HKIE Professional Assessment - Control, Automation & Instrumentation Discipline exam-day guide
HKIE Professional Assessment - Control, Automation & Instrumentation Discipline · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification matching your application
Bring the original ID document (typically a passport or Hong Kong Identity Card) whose details match your application. Confirm with the provider which forms of ID are accepted and whether a photocopy is ever permitted - do not assume.
Admission / confirmation document
Print or save the confirmation email or admission slip showing your candidate number, date, time, and venue. Some venues require it at the door; confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory or a digital copy is acceptable.
Venue location, transport route, and arrival buffer
Confirm the exact building and room in advance, check transport options, and plan to arrive with a comfortable buffer. If the venue is unfamiliar, do a route check the day before. Specific arrival cut-off times must be confirmed with the provider.
Permitted writing instruments and any allowed reference material
Bring pens, pencils, and an eraser. Confirm with the provider whether any standards extracts, formula sheets, or calculators are permitted, and whether only certain calculator models are allowed. Do not bring unauthorised notes.
Calculator (if permitted) with fresh batteries
Instrumentation and control questions often involve unit conversions, loop scaling, and gain/offset calculations. Confirm the calculator policy with the provider, and if permitted bring a model you are used to, with spare batteries.
Analogue or simple watch
A watch helps you pace long written papers if the room clock is not visible. Confirm with the provider whether smartwatches or any wearable devices are prohibited - many venues ban them outright.
Phone silenced and stored as instructed
Switch off or silence your phone and keep it out of reach per venue instructions. Confirm the provider's policy on devices; a ringing or visible phone can lead to a conduct finding.
Water and a light snack for breaks
Long written papers benefit from hydration. Confirm whether food and drink are allowed at the desk or only outside the room.
Review your own summary of key formulas and concepts
Bring a one- or two-page personal summary for last-minute review before entering the room - then put it away. This is for your own revision only, not to be taken to the desk unless the provider explicitly permits reference material.
Confirm the format and timing in advance
Check with the provider the number of papers, duration of each, whether there are separate sessions, and whether any part is open-book. Do not rely on second-hand accounts from other candidates.
Medical or special-access arrangements
If you need extra time, a separate room, or other access arrangements, confirm the approval and what evidence to bring. These are usually arranged well before the exam date - verify with the provider.
Backup plan for the morning
Have a contingency for transport disruption: an earlier train, a taxi number, or a contact number for the venue. Note the provider's policy on late arrival - do not assume you will be admitted after the start.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material and consolidate. Work through your own summary of the discipline: process control fundamentals (open/closed loop, PID behaviour, tuning concepts, stability and loop interaction), instrumentation (sensor selection, signal ranges and scaling, 4–20 mA loops, calibration and error sources), and automation (PLC scan cycle, interlocks, safety instrumented functions, HMI/alarm management). Practise explaining each concept in a few sentences and doing representative calculations by hand. Confirm venue, timing, and permitted items with the provider now so there are no surprises.
Do one or two timed practice papers or question sets under exam conditions, then mark them honestly. Identify the two or three topics where you lose the most marks and spend the remaining time on those rather than re-reading everything. Check that your calculator works and that you know how to use its functions for the calculations you expect.
Light review only: skim your summary, key formulas, and any lists you tend to forget (unit conversions, standard signal ranges, typical control valve and transmitter terminology). Prepare your bag: ID, admission document, pens, calculator, watch, water. Check the route and the weather forecast. Get a full night's sleep - this matters more than one more hour of revision.
Eat a proper meal and arrive early. Do not attempt to learn new topics. Use the wait for a calm skim of your summary, then put it away. Follow venue instructions on devices and belongings. Use the washroom before entering the room.
Read the instructions on the paper carefully, check the number of questions and any choice requirements, and note the marks per question. Budget your time per mark and write the budget down. Scan the whole paper before starting so you can sequence questions sensibly.
Answer the questions you are most confident about first to secure marks, then return to harder ones. For calculation questions, show your working and state assumptions and units - method marks are often available even if the final number is wrong. For descriptive control questions, structure answers: define the problem, state the principle, apply it to the scenario, and note limitations. Watch the clock at the halfway point and adjust.
Check that you have attempted every required question, that question numbers and any choice instructions are correct, and that units and significant figures are sensible. Fix obvious slips rather than starting new material. Stop writing when instructed.
Rules to check
Bring the original identification document that matches your application and present it when asked. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before the exam day - do not rely on a photocopy or an expired document.
Follow all instructions from invigilators. They manage seating, timing, and the start and end of the paper; their directions take precedence over anything you have heard from other candidates.
Keep phones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices switched off and stored as instructed. Do not keep any device on your person unless the provider explicitly permits it.
Only use reference material, calculators, or notes that the provider has explicitly permitted. If the paper is closed-book, bring nothing to the desk except permitted instruments.
Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need to leave the room. Re-entry rules vary; confirm the provider's policy on breaks and on leaving during the paper.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the paper, and do not attempt to view others' work. Suspected misconduct is typically handled under the provider's disciplinary procedures.
Scoring and pass criteria are set by the provider. Confirm the marking scheme, any sectional requirements, and the pass standard with the provider rather than assuming; do not treat rumours about grade boundaries as fact.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a disturbance affects your performance, tell an invigilator at the time and follow the provider's procedure for reporting it afterwards.