One of the central features of the Case Study exam is analysis, and yet I wonder how much analysis of past exams prospective candidates do. There are the obvious common features of all recent Case Study exams, which have:

• Been written reports with five elements: executive summary, financial statement analysis, financial data analysis, strategic business analysis and financial appendices;

• Required the demonstration of professional scepticism and the discussion of ethical issues; and

• Assessed professional skills over four broad areas: assimilating and using information, structuring problems and solutions, applying judgment, drawing conclusions and making recommendations.