CMA Sri Lanka SL2 Financial Strategy & Valuation Exam exam-day guide
CMA Sri Lanka SL2 Financial Strategy & Valuation Exam · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official admission notice and venue/platform details
Check the date, session time, reporting time, venue address or online platform, and candidate instructions from your official CMA Sri Lanka admission notice. needs_review - confirm all logistics with the provider; do not rely on a forwarded message.
Valid photo ID
Bring the original ID type specified in the admission rules, commonly NIC or passport. needs_review - confirm which ID is accepted and whether a photocopy is required.
Admission card or candidate number
Print or download any admission card, candidate number, or login credential issued for the exam. needs_review - confirm whether a printed copy must be placed on the desk.
Approved calculator
Bring a non-programmable calculator with working batteries and confirm the permitted model and functions with the provider. needs_review - financial calculators may or may not be allowed in SL2.
Backup calculator or spare batteries
If permitted, carry a second calculator or spare batteries so a failure does not cost exam time. needs_review - confirm whether spare devices may be kept at your seat.
Writing kit
Pack two pens, a pencil, eraser, sharpener, and small ruler. Use pencil for workings only if the answer instructions allow it.
Simple analogue watch
A basic watch helps you pace sections. Smartwatches and wearables are normally prohibited; confirm device rules with the provider before relying on a watch.
Clear water bottle and quiet snack
Bring water and a small snack only if venue rules allow them at your desk. needs_review - confirm local rules on food, drink, and clear containers.
Formula-sheet awareness
Confirm whether a formula sheet is supplied and what it contains; otherwise memorise core formulas for WACC, CAPM, NPV, DCF terminal value, multiples, EVA, and dividend growth. needs_review - do not assume a formula sheet will be provided.
Travel and emergency plan
Plan the route, backup transport, and arrival buffer; save the venue contact and a family/employer emergency number. For online exams, test the device, camera, microphone, and internet connection.
Personal medication, glasses, and tissues
Carry necessary medication and glasses; keep small items in a clear pouch if required. needs_review - confirm whether bags and personal items can be taken into the exam room.
Rest and normal food
Sleep at your normal time and eat a normal meal. Avoid trying a new energy drink or heavy caffeine dose on exam morning.
Plan the day
Download and read the admission notice; confirm venue, reporting time, ID, calculator, and permitted-materials rules with CMA Sri Lanka/provider. Resolve any name or candidate-number discrepancy immediately.
Build a one-page recall list from memory: WACC and CAPM, NPV/IRR, free cash flow, terminal value, multiples, EVA, dividend growth, FX/interest-rate hedging, and option payoffs. Do not bring it unless the provider permits notes.
Do two or three timed mixed questions, including one valuation/DCF question and one financing or risk question. Mark your workings and assumptions, not only the final number.
Review the highest-weight topic areas where you lose method marks. Stop adding new topics in the last 24 hours; consolidate answer layouts and time allocation instead.
Pack the checklist items, print the admission card/ID if required, test the calculator, and confirm travel or online-exam setup. Set out clothes and documents.
Do a short formula-recall pass and rehearse a standard valuation answer structure: forecast horizon, cash-flow definition, discount rate, terminal value, assumptions, and sensitivity. Sleep at a normal time.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive with a travel buffer, and avoid last-minute cramming of new material. At the venue, listen to invigilator instructions and test your calculator.
Read the instructions and scan the whole paper. Note the marks per question and allocate minutes in proportion to marks; start with a strong question but do not overrun your allocation.
Set out the forecast horizon, FCF definition, discount rate, terminal value, and key assumptions before calculating. Label currency, year, discounting convention, and units clearly.
Show workings line by line and state assumptions where figures are uncertain. If stuck, write the method, move on, and return with remaining time.
Check units, signs, rounding, question parts, and that candidate details and answer areas are completed. Do not leave a required question blank unless the rules impose a penalty for guessing.
Rules to check
Bring and display the ID specified by CMA Sri Lanka. If your name differs from the admission record, confirm the remedy with the provider before exam day.
Do not bring unauthorized notes, phones, smartwatches, or programmable devices into the exam room. Switch off and store devices as instructed by the invigilator.
Use only an approved calculator. Clear or reset its memory if instructed, and do not borrow equipment from another candidate during the exam.
Follow invigilator instructions on start/finish times, toilet breaks, and leaving early. Breaks are usually restricted - confirm the venue rule with the provider rather than assuming.
Answer the required number of questions and label question numbers clearly. In structured or essay papers, method marks depend on visible workings and stated assumptions.
Do not assume negative marking either way. Confirm with the provider whether objective sections penalize incorrect answers; if there is no penalty, attempt every required question.
For online or proctored exams, complete the system test and confirm camera, microphone, desk-clear, and permitted-item rules with the provider in advance.
Academic integrity applies. Communication, sharing materials, or attempting to access unauthorized resources can invalidate your result.