The following information is a guide only. Please refer to the exam regulations document that will be mailed to you before the exam, for the specific requirements that apply in the semester you are enrolled.
When you attend a Practice Management exam, you will be need to bring:
- an official form of photographic identification
- your exam notification letter
- 2B pencils, an eraser and blue or black ballpoint or ink pens (replacements are not supplied)
- a calculator that does not have the capability to store and retrieve text and that operates silently. You may not borrow another candidate's calculator during the exam. Other devices which are not primarily calculators but which have a calculator function are not permitted, including mobile phones or smart phones with a calculator function
- as the exams are open-book, you may bring reference materials you believe to be relevant and which may assist you in the exam, such as the study guide, readings and prepared notes, possession and / or use of unauthorised materials may lead to disciplinary proceedings
Electronic devices including mobile telephones, smart phones, electronic scanners, pagers, electronic tablets such as the iPad, laptop computers, electronic dictionaries and personal communications aids and devices are not permitted.
You should arrive at the exam venue no less than 15 minutes before the commencement of reading time, in order to be seated. You may not enter the exam room more than 30 minutes after the commencement of reading time, nor can you leave during the first 60 minutes after the commencement of reading time or during the last 10 minutes of the exam.
Proof of identity
The name on your photo ID should be the same as on the exam notification letter. Approved identification includes:
- passport
- Australian driver's licence
- Keypass (Australia only)
- identity card: permanent (Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore)
Australian residents who do not hold a driver's licence or passport can obtain a Keypass, which is a credit-card sized photo identification card for adults. The Keypass identification card is not a free service to CPA Australia members.
If you do not possess any of the approved proof of identity documents listed above, you must bring to each exam an official statutory declaration that states this and confirms your identity. You will then need to complete the Deakin University / CPA Australia candidate identity declaration form during exam writing time. You must also complete this form if the name on your approved proof of identity document does not match records held by the exam administrators, if you do not know your candidate ID number, or if the exam supervisor identifies some other anomaly in attempting to establish proof of identification.
Results may be withheld if satisfactory proof of identification is not provided.
Food and drink
Food and drink items that produce distracting odours or wrapper or container noise are not permitted in the exam room. Candidates with specific needs regarding consumption of food or drink during an exam should discuss their requirements with the Business Services Group at Deakin University.
Special consideration
You may be eligible to apply for special consideration for your exam result if your exam preparation or performance, or both, is adversely affected by exceptional circumstances beyond your control such as a medical condition or personal hardship.
If you are unable to attend an exam at the scheduled time and date, you can apply for a cancellation of enrolment at any time up to the advertised closing date. Alternatively, you may be eligible to apply for an exam deferral. If exceptional circumstances arise after the deferral closing date that prevent you from attending the exam, you should contact your divisional office. Alternative exam dates are not available.
During and after the exam
Fifteen minutes of reading time is allocated to candidates before the commencement of the exam. During reading time, you are not permitted to mark the exam paper or multiple-choice answer sheet, or any other material, in any way, including writing on, folding or tagging pages (with Post-it® notes or similar). The use of calculators is also not permitted either before or during reading time.
Upon the exam supervisor's instruction to commence writing, you will need to:
- place an official proof of identity, and the exam notification letter , at the top of the desk
- write your personal details on the front cover of the exam question booklet and multiple-choice answer sheet
- sign the exam security declaration on the front cover of the question booklet that states you will not divulge the nature and content of any question or answer to any individual or entity, nor transcribe or copy any exam questions or remove any official materials from the exam room
- mark answers in 2B pencil on the multiple-choice answer sheet. Only answers that have been recorded on the multiple-choice answer sheet will be examined. Incorrect completion of the multiple-choice answer sheet may lead to failure in the exam
- write answers to the written response questions in blue or black ballpoint or ink pen in the space allocated within the question booklet
Disciplinary proceedings may be undertaken if a candidate attempts to communicate with another candidate or view another candidate's exam papers during an exam, or if a candidate copies exam questions and answers.
At the conclusion of each exam, stop writing and clear all reference materials from your desk. Leave only the question booklet and multiple-choice answer sheet on the desk for collection. Failure to return the exam question booklet or multiple-choice answer sheet will lead to automatic failure of the exam.
You may depart only after all official exam materials have been collected and when instructed by the supervisor.
Additional time will not be provided to complete the cover of the question booklet and multiple-choice answer sheet, or to transfer answers from working notes to the multiple-choice answer sheet.
Past exam papers
Questions and answers from current and past exams are not released or available for viewing after the exam has been sat due to the secure nature of the exams and the process adopted by CPA Australia in establishing passing standards. Because of frequent changes to legislation, by-laws and professional standards, past papers may not be appropriate guides to the current exam. Self-assessment test questions and answers are included with the study materials and on My Online Learning.