IAI CM1 exam-day guide
IAI CM1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the original government-issued photo ID in the name you registered with. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether a secondary ID is required; do not assume a digital copy will suffice.
Exam appointment confirmation
Have the confirmation email or booking reference available, including the exact start time and time zone. If you are testing remotely, check the provider's instructions on how and when to launch the session.
Permitted reference or formula material
Check the current exam regulations on whether any tables, formula sheets, or calculators are supplied on screen or permitted. Confirm with the provider rather than bringing your own annotated material, which is commonly prohibited.
Approved calculator
If a calculator is allowed, verify the permitted models and whether memory must be cleared. Many providers supply an on-screen calculator instead; confirm with the provider before relying on a physical device.
Scratch paper and writing tools
For test-centre sittings, confirm whether the centre supplies paper and pen or whether you may bring them. For remote sittings, rules on blank paper and erasable boards vary; confirm with the provider in advance.
Quiet, cleared workspace (remote sittings)
Remove notes, books, phones, and second screens from the desk and the room. Expect a room scan and a desk check at check-in, and make sure your webcam and microphone work and your connection is stable.
Water and a light snack for breaks
Confirm whether food and drink are allowed at the desk or only during scheduled breaks. For a long sitting, plan hydration so you are not distracted by thirst in the final section.
Timing plan rehearsed
Know the number of questions and total time, and decide in advance your target pace per question and your checkpoint times. Practise this on at least one full timed mock before exam day.
Arrival or login buffer
Plan to arrive or log in well before the start time to absorb ID checks and technical setup. Confirm with the provider the latest arrival time after which you may be refused entry.
Reviewed exam regulations
Read the current candidate handbook or regulations on conduct, prohibited items, and misconduct consequences. Policies change, so use the version published for your sitting.
Rest and logistics settled
Confirm travel route or quiet room, and protect sleep in the last two nights. Fatigue costs more marks in a timed actuarial paper than one extra hour of revision gains.
Plan the day
Stop learning new syllabus material. Spend the time on full or half timed papers under exam conditions, then review errors by topic and write a short list of your three weakest areas. Re-read the exam regulations and confirm logistics: appointment time, time zone, venue or room, ID, and permitted items.
Do one more timed paper, focusing on pacing and on questions you tend to skip. Build a one-page summary of formulas, assumptions, and standard results you must recall, and check it against the official syllabus and any supplied tables. Confirm with the provider any rule you are unsure about, such as calculator model or scratch paper.
Do light review only: your one-page summary and your error log. Do not start a new mock late in the day. Prepare and lay out ID, confirmation, calculator, and clothing for the next day. Check the weather and travel plan or test your remote setup, then go to bed at a normal time.
Eat a normal meal and avoid heavy caffeine if you are already anxious. Arrive or log in early with buffer time. Do a five-minute warm-up on a couple of familiar questions rather than a hard problem, so you start with momentum instead of doubt.
Read each question fully and answer what you can quickly. If a question resists after a short attempt, mark it and move on; do not let one item consume the time of three. Keep an eye on your checkpoint times.
Return to marked questions in order of likely marks per minute. Show method clearly where working is marked, and state assumptions explicitly. Reserve the last few minutes to check that every question has an answer and that no mis-keyed entry occurred.
Note which topics felt weak while memory is fresh, for the next sitting or the next subject. Do not attempt to reconstruct or share question content, which typically breaches exam regulations.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID matching your registration and present it when asked. If your ID has changed since registering, contact the provider before exam day; name mismatches can bar entry.
Do not bring or use prohibited items such as phones, smart watches, notes, or unauthorised calculators. Confirm with the provider the full prohibited-items list and where to store belongings.
Follow all invigilator or proctor instructions, including room scans, desk checks, and identity verification for remote sittings. Refusal to comply may end your session.
Breaks are governed by the provider. Confirm in advance whether scheduled breaks exist, whether the clock stops, and whether you may leave the room; do not assume you can pause the timer.
Do not communicate with anyone about the content of the exam during or after the sitting, and do not copy, photograph, or reproduce questions. Such conduct is normally treated as misconduct.
Scoring rules, including whether wrong answers are penalised and how working marks are awarded, are set by the provider. Confirm the current marking approach for your paper rather than relying on hearsay.
If a technical failure occurs in a remote sitting, stop and follow the provider's incident procedure immediately, and record what happened. Do not attempt to fix it silently and continue.
Arrive or log in by the stated deadline. Candidates arriving after the cut-off may be refused entry or given reduced time; confirm the exact policy with the provider.