IAI SA1 exam-day guide
IAI SA1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID matching your registration name
Bring the original government-issued photo ID you registered with. The name must match your booking exactly; if you have recently changed your name, confirm with the provider in advance which supporting document is accepted. Do not rely on a photocopy or a digital copy on your phone.
Confirmation of your appointment (printed or saved offline)
Save the booking confirmation email and any candidate number or login details locally on your device so you can access them without a network connection. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a screen copy is acceptable.
Know your test format and delivery platform
SA1 is a written, essay-based paper for experienced practitioners, so the practical question is whether you sit it on paper or on screen at a test centre. Confirm the format, the platform, and the permitted answer medium with the provider well before the day; practising in the wrong medium is a common and avoidable error.
Permitted writing materials
If sitting on paper, bring several black or blue pens and a highlighter if allowed. If sitting on screen, confirm whether rough paper and a pen are provided or prohibited. Check the provider's list of permitted items rather than assuming.
Approved calculator or none at all
Confirm with the provider whether any calculator is permitted for this paper. Many essay-based advanced papers prohibit calculators entirely; if one is allowed, it is usually a non-programmable type subject to inspection. Do not bring a programmable or graphing model unless explicitly permitted.
No notes, textbooks or unauthorised electronic devices
This is a closed-book assessment. Leave study notes, textbooks, smart watches and phones out of the exam room or switched off and stored as instructed. Possession of unauthorised material can lead to invalidation regardless of whether it was used.
Travel plan and arrival buffer
Plan to arrive at the centre with a comfortable margin before the start time, allowing for registration and ID checks. Check the centre address and transport disruption the day before. If sitting remotely, test your connection, camera and microphone and identify a quiet, private room in advance.
Know the paper structure and timing
Confirm the number of questions, whether there is any choice, the total duration and any reading time. Write down your per-question time budget before you start and keep it visible; in essay papers, running out of time on the final question is the most common cause of a near miss.
A rehearsed exam strategy
Decide in advance how you will read the paper, choose questions, allocate planning time and structure each answer. For SA1-style questions, a short plan with a clear structure, applied to the scenario, scores better than a stream of recalled theory.
Hydration, medication and a light snack for afterwards
Bring water if the centre permits it and any medication you may need, checking the provider's rules on bringing items into the room. Eat properly beforehand; a long essay paper is mentally demanding and low blood sugar shows up as slow, repetitive answers.
Watch and timekeeping
Confirm whether a wristwatch is allowed; many centres prohibit smart watches but permit simple analogue watches. If in doubt, rely on the clock provided and confirm with the provider in advance.
Post-exam plan for notes and results
Note the date results are expected and how they will be released. Confirm with the provider the window for any appeal or special-consideration request, and record any illness or disruption promptly in line with their procedure.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new material to consolidating. Review your own summary sheets for the core syllabus areas and rehearse answer structures for the main question types. Do at least one full timed paper under exam conditions, then mark it honestly against the command words and the marks available. Stop studying new topics at this point; late cramming tends to displace well-organised knowledge.
Confirm the practicalities: the exact start time, the centre address or remote-session link, the permitted materials list, and the ID you will present. Re-read the provider's exam regulations so nothing on the day is a surprise. Check travel or connection arrangements and set two alarms.
Do a focused pass over the areas you most often get wrong in practice, using short active-recall sessions rather than re-reading. Practise writing one or two full answers to time, focusing on structure, use of the scenario and a clear conclusion. Review how marks are allocated so your answers target the higher-scoring requirements.
Do light revision only: skim your summary sheets and the structures you will use. Prepare everything you are taking in one place by the door. Check the journey or set up and test your remote exam equipment. Eat a normal meal, avoid late-night study, and aim for a full night's sleep; fatigue costs more marks than one extra topic.
Eat a proper breakfast and avoid last-minute cramming of new material; a brief skim of your own summary is enough. Leave with more time than you think you need. Arrive early, complete registration and ID checks calmly, and use any waiting time to settle rather than to panic-revise.
Read the instructions and the whole paper before writing. Check the number of questions, any compulsory sections and the marks per question. Choose your questions deliberately, then write a short time budget and stick to it. Read each chosen question twice and underline the command words and the specific scenario facts you must address.
Spend a few minutes planning each answer: identify what the question actually asks, the relevant principles, and how they apply to the given facts. Write in structured paragraphs with clear headings where helpful, and answer the question asked rather than everything you know about the topic. Keep an eye on time and move on when your allocation for a question is used up.
Stop writing new content and check that every required question has an answer and that no page or answer box has been missed. Correct obvious errors, make sure your handwriting or typed answers are legible, and check you have completed any candidate details required. Use remaining time to strengthen a weak answer rather than to start a new one.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID you registered with and present it when asked. The name must match your booking; if it does not, contact the provider before the exam day rather than at the desk, and confirm with the provider which alternative documents are accepted.
This is a closed-book assessment. Do not bring notes, textbooks, smart watches, phones or other unauthorised devices into the exam room. Follow the centre's or remote-invigilator's instructions on where to store personal belongings, and switch devices off if you are permitted to keep them nearby.
Follow all invigilator instructions and the provider's exam regulations. Confirm with the provider in advance what is permitted in your specific sitting, including calculators, watches, rough paper and water, rather than inferring from other exams you have taken.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and wait to be escorted; do not simply get up. Breaks are usually not permitted during a timed essay paper, so plan hydration and toilet visits beforehand. Confirm the exact policy with the provider.
Answer the required number of questions and observe any compulsory sections. Work that exceeds the rubric, or answers to more questions than allowed, may not be marked or may be disregarded; confirm the marking rules with the provider if the instructions are unclear.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam and do not share, photograph or reproduce the paper afterwards. Question content is confidential, and breaches can lead to invalidation of your result.
If you are ill or something disrupts your exam, tell the invigilator at the time and follow the provider's special-consideration procedure, including any deadline for submitting evidence. Do not wait until results are released to raise it.
Marks are awarded against the published marking criteria for the paper, so target the command words and the marks available in each question. Confirm with the provider how results are graded, when they are released and what the appeal or re-mark window is.