CA ANZ Core 1 exam-day guide
CA ANZ Core 1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the current, valid photo ID specified in your candidate confirmation. The exact accepted document types and whether a secondary ID is required vary by provider and location, so confirm with the provider before test day.
Admission or confirmation notice
Keep a copy of your exam confirmation (electronic or printed) showing your name, session time, and venue or online delivery details. Requirements for presenting it at check-in differ by provider, so confirm with the provider.
Approved calculator
Check the CA ANZ candidate information for which calculator models are permitted for Core 1 and whether an on-screen calculator is provided in the test platform. Do not assume your usual calculator is allowed; confirm with the provider.
Permitted annotated materials
If the exam permits annotated standards, legislation, or other reference texts, verify the annotation rules (for example, whether highlighting and tabbing are allowed) and prepare them in advance. Confirm the permitted list and annotation rules with the provider.
Stationery and personal items plan
Know in advance what you may bring to your desk and what must be stored away (phones, smart watches, notes). The permitted list varies by venue and delivery mode, so confirm with the provider.
Practice on the delivery platform
Complete any available practice or familiarisation test so you know how to navigate questions, flag items, use the on-screen tools, and submit. Note how remaining time is displayed.
Logistics confirmed
Confirm start time, arrival or login time, venue location or online check-in process, and travel or internet backup arrangements. Arrive or log in earlier than the stated reporting time.
Timing strategy written down
Note the total exam duration, number of questions or marks, and your target minutes per question or per section. Decide in advance how you will use reading time, if any, and when you will stop and move on from a difficult question.
Rest and practical needs
Plan sleep, meals, hydration, and any medication for the day. Check the provider's rules on food, drink, and access to facilities during the exam.
Backup plan for online delivery
If sitting remotely, test your device, camera, microphone, and connection beforehand and have a backup connection and a phone number for technical support ready. Confirm the provider's remote-proctoring requirements.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content. Review your summary notes, formula sheets, and error log, focusing on topics you have repeatedly missed. Do one or two timed mixed-topic practice sets under exam conditions to rehearse pacing, then review only the explanations for questions you got wrong. Confirm your venue or online setup, ID, calculator, and permitted materials. Protect your sleep schedule so it matches exam-day timing.
Do a light review only: skim key frameworks, formulas, and your personal list of common traps. Prepare everything you need to bring or have ready, including ID, confirmation, calculator, and permitted materials, and lay them out. Check travel time or test your remote setup once more. Avoid intensive cramming, eat normally, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you feel underprepared, resist the urge to study late into the night; rested recall beats exhausted recall.
Eat a proper meal, hydrate, and arrive or log in with time to spare. Do a brief, calm review of your one-page summary of formulas and frameworks, not new material. At the venue or in the check-in queue, avoid comparing preparation with other candidates. Take a few slow breaths and remind yourself of your timing plan and your strategy for difficult questions.
Read each question carefully, noting whether it asks for the best answer, the incorrect option, or a calculation. Answer easier questions first and flag anything that stalls you; set a personal cutoff of roughly one to two minutes before moving on. Watch the clock against your target pace and leave time to return to flagged questions. For calculations, estimate the answer before computing and check units and signs. For scenario questions, identify what is being asked and eliminate clearly wrong options. If the platform allows, review flagged items near the end, and confirm submission before time expires.
Rules to check
Bring only the identification and materials the provider permits. Items such as notes, phones, smart watches, and unauthorised calculators generally must be stored away; confirm the exact permitted list and storage arrangements with the provider.
Follow all instructions from invigilators and proctors, including check-in, desk setup, and any room or screen-scanning requirements. Non-compliance may be treated as misconduct under the provider's rules.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not attempt to copy, record, or share exam content. Exam materials are confidential.
Breaks are generally not permitted during timed exams, and leaving the room or stepping away from the camera may require approval or may not be allowed. Confirm the provider's break and absence policy before test day.
If a technical problem, interruption, or other issue occurs, notify the invigilator or proctor immediately and follow their instructions. Do not attempt to resolve platform issues yourself in ways that could be treated as misconduct.
Scoring and results: understand in advance whether questions are equally weighted, whether there is negative marking (do not assume there is none or that there is), and how and when results are released. Confirm these details with the provider.