IFoA SA1 exam-day guide
IFoA SA1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm your exam format and permitted materials with the provider
SA1 is delivered through the IFoA's exam arrangements, which have changed in recent years (remote online versus in-person, open-book versus closed-book rules for specific sittings). Do not rely on what a colleague did two sittings ago. Log into your IFoA account and read the exam entry and regulations notice for your exact sitting, and confirm the format, permitted reference material and calculator policy with the provider before finalising your preparation.
Photo ID matching your exam entry
Bring the identification document accepted for your sitting (typically a current passport or photo driving licence). The name must match your exam entry. If your ID is expired, in a different name, or you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider well before the day rather than on the morning.
Approved calculator plus spare batteries or a second calculator
Confirm the current calculator policy with the provider, including whether only certain models are permitted. Bring a backup: a flat battery in the final 20 minutes can cost several marks. Practise on the exact model you will use so that annuity and discounting functions are second nature.
Printed or downloaded exam instructions and any permitted reference material
If your sitting permits specified material, prepare it in the permitted form and tab it for fast lookup. If it is closed-book, leave it at home. The list of permitted items for SA1 differs between sittings, so confirm with the provider and do not assume.
Log-in and technical readiness for a remote sitting
If sitting remotely, confirm the platform requirements, run any system check in advance, and have your entry credentials, charger and a backup internet route (for example a phone hotspot) ready. Test your webcam and microphone if invigilation requires them. Confirm the provider's procedure for technical failure before the day.
Know your exact start time, time zone and reporting time
Write down the start time in your local time zone, plus any required pre-exam check-in or identity verification window. Convert carefully if the stated time is in UK time and you are elsewhere. Arriving late or joining late may reduce your working time, and the provider's allowance for lateness should be confirmed in advance.
Plan the journey or the room
For an in-person sitting, plan the route with a buffer for delays and know the venue. For a remote sitting, choose a quiet room with a reliable desk, good lighting and no interruptions, and tell household members your exam window so you are not disturbed.
Prepare a one-page formula and method sheet from memory
Write, by hand, the formulas, reserving conventions and method steps you most often get wrong: reserve bases, profit-signature construction, embedded-value components, capital and surplus analysis, and the main pricing relationships. Rewriting it in the final days is itself revision; use it for a last review rather than trying to learn new material.
Rehearse the paper under timed conditions
Complete at least one full past paper or mock under the same time limit and format as your sitting. Practise allocating time by marks, writing concise structured answers, and leaving a few minutes to check. Mark it against the solutions and note recurring errors, which are usually presentation and time management rather than knowledge.
Prepare for the word-processing or handwriting demands of the paper
SA1 answers are long-form and discursive. If typing, practise composing structured answers with headings and bullet points in the exam editor, and check whether spell-check or copy-paste is available. If handwriting, practise legibility and speed, and bring spare pens. Confirm the answer-presentation rules with the provider.
Water, snack and any permitted medication
A three-hour-plus paper is demanding. Bring water in a permitted container and a quiet snack if the rules allow it, and any medication you may need. Check the provider's rules on food and drink, since these vary between venues and remote sittings.
A clock or watch you can see without disturbing others
You need to track time against marks. If a watch is permitted, confirm the rules on smart watches, which are usually prohibited. For a remote sitting, keep a visible clock or timer on screen and learn how to check remaining time in the exam platform.
Plan the day
Stop learning new syllabus material. Do a final pass over your one-page formula and method sheet, re-read your summary notes on the highest-weight SA1 areas (reserving, capital and surplus, embedded value and profit reporting, pricing, and the application of professional judgement), and review the mark schemes of two or three past papers to remind yourself what high-scoring answers look like. Confirm your exam entry details, format, permitted materials and start time with the provider, and resolve any technical or ID questions now rather than later.
Complete one final timed practice paper or a substantial set of past-paper questions under exam conditions, then mark it honestly. Focus your remaining time on the question types where you lose marks: usually the discursive 'explain' and 'discuss' parts, where candidates under-write, and multi-part calculations where a wrong early assumption carries through. Check that your calculator works and that you have spare batteries.
Do light revision only: reread your formula sheet and summary notes, and skim the syllabus to confirm you can recall the structure of each topic. Prepare everything you need: ID, calculator and spares, permitted material, pens, water and any allowed snack. For a remote sitting, run the system check, confirm your log-in works, charge devices and note the technical-support contact. Check the journey or tidy your exam room. Set two alarms and go to bed at a sensible time; sleep is worth more than another hour of cramming.
Eat properly and avoid last-minute cramming of new material. Glance at your formula sheet only. Arrive or log in early with time to spare: complete identity verification, settle into the room, close other applications and silence your phone. Read the provider's instructions on the paper again, note the start and finish times, and write down your time allocation by question before you begin.
Read the whole paper or the required questions before writing, and note the marks per question and per part. Allocate time roughly in proportion to marks, including a few minutes at the end for checking. Start with a question you can answer confidently to settle your nerves, but do not overrun on it. Note any question where you are unsure and return to it.
Answer the question asked, in the format requested, and use the marks as a guide to length: a part worth several marks needs several distinct points, not one sentence. Structure discursive answers with short paragraphs or bullet points and apply the material to the scenario given rather than writing generic textbook content. Show calculation workings so that method marks are available even if an arithmetic slip occurs. If you get stuck, move on and return; do not lose ten minutes for two marks. Watch the clock against your allocation, and keep a final few minutes to check that every required question has an answer and that no part has been missed.
Rules to check
Follow the exam regulations for your sitting exactly, including what may be on your desk, what may be open on your computer, and whether any reference material is permitted. The rules differ between sittings, so confirm the current version with the provider and treat anything not explicitly permitted as prohibited.
Bring the identification required for your sitting and be ready to show it at check-in or on camera. Your name must match your exam entry. If you have any doubt about the acceptability of your ID, confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Do not communicate with anyone other than invigilators or technical support during the exam, and do not share, photograph or reproduce the paper. Suspected misconduct is handled under the provider's disciplinary process, so if something unusual happens, report it to the invigilator or support rather than resolving it yourself.
If you need to leave the room or take a break during an in-person sitting, follow the invigilator's instructions; in a remote sitting, follow the provider's stated procedure. Time typically continues to run during breaks, so plan hydration and comfort breaks around your time allocation. Confirm the specific break rules with the provider.
Marks are awarded for the answer given, so write legibly or type clearly, label each answer with the correct question number, and show workings. Answers to the wrong question, or unlabelled answers, may not be credited. Confirm the required answer format with the provider.
If a technical failure occurs in a remote sitting, follow the provider's published procedure immediately, including any requirement to contact support within a specified window or to document the issue. Do not attempt to restart or reconfigure the platform in ways the instructions prohibit, and confirm the procedure with the provider in advance.
Keep to the published start and finish times. Late joining or late submission is generally subject to the provider's rules and may not be allowed. If you are delayed, contact the provider or invigilator as soon as possible rather than deciding yourself how to proceed.
Use only the calculator and materials permitted for your sitting. Smart watches and unauthorised devices are usually prohibited; if you are unsure whether an item is allowed, leave it out or confirm with the provider beforehand.