CQF exam-day guide
CQF · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the exact ID type and name spelling your registration used. If your registered name differs from your ID, or you are unsure which document is accepted, confirm with the provider before exam day - do not assume a passport is always required or always sufficient.
Appointment confirmation and candidate number
Have the confirmation email, booking reference, and any candidate/registration number accessible (printed or on your phone). You may be asked for these at check-in. Verify the exact time, time zone, and delivery format (in-person test centre vs remote proctored) on your confirmation - these details vary by sitting, so confirm with the provider if anything is ambiguous.
Exam-day logistics plan
Confirm the test centre address and arrival time, or for remote delivery confirm the platform, system requirements, and any required software check. For remote exams, plan a quiet private room, a stable connection, and a backup connection (e.g., mobile hotspot). Specific room and equipment rules vary - confirm with the provider.
Permitted reference materials
The CQF final exam is historically open-book in some form, but the exact permitted materials (formula sheet, notes, textbooks, spreadsheets) and the allowed format differ by sitting. Confirm the current policy with the provider and prepare only what is explicitly allowed.
Calculator
Bring an approved calculator if permitted, and know its functions cold (power, log, exponential, roots, memory). Confirm the model/type policy with the provider; do not assume programmable or graphing models are allowed.
Scratch paper and writing tools
Bring pens/pencils and, if permitted, blank paper. For remote exams, confirm whether scratch paper is allowed and whether it must be shown and destroyed on camera. If unsure, confirm with the provider.
Time-management plan
Before the day, decide your per-question time budget and your strategy for partial credit (show working, define notation, state assumptions). Practise this on a timed mock so the plan is automatic.
Formula and method recall sheet (for study, not necessarily for the room)
Prepare a one- or two-page personal summary of core formulas and method steps - Black-Scholes and Greeks, binomial trees, Monte Carlo, VaR/ES, fixed income duration and convexity, yield curve construction, portfolio optimisation, and key stochastic calculus results. Use it to rehearse recall; only bring it into the exam if permitted.
Rest and fuel
Sleep adequately the two nights before, eat a normal meal, and hydrate. Avoid last-minute cramming of new material; review your own summary instead.
Backup plan for technical failure
For remote delivery, know the provider's procedure for connection loss or platform failure and how to contact support. Confirm the current procedure with the provider in advance rather than improvising during the exam.
Plan the day
Switch from learning to consolidating. Re-read your own formula/method summary, redo a small number of representative problems across the syllabus (derivatives pricing, risk, fixed income, portfolio, stochastic methods), and review mistakes from earlier mocks. Confirm all logistics: appointment time and time zone, ID, permitted materials, calculator policy, and remote-vs-centre details. Resolve any uncertainty with the provider now, not on exam day.
Take or review one timed mock under realistic conditions to calibrate pace. Note where you lost time and set a concrete per-question budget. Do not start new topics. Check that your equipment (calculator batteries, laptop, webcam, connection) works.
Light review only: skim your summary sheet and key definitions. Prepare and lay out everything you will bring or use (ID, confirmation, calculator, pens, water). Confirm the start time in your local time zone and set two alarms. Get a full night's sleep; avoid heavy study late in the evening.
Eat a proper meal and arrive or log in early per the provider's instructions (arrive with buffer for check-in). Do a final 10–15 minute skim of your summary - no new material. For remote exams, close unnecessary applications, silence devices, and set up your room before the check-in window.
Read the instructions and confirm the number of questions, total marks, and time limit. Do a quick scan and start with questions you can answer confidently, or work in syllabus order if the paper is structured that way. Write down your time checkpoints.
Show working and state assumptions - partial credit usually depends on visible method. Define notation, keep units consistent, and sanity-check numerical answers (sign, magnitude, no-arbitrage bounds). If a question stalls you, mark it, move on, and return. Watch the clock against your checkpoints and reserve the last few minutes to check that every question has an answer.
Use remaining time to verify that no question is blank and that multi-part questions are fully addressed. Submit according to the platform's procedure and keep any submission confirmation. If a technical issue occurred, note the time and details for follow-up with the provider.
Rules to check
Bring the ID document that matches your registration exactly. If you are unsure which document is accepted or your name differs, confirm with the provider before the exam; do not rely on assumptions.
Follow the provider's rules on permitted materials, calculators, and scratch paper precisely. If the open-book or materials policy for your sitting is unclear, confirm with the provider in advance - treating a restricted exam as open-book is a conduct risk.
Do not communicate with anyone other than the invigilator/proctor during the exam, and do not access unauthorised devices, applications, or materials. For remote delivery, follow the room, camera, and screen-sharing requirements exactly as instructed.
Breaks: confirm the provider's policy on breaks, leaving the room, and whether the clock stops. Do not assume breaks are permitted; if you need one, follow the stated procedure rather than acting on your own.
Scoring: understand in advance whether marks are awarded for method as well as final answers, and whether there is negative marking. If either is unclear, confirm with the provider; otherwise always show working and avoid guessing where negative marking may apply.
If a technical failure or interruption occurs, follow the provider's stated procedure and document what happened (time, error message, support contact). Do not attempt workarounds that could be treated as misconduct.
Report any irregularity or suspected problem to the invigilator/proctor immediately and, where relevant, to the provider afterwards. Keep records of your submission.
Confirm all specific policies - ID, materials, breaks, timing, and technical-failure procedure - with the provider. This guide describes prudent practice, not official rules, and policies can change between sittings.