CA ANZ Core 3: FAR exam-day guide
CA ANZ Core 3: FAR · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring acceptable photo identification
Carry the original government-issued photo ID you registered with (typically a current passport or driver licence). The name must match your enrolment exactly. Confirm the accepted ID types and any secondary-ID requirement with the exam provider before the day, and check that the document has not expired.
Know your test-centre logistics or online-proctoring setup
If sitting at a test centre, confirm the address, transport route, parking, and arrival time. If sitting remotely, run the provider's system check in advance, confirm your room meets privacy and desk-clear requirements, and test your camera, microphone, and internet connection. Confirm specific technical requirements with the provider.
Carry your admission or appointment confirmation
Have your booking confirmation, candidate number, or appointment details available, whether printed or on your phone. Some centres ask to see it at reception; confirm whether printed copies are required.
Re-read the exam structure and permitted materials
Check the current published format: number and type of questions, whether the exam is open or closed book, and which standards, formulae, or tax tables (if any) are provided on screen. Do not rely on memory from earlier sittings; confirm with the provider.
Bring permitted reference materials only if allowed
If the exam permits an annotated or unannotated standard, approved calculator, or formula sheet, bring exactly the permitted version. Bring a simple non-programmable calculator if permitted and if you prefer it to the on-screen one. Confirm the permitted list with the provider.
Prepare writing materials or confirm they are supplied
Many computer-based centres supply an erasable booklet and pen and prohibit bringing your own. Confirm what is supplied and what is banned so you are not separated from essential items at the door.
Plan food, water, and medication around the appointment
Eat a normal meal beforehand, bring water if the centre allows it, and take regular medication on schedule. If you need to bring medication or an aid into the room, confirm the approval process with the provider in advance.
Build a time budget for the paper
Calculate minutes per question from the published question count and total duration, then reserve the final portion of the exam for reviewing flagged items. Write the budget down and rehearse it on practice questions.
Prepare a one-page summary of high-frequency technical areas
Condense the standards and calculations you most often misapply onto a single sheet for final revision. This is a study aid, not something to take into a closed-book exam; check the open-book rules first.
Rehearse the exam interface
If the provider publishes a tutorial or sample interface, use it so that flagging, navigation, the on-screen calculator, and the scratchpad are familiar. Interface friction costs time under pressure.
Arrange a backup plan for remote sittings
For online exams, identify a backup internet source, a charged phone for provider support, and a quiet alternative room. Know the provider's procedure if your connection drops mid-exam. Confirm the specifics with the provider.
Protect sleep in the final week
Avoid all-night revision. Two shorter, spaced sessions on consecutive days retain more than one long session, and alertness on exam day is worth more than one extra topic.
Plan the day
Stop learning new topics. Re-read your one-page summaries and error log, and redo the questions you previously got wrong rather than fresh unseen questions. Confirm your appointment time, location or remote setup, and ID. Complete any provider system check if sitting remotely.
Do one timed mini-paper under exam conditions using your planned minutes-per-question budget. Mark it, then spend more time analysing why you lost marks (misread requirement, wrong standard, arithmetic slip) than on the score. Adjust the time budget if you ran out of time.
Light revision only: skim summaries, the standards you most often confuse, and any provided formulae. Pack ID, confirmation, permitted calculator or materials, and water. Check the journey or test the remote setup once more. Set two alarms. Aim for a full night's sleep rather than late revision.
Eat a proper meal, avoid cramming new material, and arrive or log in early as instructed. Re-read only your one-page summary. Keep the pre-exam period calm; last-minute panic displaces the structured knowledge you have built.
Read the instructions and confirm the question count and time remaining on screen. Note your time checkpoints. If the interface allows it, take a moment to orient rather than starting the first question immediately.
Work in passes. First pass: answer questions you know, flag anything uncertain, and move on. Second pass: return to flagged items with remaining time. Read each requirement carefully, identify what is being asked, and show or select the treatment the standard requires. For calculations, write the formula before substituting numbers. Watch for distractors that apply the wrong standard correctly.
Stop starting new long questions. Check that every question has an answer, since unanswered items score nothing. Review flagged items only if you can do so without destabilising settled answers. Submit deliberately and confirm the submission screen.
Rules to check
Bring only the identification and materials the provider permits. Prohibited items such as phones, smart watches, notes, or unauthorised calculators must be left outside the exam room; attempting to bring them in can lead to invalidation. Confirm the exact prohibited-items list with the provider.
Your identity must match your enrolment. If your ID name differs from your registered name, resolve it with the provider before exam day, because centres can refuse entry on a mismatch.
Breaks are usually limited and may not stop the clock. Confirm the provider's break policy before the day; plan hydration and restroom visits around it rather than assuming you can leave freely.
Do not communicate with anyone during the exam, whether in a test centre or via chat, screen sharing, or messaging in a remote sitting. Remote sessions are typically recorded and reviewed.
If a technical failure occurs, stay calm, note the time, and follow the provider's incident procedure. Do not attempt to restart or troubleshoot in ways the provider has not authorised; ask for the documented process in advance.
Scoring rules, including whether wrong multiple-choice answers are penalised, how partial credit works for written responses, and how the pass mark is set, vary by exam. Confirm the current published rules with the provider rather than assuming.
If you believe a question is defective or the exam was disrupted, use the provider's post-exam enquiry or special-consideration process promptly. Do not raise issues with invigilators in a way that disrupts the sitting.
Academic integrity applies throughout: your submitted work must be your own. Colluding, using unauthorised aids, or sharing exam content afterwards can result in cancellation of results and further sanctions.