The Accreditation Board has also supplied an additional editing extract, like the Part 2 exercise in the exam, with a marked-up copy against which you can check your attempt.
Candidates should not assume because a subject area or editorial skill is included in sample exams that it will or will not be represented in the exam paper itself.

We recommend that you print the exams and work through them under exam conditions, with only the reference books you plan to bring into the exam. See the following note on suggested timing. Then, check your answers against the answer guide and award yourself marks to see if you have passed. You might want to work with a colleague to mark each other’s papers.

A note on suggested timing

These suggestions are for your guidance only. Record how long each task takes while you’re doing the test exam to work out timing before you take the final exam.

• Reading time: 30 minutes + 10 minutes for writing candidate reference numbers.
• Part 1: 30 minutes maximum, including time to review answers. Worth 20%.

  You must answer 20 of 24 questions, but you may choose to answer up to 24 questions to give yourself a safety margin if you wish.

• Part 2: 1 hour + 15 minutes to review. Worth 40%.

  You must edit the extract in accordance with the brief provided, and prepare a style sheet and list of queries for the author.

• Part 3: 1 hour (15 minutes for each of four questions) + 15 minutes to review. Worth 40%.

  You must answer any four of 12 questions, covering general and specialist topics.

Preparing for the exam

Choose your reference books well ahead of the exam and ensure you know their contents well. You may tag the books. Bring at least a good dictionary and a copy of Snooks & Co., Style manual for authors, editors and printers, 6th edn, 2002, which is the assumed style. If you want to choose another style guide, you must note that on the first page of the exam paper. If your preference is a house style guide, you must provide a copy of it with the completed exam for the use of the marker (it will not be returned to you).

Once you have answered your chosen four questions from Part 3, we recommend you work through or study the remaining eight questions to extend your knowledge. We also suggest you read through a general editing book, such as E Flann and B Hill, The Australian editing handbook, 2nd edn, 2004, or J Mackenzie, The editor’s companion, 2004, to refresh your memory of things you have not done for a while or to extend your knowledge.