IFoA September 2026 Sitting: Your Step-by-Step Plan for the Final 2 Weeks
IFOA September 2026 sitting is right around the corner!
With just a couple of weeks to go before the exams begin, the pressure to give your best can feel overwhelming. The days ahead may seem more demanding than the past two months combined, leaving you feeling stressed and burdened. But don’t worry –we’ve got you covered!
We’ve put together a focused 2-week strategy (with bonus tips!) to help you make the most of these final days, stay on track, and ace your exams with confidence.
14 Days Before The Exam: Final Sprint Begins
This is where you stand right now. With 14 days still in hand, there’s plenty of scope to make significant progress in your exam preparation – as long as you use your time strategically and study smart.
Don’t jump into revising the entire syllabus just yet. You will end up spending valuable time on topics you already know well – or on areas you haven’t even covered at all. This will leave you with less time for topics where you can make meaningful improvements and boost your score.
We recommend that you start by:
$\bullet \quad$Identifying the topics where you are likely to make mistakes.
$\bullet \quad$Specifically go back to the Core Reading, chapter summaries and any notes you have prepared in the last few months of preparation for these topics. Revise them. Make sure you understand the fundamental concepts thoroughly.
$\bullet \quad$Practice past-paper questions from these topics under timed conditions. If you don’t have enough time to complete an entire paper, that’s okay – pick 1 or 2 questions and attempt them within the time limit based on the marks allocated to each question. This will help you build both speed and accuracy.
$\bullet \quad$Review your answers alongside the Examiners’ Reports to identify gaps, missed points, and areas for improvement. Add any new insights or key points you discover to your notes – they’ll be valuable when you come back to revise later.
Bonus Tip
The best way to strengthen your understanding of topics where you tend to make the most mistakes is to practise as many questions as possible after revising the concept from your textbook.
9 Days Before The Exam: Master Through Practice
With just 9 days to go, it’s time to shift into full exam mode!
At this stage, Past Papers – especially the most recent ones – should become your primary focus. You need to get comfortable tackling a mix of questions under exam conditions, managing your time effectively, and switching between different topics with ease. Since your actual exam will be computer-based, it is crucial to practise typing your answers on a keyboard as much as possible. The more closely you replicate the exam experience now, the more confident and comfortable you’ll feel on exam day.
Broadly, while attempting the Past Papers, you must identify:
$\bullet \quad$Questions where you could not recall the concept to which it relates.
$\bullet \quad$Questions where you could recall the concept but could not generate sufficient relevant points which catered to its specific ask.
$\bullet \quad$Questions where you misunderstood the concept and answered from a completely different perspective.
$\bullet \quad$Questions you struggled to type the answers to within the allocated time.
$\bullet \quad$Questions where you made calculation errors.
For a detailed guide on how to make the most of Past Papers in the final days before your exam and maximise your marks, refer to our post: “IFoA September 2026 Sitting: How to Use Past Papers and Examiners’ Reports to Maximise Your Marks”
Bonus Tip
At this stage, spend 1 hour every day revisiting your Notes and short chapter summaries (or formulas, if any) at the end of each chapter in the Core Reading. Spend around 40 minutes revisiting topics you’re less confident in, and use the remaining 20 minutes to refresh topics you already know well. This ensures you’re not solely relying on question practice, but also taking time to revisit your notes and keep both your weaker and stronger topics fresh.
Avoid taking on any new topics. Focus on consolidating what you already know and strengthening your existing preparation.
4 Days Before The Exam: Focus on the Final Details
At this stage, stop attempting Past Papers under full timed-exam conditions. Instead, shift your focus to targeted revision and consolidation:
$\bullet \quad$Revisit specific questions: Go back to questions where you made mistakes, questions from topics that are frequently tested, and a few easier questions to maintain a healthy balance and build confidence.
$\bullet \quad$Revise your notes topic-wise: Work through your notes systematically, covering the entire syllabus or, at the very least, everything you have studied so far.
$\bullet \quad$Review key formulas: Revise all formulas you are expected to use in the exam. For formulas found in the Formulae and Tables Book, familiarise yourself with the relevant page numbers so you can locate them quickly during the exam.
1 Day Before Exam: Keep It Light and Be Exam Ready
The day before the exam should not be about heavy preparation. Start your day by going through the April 2026 Exam Paper, i.e. the paper from the previous sitting. Once done, keep your revision light and work through the topics you have studied so far. A useful way to test your recall is to go through your Notes without looking at them and try to say the key points out loud from memory.
Then, spend the rest of your time familiarising yourself with the Exam Instructions and guidelines. Stay tuned for a more detailed post on Exam Guidelines and what to expect at the centre.
Bonus Tip
This is the final day of preparation. DO NOT:
$\bullet \quad$Look at an unfamiliar topic.
$\bullet \quad$Attempt full Past Papers under timed exam conditions.
$\bullet \quad$Pull an all-nighter.
$\bullet \quad$Compare yourself to other students.
Take a deep breath and focus on showing up consistently right now instead of worrying about the outcome. You got this!
For further queries, clarifications or guidance, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always happy to help.
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