock continues to run.
Scoring and results processes are determined by the provider's accreditation framework. Ask in advance how your performance is judged, when results are issued and what the review or appeal pathway is, rather than relying on second-hand accounts.
Do not reproduce, discuss or distribute assessment content afterwards. Confidentiality obligations typically apply to question material and to any design scenarios used in the session.
Report illness, a technical failure or any disruption to the coordinator as soon as it occurs, and ask them to record it. A documented issue raised at the time is far easier to resolve than one raised weeks later.