CGMA exam-day guide
CGMA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the exact ID type your registration instructions specify (typically a passport or driver's licence). The name must match your exam registration exactly - if it does not, contact the provider before exam day rather than on the day.
Exam appointment confirmation
Have your appointment number, candidate ID and the test-centre address (or online-proctoring link) with you. Save a screenshot as well as a printed copy in case of connectivity problems.
Confirmed exam time and time zone
Convert the appointment time into your local time zone and write it down. Online-proctored slots in particular can be displayed in a different zone from yours.
Approved calculator
Check the current permitted-calculator policy (many programmes allow a basic non-programmable calculator and provide an on-screen calculator). Do not assume a financial or programmable model is allowed - confirm with the provider.
Completed system and equipment test (online candidates)
Run the proctoring platform's equipment check ahead of time: webcam, microphone, browser version and internet stability. Have a backup connection (mobile hotspot) and a phone number for candidate support.
Clear, private workspace (online candidates)
A quiet room with a closed door, no other people, a cleared desk, and no notes, phones or second screens within reach. Proctors commonly ask for a room scan before the exam starts.
Layered clothing and water
Test rooms are often cold and you may not be allowed to leave for a sweater mid-exam. Keep water in a clear container and check whether drinks are permitted at your desk.
Travel and arrival plan
For a test centre, plan to arrive well before your slot (commonly 30 minutes) to allow for check-in and ID verification. Know the parking and building access arrangements in advance.
Scratch materials policy understood
Find out whether the provider supplies a booklet and pen, permits your own, or gives only an on-screen notepad. Bring what is allowed and nothing more - confirm with the provider.
Light revision sheet, not new material
Bring a one-page summary of your own frameworks, formula list and case-study structure. Exam day is for recall and pacing, not for learning new topics.
Break and facilities plan
Understand in advance whether breaks are permitted, whether the clock stops, and how to signal a proctor. Settle food, restroom and medication needs before you begin.
Backup contact for provider support
Save the candidate support phone number and email. If the platform fails or you are turned away, you need a documented record and a same-day route to reschedule.
Plan the day
Confirm every logistics item: appointment time, time zone, venue or proctoring link, ID validity, calculator policy and permitted materials. Run the equipment check twice, on different days, and on the network you will actually use.
Shift from learning to retrieval. Do timed practice on a small number of case-style questions, then review your own answer structure: have you covered the technical requirement, the evaluation and the recommendation? Stop adding new syllabus topics.
Protect your sleep schedule. Move bedtime towards what you need on exam night and do your last serious study session at roughly the time of day your exam will run, so your concentration peaks when it matters.
Prepare the physical kit: ID, confirmation, calculator with working batteries, spare pen, water, layers, and travel tickets. Pack it the night before so the morning is decision-free.
Do a final light pass over your one-page summary and your weakest two topic areas only. No full mock exams - the fatigue cost outweighs the benefit.
Re-check the appointment details one last time and set two alarms. Charge everything: laptop, phone, headphones if allowed, and any hotspot device.
Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and go to bed at your planned time. If you cannot sleep, rest in the dark rather than opening notes.
Eat a proper meal with protein and slow-release carbohydrate, and drink water. Avoid heavy caffeine if you are already anxious.
For a test centre, leave earlier than you think you need to and arrive for check-in well before your slot. For online proctoring, log in at the time stated in your instructions and complete the room scan calmly.
Do not study in the last hour. A brief review of your structure sheet is fine, but new material at this point only creates doubt.
Read the whole paper or case briefly first, then allocate minutes per section and stick to the allocation. A question you leave unanswered scores nothing, however good the rest is.
Answer in the format the question asks for - report, memo, briefing note, evaluation - and use headings. Marks are usually allocated to specific requirements, so address each one explicitly rather than writing generally around the topic.
Watch the clock at fixed checkpoints (for example every quarter of the elapsed time). If you fall behind, write short bullet-point answers for the remaining requirements rather than perfect prose for one.
Reserve the final few minutes to check that every requirement has a response, your numbers are internally consistent, and your recommendation actually follows from your analysis.
Rules to check
You must present valid government-issued photo identification. The name on the ID must match your registration; if it does not, resolve the discrepancy with the provider before exam day, because test centres and proctors generally cannot admit you otherwise.
Personal items - phone, smartwatch, notes, bag, wallet - must be stored as the provider directs (a locker at a test centre, or out of camera view online). Possession of unauthorised material at your desk is typically treated as misconduct regardless of whether you used it.
Only materials the provider explicitly permits may be at your desk. Calculator models, formula sheets, dictionaries and scratch paper are all governed by programme rules that change over time - confirm the current position with the provider rather than relying on what a colleague used last year.
Break and clock rules differ between test-centre and online-proctored delivery, and between exam levels. Confirm in advance whether breaks are allowed, whether the timer pauses, and what you must do to request one.
Scoring is criterion-based against the assessment requirements, not a curve against other candidates; you are not competing with the cohort, so answer the question as set rather than trying to out-write anyone. Confirm the current mark structure and pass standard with the provider.
Results are released on a published date after the exam window rather than immediately. Do not expect an on-screen score at the end, and do not schedule anything that depends on a fast result.
If a technical failure, illness or other disruption occurs, stop and follow the provider's incident procedure, and record the reference number. Do not simply abandon the session - the documented process is usually what makes a reschedule or special consideration possible.
Misconduct - attempting to communicate with anyone, using unauthorised devices, screen sharing, or leaving the camera view without permission - can void your result and may affect future eligibility. If something unexpected happens, tell the proctor rather than trying to manage it silently.