IAI SA3 study plan
IAI SA3 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Map the SA3 syllabus line by line into a personal topic checklist, tagging each item as known, shaky, or unknown
Define the exam's specialist scope in your own words and list the artefacts an SA3-level practitioner is expected to produce
Collect and skim the primary reference material (standards, regulatory texts, official guidance) that the syllabus points to, noting which sections you still need
Set up a spaced-repetition deck seeded with the 40 highest-risk terms and definitions from your checklist
Your checkpoint
A one-page gap analysis table listing every syllabus item with a confidence rating and a named source to study for each
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Work through the heaviest-weighted topic cluster identified in week 1, writing a half-page summary of each sub-topic in your own words
Draw a diagram that shows how the core components of this cluster relate to one another and where the exam is likely to probe boundaries
Answer 30 practice questions drawn only from this cluster and log every wrong answer with its root cause
Rewrite each missed concept as a one-sentence rule you can recall cold
Your checkpoint
A cluster summary sheet plus an error log of at least 30 attempted questions with root-cause notes
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Cover the second-heaviest topic cluster and repeat the summarise-diagram-test cycle
Build a comparison table contrasting the closely related concepts that examiners love to confuse
Practise 20 scenario-style questions under a 90-second-per-question limit
Identify the three concepts you still cannot explain without notes and schedule them for daily review
Your checkpoint
A comparison table of at least eight confusable concept pairs, each with a distinguishing test you can apply under time pressure
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Consolidate the remaining syllabus sub-topics not yet touched, prioritising by exam weight
Write a 10-question self-test for each remaining sub-topic and answer it without references
Review the full error log and re-attempt every previously missed question
Draft a one-page formula and definition sheet for the whole domain
Your checkpoint
A complete one-page reference sheet covering the entire specialist domain, usable as your final-week revision aid
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Sit a timed half-length mock covering the full domain and record your score, timing, and confidence per question
Analyse the mock by topic to find the two weakest areas and quantify the score gap
Re-study the two weakest areas using worked examples rather than re-reading
Refine the reference sheet by cutting anything you can now recall unaided
Your checkpoint
A mock-analysis report with per-topic scores, a ranked weakness list, and a written remediation plan for the top two
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Drill the ranked weakness list with targeted question sets until each area reaches your target accuracy
Practise explaining three complex topics aloud in under three minutes each, as if briefing a colleague
Work through at least two full-length case or scenario exercises end to end
Update the error log and confirm no root cause is repeated from earlier weeks
Your checkpoint
A before-and-after accuracy table showing each weak area's score at the start and end of the week
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Sit two full timed mock exams under realistic conditions and mark them strictly
Review every mock question, including the ones you answered correctly, to confirm your reasoning was sound
Compress the reference sheet into a single page of trigger phrases and decision rules
Rehearse the timing strategy and decide your question-skipping and flagging rules
Your checkpoint
Two marked mock papers with a written timing review stating where minutes were lost and how you will recover them
SA3 specialist application content (domain names and weights not enumerated in the retrieved source)
Run daily 20-question mixed sets to keep every topic warm, rotating through the whole syllabus
Re-attempt only the questions you have missed twice and confirm each is now secure
Recite the one-page trigger sheet from memory at the start of each session
Complete a final light mock two days before the exam and stop heavy study the day before
Your checkpoint
A final readiness checklist showing every syllabus item marked secure, with the trigger sheet recited from memory without prompts
Milestones
Week 2: You can explain the heaviest topic cluster's core concepts aloud without notes and have logged at least 30 attempted questions with root causes
Week 4: Every syllabus item has been studied at least once and the one-page domain reference sheet is complete
Week 5: A timed half-length mock is scored and analysed, with a ranked weakness list and remediation plan written
Week 6: Each previously weak area has improved measurably against its week-5 baseline and no root cause has repeated
Week 7: Two full timed mocks are completed and marked, and the reference sheet is compressed to one page of decision rules
Week 8: The trigger sheet is recited from memory, all twice-missed questions are secure, and the final mock meets your target score