ICAN Professional Case Study exam-day guide
ICAN Professional Case Study · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the exact form of government-issued photo ID the exam provider specifies (commonly a passport or national ID card). The name on the ID should match the name on your registration. If you are unsure which documents are accepted or whether a name discrepancy matters, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Admission or confirmation document
Print or save the appointment confirmation, admission ticket, or scheduling email you received at registration. It usually carries your candidate number, test centre address, and reporting time. If you never received one, contact the provider well before the exam.
Reporting time and venue details
Write down the exact reporting time, building name, and room or hall. Arrive earlier than the stated time because registration and ID checks take additional minutes. Confirm with the provider how early candidates are expected to arrive and what happens to latecomers.
Travel and route plan
Check the route, transport disruptions, and parking in advance. Aim to reach the area 30 to 45 minutes before the reporting time so a delay does not become an absence. For an unfamiliar city, do a dry run the day before if practical.
Writing instruments and permitted materials
Bring pens and pencils as instructed, plus any calculator, ruler, or other aid the provider explicitly allows. Do not assume a particular model of calculator is permitted; confirm with the provider which devices and materials are allowed in the hall.
Watch or timekeeping
A simple analogue watch helps you pace the case study if the hall clock is not visible from your seat. Check with the provider whether wristwatches are permitted and whether smartwatches are banned.
Personal items and storage plan
Expect phones, bags, and notes to be stored away from your desk or left outside the hall. Plan what you will carry and where valuables will go. Confirm with the provider what storage is available at the venue.
Water, snack, and medication
Bring water in a clear container if permitted, a light snack for before or after the exam, and any medication you may need. Confirm with the provider whether drinks and snacks are allowed at the desk and what the procedure is for medical needs.
Rest and readiness plan
Protect sleep in the final nights and eat a normal breakfast. Cramming new topics the night before tends to raise anxiety without improving case-study performance. Review only your own summary notes and worked examples.
Practice under timed conditions
Complete at least one full case study against the clock in the final days so you know your reading, planning, and writing pace. Use the answer format the provider describes; if the format is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Rules and format review
Re-read the provider's candidate instructions on conduct, permitted materials, timing, and scoring. Note anything ambiguous and resolve it with the provider rather than guessing on the day.
Backup plan
Save the provider's contact details and keep a charged phone for the journey. If illness or an emergency prevents attendance, contact the provider as soon as possible to ask about their procedure; do not assume a resit or refund will be automatic.
Plan the day
Confirm logistics: venue, reporting time, route, and ID. Re-read the provider's candidate instructions and list any open questions to send to the provider. Do one full timed case study and review your own notes on structure, calculations, and presentation rather than starting new material.
Do a lighter timed section or rework a case you found difficult. Build a one-page personal checklist of common errors: misreading the requirement, omitting a requested section, unit slips, and unclear conclusions. Check that your pens, calculator, and other permitted items are ready.
Stop intensive study early. Confirm the alarm, transport, and what you will wear and carry. Pack your ID, confirmation, instruments, water, and snack. Eat a normal meal, avoid alcohol, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Skim only your own summary sheet if it helps you feel settled.
Eat breakfast, leave with buffer time, and arrive before the reporting time. Keep conversation with other candidates light; last-minute debate about answers tends to increase anxiety. Follow registration and ID checks, store personal items as directed, and settle at your desk.
Read the instructions on the paper carefully and check the time allowed and the marks available. Note the start and finish times. If anything about the format or rules is unclear, raise your hand and ask an invigilator before you begin writing.
Skim the whole case study, identify the required tasks, and note the marks or weighting for each. Allocate time roughly in proportion to marks, leaving a reserve for checking. Read the scenario data closely: exhibits, tables, and figures often carry the detail that separates a strong answer from a generic one.
Answer the question actually asked. Structure responses with clear headings, show workings for calculations, state assumptions where data is incomplete, and draw an explicit conclusion or recommendation. Watch units and rounding. If you get stuck, leave a gap and move on, then return.
Use the last portion of your time to check that every required task has been addressed, that numbers and units are consistent, and that conclusions follow from your analysis. Make sure your candidate details are completed as instructed before you hand in.
Note any questions you found unclear and, if the provider invites feedback, pass them on. Do not try to reconstruct every answer with other candidates. Record what you would do differently and when results are expected, so you can plan any next steps.
Rules to check
Bring the identification the provider requires and ensure the name matches your registration. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before the exam; do not rely on a document type you have not verified.
Follow all invigilation instructions on permitted materials, electronic devices, and leaving the hall. Phones and smart devices are commonly required to be switched off and stored away; confirm with the provider exactly what is allowed at your desk.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam and do not take notes, question papers, or answer materials out of the hall unless the provider explicitly permits it. Ask an invigilator if you are unsure what you may keep.
If you need to leave the room, for example for a toilet break or medical reason, raise your hand and wait for an invigilator. Whether breaks are allowed, and whether exam time is adjusted, depends on the provider's rules; confirm them in advance.
Manage your time against the marks available. A case study is usually scored on how well each required task is addressed, so a complete, clearly structured answer to every task generally serves you better than an overlong answer to one part.
Show your workings and state assumptions. Where a case study gives incomplete data, a reasoned approach with explicit assumptions is usually more valuable than an unexplained figure. Follow any presentation or answer-format instructions the provider gives.
If you are ill or cannot attend, contact the provider as soon as possible to ask about their procedure. Do not assume a resit, transfer, or refund will be granted; the policy is set by the provider and should be confirmed with them.
Treat the exam as confidential. Do not reproduce or share question content afterwards in a way that breaches the provider's candidate agreement. Check the provider's rules on discussing exam content if you are unsure.