CA Sri Lanka Strategic Level Exam exam-day guide
CA Sri Lanka Strategic Level Exam · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission notice and national ID
Carry the admission/confirmation document issued for your sitting together with your National Identity Card or passport. Confirm with the provider which identity documents are accepted and whether a printed copy of the admission notice is required, since rules on digital copies vary by sitting.
Candidate index/registration number
Note your candidate index number and the module codes you are sitting. You will write these on answer scripts and any MCQ answer sheet, and mis-writing them can delay or invalidate marking.
Permitted calculator
Bring a non-programmable calculator for quantitative modules (financial reporting, management accounting, finance, analytics). Confirm with the provider the exact permitted model/type list; programmable or graphing calculators are typically prohibited.
Stationery in a clear pouch
Bring black or blue pens, pencils, an eraser, and a sharpener. Confirm with the provider whether pencil is required for MCQ sheets and whether correction fluid or tape is banned.
No smart devices
Leave smart watches, phones, and earbuds at home or switched off and stored as instructed. Confirm with the provider the policy on phones brought to the venue, as some centres provide no secure storage.
Printed study summary and formula sheet
Prepare a one- or two-page summary of standards, formulas, and framework steps for last-minute revision only. Do not bring loose notes into the exam hall unless the provider explicitly allows open-book material for that module.
Venue and timing confirmed
Check the venue address, hall number, and reporting time on your admission document and confirm with the provider if anything is unclear. Plan arrival well before the reporting time to absorb traffic and security checks.
Know the paper structure and marks
Confirm with the provider the number of sections, compulsory versus optional questions, and marks per question for each module you sit. Structure differs between modules, so do not assume a single format.
Time allocation plan
Write a per-question minute budget on your rough sheet at the start, based on marks and the number of questions you must answer. Reserve the final minutes for checking workings and script details.
Hydration and light snack for after
Carry water and a light snack for after the paper, not during it unless the provider permits. Long sittings are tiring and back-to-back papers make recovery time important.
Travel backup plan
Identify a backup route and an emergency contact. Arriving late can mean exclusion, and the provider's late-entry rule should be confirmed in advance.
Read the candidate instructions
Read the instructions printed on the admission document and the exam-day rules issued by the provider, including any module-specific restrictions, before the day.
Plan the day
Stop opening new topics. Revise your own summary sheets, framework steps, and standard headings, and rework past-paper questions under timed conditions for the modules you sit. Practise writing full answers to the required depth for the marks, not just outline points. Confirm your venue, reporting time, and permitted calculator against the provider's instructions, and resolve any ambiguity by contacting the provider rather than guessing.
Pack the clear pouch, admission document, ID, and calculator, and lay out clothes. Do a light review of formulas and framework steps only. Check travel time to the venue at the hour you will actually travel, and set two alarms. Sleep at your normal time; cramming new material the night before costs more in fatigue than it returns in marks.
Eat a normal meal, arrive at the venue ahead of the reporting time, and locate your hall and seat. Keep conversation with other candidates light; last-minute comparisons tend to raise anxiety. Once seated, read the front-page instructions, check the paper for missing pages, and write your index number where required before the start signal.
Read the whole paper or the required sections before writing. Mark compulsory questions, choose optional questions only where you can answer to depth, and write a minute budget per question on your rough sheet. Note any data or appendix provided so you do not waste time re-deriving it.
Answer the highest-mark compulsory questions first and keep to your minute budget, moving on when time is up rather than perfecting one answer. Show workings for calculation marks, use standard headings and framework structure for discussion marks, and apply the relevant accounting standard or framework by name where it earns marks. Leave space to return to incomplete answers.
Check that every required question has an answer, that question numbers and your index number are correct, and that workings are legible. Complete any partially written conclusion, since a stated conclusion often carries marks even when the analysis is incomplete.
Do not dissect answers with other candidates between papers. Focus on the next sitting's logistics and rest; avoid reworking the paper you just wrote until all papers for the day are finished.
Rules to check
Bring the identity document specified by the provider and keep it on your desk for verification. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before the exam day; being turned away for inadequate ID is not appealable in most centres.
Follow the provider's instructions on prohibited items, including phones, smart watches, and notes. Confirm with the provider where bags and devices are stored, and never keep a device on your person during the paper.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the paper has been distributed. Any suspected collusion or unauthorized material is handled under the provider's misconduct rules, which you should read in advance.
Confirm with the provider the rules on leaving the hall, toilet breaks, and re-entry during the paper, as these vary by centre and module length. Where breaks are permitted, expect supervision and time checks.
Confirm with the provider whether negative marking applies to MCQ papers and how optional questions are scored, so you do not lose marks by guessing or by over-answering. Where unsure, answer only what the instructions require.
Write legibly and identify each answer with the correct question number. Marks can be lost where markers cannot match an answer to a question, and rough work should be clearly separated or crossed out as instructed.
Confirm with the provider the policy on late arrival and early departure. Entry after the start is often restricted, and leaving before the permitted time may be treated as a breach of exam rules.
If you believe there is a problem with the paper, such as a missing page or a printing error, raise it with an invigilator immediately and note it. Do not rely on raising it after the exam, when evidence is harder to establish.