Advice for students studying CA2

Details of the profession's CA2 2-day practical exam can be found on the Profession's website.

Course Notes

ActEd has produced courses notes which we recommend you use in your preparation.  These include sections covering:

  • the principles required for analysing data, developing a model, creating an audit trail and presenting results
  • advice on using software and exam technique tips
  • a detailed worked example and a sample marking schedule
  • the syllabus and Core Reading
  • aims, further reading and useful checklists
  • example spreadsheets, audit trails and summary reports
  • self-assessment questions and projects.
The Courses Notes come spiral-bound and you can purchase from our estore at a cost £47. Course Notes are available in printed format and as an eBook, which can be purchased as an addition to the printed product or as a stand-alone product.

You may also like to use one of ActEd's Marked Assignment Projects to help you prepare for the CA2 course.

Data file for the Worked Example (download)

We have presented a Worked Example in Section 10 of the Course Notes. This section includes the instructions for the project and a full analysis of a solution produced by a student attempting it under exam conditions.

If you want to try this project yourself "hands-on", rather than just reading through the student's solution we've presented, you can download a spreadsheet containing the data.

Face-to-face and Online Tutorials

We also offer a Preparation Day (delivered face-to-face or online) designed to help you pass the CA2 exam.  The preparation day builds upon the CA2 Course Notes.  It will help develop the required documentation skills and technical Excel knowledge needed to pass the CA2 exam.  As part of the tutorial you will also attempt a CA2 exam-style question to be completed in 3.5 hours.  This will be marked by ActEd and written feedback will be sent to you shortly after the day.

The Preparation Day costs £206 + VAT which includes marking and feedback. 

Please view the Tuition Bulletin to see the courses on offer. Full details of the application process can be found here.

Marked Assignment Projects

In addition to the face-to-face Preparation Day we offer two CA2 Marked Assignment Projects. These projects give you the opportunity to practise assignments of a similar standard to the one you will face on Day 2 of the Profession’s CA2 Exam.  There are two projects available and you can use one or both of them.  

The projects will require you to produce a model in a spreadsheet (using MS Excel), an audit trail and a summary (using MS Word). In order for ActEd to mark your assignments in good time we recommend that you email your project to us in Word and Excel formats at least 4 weeks before your exam. We will mark your script and return it via email, providing useful feedback to help to ensure that you are successful when you take the Exam.

The projects should be used after you have worked through the other preparatory material that is available on the Profession's website.

The two Marked Assignment Projects are available to order from our estore. Each costs £78 + VAT, which includes both the assignment and marking.

Refunds & Expiry

If you return the assignment in the original shrink-wrap intact within 28 days of purchase and you do not submit an assignment for marking then we will issue a credit note to the value of the product less a 10% fee to cover postage and administration.

If you wish to cancel the marking without returning the assignment in the original shrink-wrap, then you must let us know in writing within 28 days of purchase. We will then issue a credit note to the value of 50% of the cost of the product.

The marking expires 12 months after the date of purchase. Assignments submitted after this date will not be marked.