CMFAS exam day at SCI: what to bring and expect
CMFAS exam day at SCI, step by step: the two IDs you need, which calculators are allowed, when to arrive at Suntec, the rules in the room and what comes after.
On CMFAS exam day you go to SCI's centre at unit 14-01 of Suntec Tower Two, 9 Temasek Boulevard, at least 15 minutes before your start time. Bring your Singpass app with your Singpass ID working, one physical photo ID and your own non-programmable calculator. Your phone stays switched off in your bag, the exam runs on a computer screen, and you leave with a printed result slip.
Before you leave home
Check three things the night before, because each one can cost you the sitting:
- Your name and ID number on your SCI registration match your ID exactly. Invigilators turn away candidates whose details don't match, and you'd pay again to re-register.
- You can open the Singpass app, including the face login, and your Singpass ID is linked to your account. SCI checks your identity through the app.
- Your calculator is one SCI allows, with nothing tucked inside its cover.
If your name or ID details need correcting, sort it out well before the day. SCI's exam rules ask for an appointment during office hours at least one working day before your exam, and the invigilators can't change anything at the door. SCI's registration policies page also describes a same-day route by phone and in person, but the exam rules are the newer document, so don't count on it.
What to bring, and what to leave
| Item | Bring it? | SCI's rule |
|---|---|---|
| Singpass app with your Singpass ID | Yes | Used to verify you at admission |
| A physical photo ID | Yes | The second of the two IDs SCI asks for |
| Your own calculator | Yes, if your paper has sums | Non-programmable; SCI provides none |
| A pen | Yes | SCI provides no stationery |
| Phone, smartwatch, notes | Only in your bag | Switched off, left in the belongings area |
| Food, drink, chewing gum | Not at the desk | Eating and drinking in the room count as misconduct |
| Luggage, foldable bicycle, PMD | No | SCI has no storage for bulky items |
Foreign candidates on a Short-Term Visit Pass can use their passport instead of Singpass. Everyone else needs the two IDs.
The calculator question
SCI publishes two versions of its calculator rule, so play it safe. The calculator policy on each paper's page lists approved models: the Casio FC 100, FC 100V, FC 200 and FC 200V, the Hewlett Packard hp 10b and hp 10b2, the Texas Instrument BA2+ and BA2+ Professional (SCI's spelling), and the Sharp EL735, EL738 and EL738F. SCI's exam rules, version 2.5 dated 15 June 2026, say any non-programmable calculator is fine as long as it has no graphic or word display.
Buy or borrow one from the approved list and you're covered under both. Either way, check the cover: SCI makes you responsible for making sure no paper or notes sit inside the case. M8 has a whole chapter on the time value of money and M9 has ILP unit calculations, so practise on the calculator you'll bring.
Getting in
SCI opens the exam room for admission 15 minutes before the start time, and there's no waiting area inside. If the queue is long, staff may ask you to wait on Suntec's ground floor. Leave enough margin for the lifts.
Being late has a hard edge. If you arrive more than 30 minutes after the paper starts, SCI may refuse you entry and record you as absent, and the fee can't be refunded, deferred or moved to another date. Since SCI treats an absence like a fail for booking purposes, you'd register and pay again.
At the door, an invigilator checks your ID before you go to your seat. If you wear a mask, you'll be asked to lower it for the face check. Your bag, phone and any notes go to the area set aside for belongings. Phones must be switched off.
During the paper
The exam is on a computer screen, and SCI expects you to get familiar with the system before you start. The official start and end time is the clock on your screen, not your watch. A few rules catch people out:
- You can't leave the room without the invigilator's consent. For an urgent washroom trip you leave your phone behind and come back within ten minutes, or you're disqualified.
- Raise your hand if you need help. Talking to other candidates is misconduct.
- If the screen freezes or anything else goes wrong, tell the invigilator straight away. SCI won't look at technical problems reported after the exam.
- If you think a question is wrong, email SCI about it afterwards.
Every answer you submit is final, so use the time you have. A wrong answer loses nothing beyond that mark and a blank earns nothing, so answer every question before you finish.
What the cheating rules mean in practice
SCI takes devices seriously. Anyone found with a phone, smartwatch, camera or other device during the exam faces at least six months' debarment from all of SCI's exams, on top of being disqualified from the paper, and SCI reports the case to their company and to the regulator. Copying questions, sharing notes and taking photos are on SCI's misconduct list too. The simplest habit is to switch your phone off before you reach the door and not touch your bag again until you've finished.
After you click Finish
You click Finish when the screen tells you to, collect your printed result slip from the invigilator, and check that it's yours before you leave. You also hand back your rough paper, used or not. Our guide to CMFAS exam results covers what the slip means and what to do next, whether you passed or not.
Session times
SCI runs its CMFAS papers on weekdays, with some weekend sessions. RES 5 sessions on the current schedule start at 9am, 1pm, 1.30pm and 7.45pm and run three hours. Shorter papers fit around them: BCP sessions run 45 minutes, often late in the afternoon. A weekday sitting before 5pm is the cheaper rate, while evening and weekend sessions cost more, and our CMFAS exam fees guide has every figure.
An evening RES 5 finishes at 10.45pm. If you're sharper in the morning, the fee difference is small next to the cost of a resit, so pick the session you'll think best in.
Arrive ready, not just on time
Exam day is the easy part if the weeks before it went well. Sit at least two full timed mocks in the real question count and time limit, so the screen and the clock feel familiar on the day. The RES 5 page shows our practice for the paper most recruits start with, including a free sample question, and you can start RES 5 as a single paper for full timed mocks.
Sources
- SCI, examination rules and regulations for on-site examinations (version 2.5, 15 June 2026), read 12 October 2026
- SCI, RES5 exam details, calculator policy, schedule and registration policies, read 12 October 2026
- SCI, M9 exam details and calculator policy, read 12 October 2026
- SCI, Certification in General Insurance exam schedule, read 12 October 2026
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Frequently asked questions
Two: your Singpass ID shown through the Singpass app, and one physical photo ID. Foreign candidates on a Short-Term Visit Pass can use their passport.
Your own non-programmable calculator; SCI provides none. A model from SCI's approved list, such as the Casio FC 200V or Sharp EL738, meets both versions of its rule.
At least 15 minutes before the start, when SCI opens the room. Arrive more than 30 minutes late and you may be refused entry and recorded as absent.
Only switched off and inside your bag in the belongings area. Being found with a phone or other device during the exam brings at least six months' debarment from SCI's exams.
At SCI's centre, unit 14-01 of Suntec Tower Two, 9 Temasek Boulevard, on a computer screen.
