IAI SA1 study plan

Map the SA1 syllabus against your current knowledge and rate each learning outcome red, amber or green to expose the largest gaps

Define the decision frameworks you will be tested on (risk appetite, capital, pricing, reserving, reinsurance) and write a one-page summary of each from first principles

Build a formula sheet covering discounted cash flow, expected loss, risk margin and capital requirement calculations, and verify each formula by hand on a simple numeric example

Set up a spaced-repetition deck and seed it with the 40 highest-risk definitions and distinctions you identify in week one

Work through the heaviest technical block (capital and risk modelling) by re-deriving each key result rather than reading passively

Solve at least 15 calculation-heavy practice items under timed conditions and log every error by cause

Explain aloud, in five minutes each, how solvency capital, economic capital and regulatory capital differ and where they interact

Draft model answers for two long-form questions on capital allocation, structuring them as situation, analysis, recommendation

Analyse reserving and pricing methods side by side, stating assumptions, strengths and failure modes for each

Practise applying judgement to incomplete data by writing short answers that state assumptions explicitly before calculating

Complete a full past-paper-style long question on reserving within 45 minutes and self-mark against a structured rubric

Summarise the regulatory and professional-conduct expectations that shape advice in these areas, citing the principles involved

Consolidate the first half of the syllabus by teaching it back: record ten-minute explanations of the five hardest concepts

Attempt a half-length mock under exam conditions and mark it strictly, including presentation and structure marks

Identify the two topics where your marks are weakest and rebuild your notes for them from scratch

Refine your formula sheet to a single page you can reproduce from memory

Tackle the second half of the syllabus, focusing on areas you have not yet tested yourself on

Practise the professional-judgement style questions where there is no single right answer, and rehearse a structure that earns credit for reasoning

Write three answers that explicitly balance policyholder, shareholder and regulatory perspectives

Peer-review or self-review two answers against the command verbs to check you actually answered the question asked

Run a full-length mock paper under strict timing and no notes, then mark it within 48 hours

Diagnose whether lost marks come from knowledge, application, calculation or exam technique, and quantify each category

Drill your weakest category with 20 targeted questions rather than rereading notes

Rebuild your one-page formula sheet and key-definitions list from memory and check against your originals

Execute the ranked fix list from week six, closing each gap with practice rather than reading

Run a second full mock and compare category scores against the first to confirm improvement

Rehearse time allocation per mark and per question type until it is automatic

Condense all notes into a final revision sheet of no more than four pages

Review only your final revision sheet, error log and formula sheet, avoiding new material

Complete two timed half-mocks to keep exam pace sharp without exhausting yourself

Rehearse the opening two minutes of each question type so you start writing immediately under pressure

Plan exam-day logistics, timing checkpoints and a fallback strategy for running over time on a question