Cambridge IAL Business exam-day guide
Cambridge IAL Business · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and entry documents
Bring the identification your exam centre has told you to bring, plus any admission statement or candidate number slip they issue. Which ID types are accepted and whether a printed statement is required varies by centre, so confirm with the provider (your school or registered exam centre) before the day.
Centre address, room and arrival time
Confirm the exact building, room and reporting time in advance; large centres often run several sessions in different halls. Arrive with margin for transport delays. If your centre has not stated a reporting time, confirm with the provider.
Black or blue pens, pencil, ruler, eraser, sharpener
Write in dark ink as instructed on the paper; keep a spare pen. Use pencil for any diagrams or charts where the rubric expects it, and a ruler for tables and graphs. Check your centre's list of permitted equipment, since rules on pencil cases and clear pouches vary.
Calculator within the permitted specification
IAL Business papers include calculation questions (ratios, percentage change, break-even, revenue and cost figures). Bring a calculator that meets your centre's permitted specification, check the battery, and clear the memory if instructed. Confirm the exact permitted model rules with the provider.
No prohibited items on you or in your bag
Phones, smart watches, earphones and notes must be switched off and stored as your centre directs, usually outside the exam room. A phone found on your person can lead to malpractice proceedings even if unused. Follow the centre's storage instructions exactly.
Clear water bottle and any permitted comfort items
Bring water in a plain transparent bottle with the label removed if your centre allows it. If you need medication, an access arrangement or a permitted aid, arrange it in advance and confirm with the provider rather than raising it on the day.
Know your candidate number and centre number
These appear on your statement of entry and on the answer booklet. Copy them accurately and check them before the paper is collected; a mismatch can delay or complicate marking.
Planned timing strategy for each section
Write down, before the exam, how many minutes you will give each question, based on the marks available. As a working rule, allow roughly one minute per mark plus reading and checking time, then confirm against the actual paper structure and your teacher's guidance.
A short list of command words and their demands
Revise what 'identify', 'explain', 'analyse', 'discuss' and 'evaluate' require in terms of depth and structure, so you can allocate effort correctly. Practise matching the number of developed points to the mark tariff.
Sleep, food and a calm pre-exam routine
Do not plan to learn new content in the final hours. Eat a normal meal, sleep properly, and keep the last review short and confidence-building rather than exhausting.
Plan the day
Finish active revision rather than starting new topics. Work through past-paper questions under timed conditions for the calculation-heavy and data-response sections, then mark them against the mark scheme and list your recurring errors: misread command words, missing application to the case, unsupported judgements. Rehearse definitions and formulas you keep forgetting. Confirm your exam venue, reporting time and permitted equipment with your centre now, so any problem can still be solved.
Build a one-page summary sheet of frameworks you will actually use: cash-flow forecasting, break-even, investment appraisal, ratio analysis, market segmentation, motivation and leadership theory, operations methods, and the structure for evaluation answers. For each, note when to use it and the judgement it supports. Practise two or three full questions in exam handwriting so your speed and legibility are realistic.
Do light review only: your summary sheet, a few definitions and the command-word list. Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencil, ruler, calculator and water, and lay out clothes. Check travel arrangements and set two alarms. Avoid comparing notes with others late in the day, and stop studying early enough to sleep properly; a rested candidate gains more than an extra hour of cramming.
Eat breakfast and arrive at the centre with time to spare. Leave your phone switched off and stored as directed. Do not attempt to learn new material; skim only your summary sheet. Once seated, check the paper title, code and page count, fill in your candidate details carefully, and read the instructions on the front cover.
Read the whole paper or at least the required sections, noting the marks per question and any choice of questions. Decide your order and write your time allocations in the margin. Start with a question you can answer confidently to settle nerves, but do not overrun your allocation.
Answer in the required format and show working for calculations, since method marks are often available. Apply each answer to the case or data given: name the business, use the figures, and avoid generic textbook statements. For higher-tariff questions, build a chain of reasoning and finish with a supported judgement that weighs both sides. Watch the clock at the halfway point and again with about ten minutes left.
Check that every required question has been attempted, that your candidate details are correct, and that units, currency and percentages are stated in calculations. Correct obvious slips but avoid large last-minute rewrites. Stop writing immediately when instructed and hand in materials as directed.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions from invigilators immediately. They control seating, start and stop times, toilet breaks and collection of papers; arguing with or ignoring them can be recorded as malpractice. If an instruction is unclear, raise your hand and ask quietly.
Bring only permitted equipment into the exam room. Phones, smart watches, earphones, notes and unauthorised calculators must be handed in or stored as your centre directs. Possession of a prohibited item, even unused, can lead to disqualification, so confirm the permitted list with the provider.
Have your identification ready and place it on the desk if asked. Which documents are accepted is set by the centre and the awarding organisation, so confirm with the provider in advance if you are unsure what to bring.
Breaks and toilet visits are at the invigilator's discretion and are usually accompanied. Expect to be supervised and to lose time from the paper; plan hydration and timing so you do not need to leave during a high-tariff question. Ask your centre about its specific policy.
Write your own answers. Communication with other candidates during the exam, copying, or bringing in unauthorised material is malpractice and can result in the loss of marks or the disqualification of the whole qualification. Report any concern to the invigilator after the exam rather than during it.
Do not remove question papers, answer booklets or any exam material from the room unless an invigilator explicitly permits it. Return all papers and equipment as directed at the end of the session.
Marks are awarded against the mark scheme, so match the depth of your answer to the tariff and the command word. Calculations usually earn credit for correct method as well as the final figure, so always show your working and state units.
If you feel unwell or something disrupts the exam, tell an invigilator at once and make sure it is recorded. Special consideration processes exist but have deadlines and evidence requirements; confirm the procedure with your centre rather than assuming it will be applied automatically.