ICAG L3 Strategic Case Study exam-day guide
ICAG L3 Strategic Case Study · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission letter / exam confirmation
Print or download the confirmation issued by the exam provider and check the exact venue, session time, and reporting time. If anything on it looks wrong, contact the provider before the exam day rather than on the morning itself.
Acceptable photo identification
Bring the original ID document named in your admission details (typically a passport or national photo ID). Check the provider's current ID policy for what counts as valid and whether a second form is required. If your ID is expired, damaged, or in a different name from your registration, confirm with the provider in advance.
Candidate number and seat details
Note your candidate number and any seat or room reference. Write them on paper rather than relying only on a phone, since phones are usually collected or switched off during the exam.
Approved calculator
Bring a calculator that meets the provider's current model policy. Check whether the model list is published and whether the calculator must be cleared of memory or have its cover removed. If you are unsure whether your model is permitted, confirm with the provider.
Writing instruments and spares
Bring at least two black or blue pens plus a pencil, eraser, and a small ruler if permitted. Case exams are usually handwritten; confirm whether your sitting is paper-based or computer-based, since the equipment list differs.
Clear pencil case or pouch
Most centres require stationery to be carried in a transparent container. Leave branded or opaque cases at home.
Analogue watch
A simple non-smart watch helps you pace the four sections. Smart watches and fitness trackers are normally prohibited, so confirm the provider's rule on watches if you rely on one.
Confirmation of permitted reference material
Strategic case exams are normally closed-book, but check the current regulations. Do not assume you may bring notes, textbooks, or annotated standards. If the rules are unclear, confirm with the provider.
Travel and venue plan
Rehearse the route, check transport disruptions, and identify a backup option. Aim to arrive with a buffer before the reporting time; late arrivals may be refused entry under centre rules.
Refreshments and personal medication
A long case exam is mentally demanding. Bring water and a snack for before the session if the centre allows it, and bring any necessary medication. Confirm the centre's policy on food, drink, and medication in the exam room.
Prepared one-page case framework
Not to take into the exam, but to review in the final hours: a compact reminder of how you structure answers (context, issues, analysis, recommendation, risks, implementation) and how you allocate time across the four sections. Leave it outside the exam room.
Phone switched off and stored
Expect to hand in or store your phone as directed. Do not keep it on your person during the exam, even switched off, unless the centre explicitly allows it.
Plan the day
Stop learning new syllabus content. Spend the time on technique: reread the case-study exam format, the number and weighting of sections, and the marking approach. Work through one full case under timed conditions if you have not already, then review where you lost time rather than where you lost marks.
Build your answer template. Practise opening each requirement with a short framing sentence, then using headed paragraphs and short bullet lists. Case markers reward structure and application to the scenario, not essay prose.
Rehearse the mechanics. Confirm calculator settings and modes, check your ID and admission documents are in one place, and print your route plan. If your sitting is computer-based, check the provider's guidance on the testing platform and any permitted equipment.
Do a focused review of the strategic toolkit you will actually use: financial analysis and ratio interpretation, valuation logic, risk assessment, stakeholder analysis, and implementation and change considerations. Keep it to a single summary sheet.
Do one light pass over your summary sheet and the case exam instructions. Then stop. Sleep is worth more than another past paper at this point.
Pack your bag: ID, admission confirmation, approved calculator, pens and pencil, clear pouch, analogue watch, water and snack, medication. Lay out clothes and check travel times for the morning.
Eat a proper meal and arrive early. Avoid last-minute cramming of new material; at most skim your framework. Follow centre instructions on registration, ID checks, and storing belongings.
Read the rubric and the case requirements carefully before writing. Note the marks or time allocation per requirement and write a simple time plan in the margin. Skim the case exhibits or data to locate where each requirement is answered.
Spend a short, fixed period planning each requirement: what the question asks, which case evidence applies, and what your recommendation will be. Resist writing before you know your answer direction.
Work to your time plan. Answer in the order that suits you, but do not let one requirement consume another's time. Use headings that mirror the requirement wording so the marker can find your points. Apply facts from the case explicitly rather than writing generic theory.
Professional-skills marks are usually embedded across the paper, so keep recommendations decision-useful, acknowledge trade-offs, and state implementation steps and risks. Avoid unsupported assertions.
Stop adding new content. Check that every requirement has an answer, that your recommendations are explicit, and that calculations are legible with units and assumptions stated. Correct obvious errors; do not rewrite whole sections.
Note down what felt difficult while it is fresh. This is useful if you sit further papers, and it stops post-exam speculation about individual questions from becoming your main focus.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID specified in your admission details and present it when asked. Name changes, expired documents, or alternative ID are usually handled only by prior arrangement, so confirm with the provider before the exam day rather than at the desk.
Arrive by the reporting time stated in your admission details. Centres commonly refuse entry after the session has started or after a stated cut-off; if you are delayed, contact the centre immediately. Exact late-arrival rules vary, so confirm with the provider.
Electronic devices, including phones, smart watches, and fitness trackers, are normally prohibited in the exam room. Store them as directed and switch phones off. If you need a device for medical reasons, arrange approval with the provider in advance.
The strategic case exam is normally closed-book. Do not bring notes, textbooks, or annotated materials into the room unless the current regulations explicitly permit them. If in doubt, confirm with the provider.
Use only an approved calculator model and follow any instructions on clearing memory or removing covers. Show your workings where marks depend on calculation, and state assumptions clearly.
Breaks are usually limited and supervised, and leaving the room may not be permitted during the session. Check the provider's rules on comfort breaks, food and drink, and medication before the day.
Scoring is normally based on the published mark scheme, with professional-skills marks awarded for structure, application to the case, and decision quality. Answer the requirement as set; irrelevant material earns little credit and costs time.
Follow all instructions from invigilators. Suspected misconduct, including possession of unauthorised material or communication with other candidates, is handled under the provider's disciplinary procedures. If you are unsure whether something is allowed, ask before the exam starts.