SAICA's own results and past-paper pages show the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) last examined in June 2024, with papers published from January 2025 onwards titled the Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC). The most valuable free practice available is SAICA's own past papers, published with suggested solutions and, for some sittings, examiners' comments.
Where the Initial Test of Competence stands now
The published record shows the ITC as the predecessor of the Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC). Confirm which exam applies to you before planning applications.
SAICA's exam results page lists Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC) results for sittings from January 2025 onwards. The Initial Test of Competence (ITC) appears on the same page for earlier years, with the most recent listing dated June 2024.
The past-paper library matches that pattern: ITC papers run through the June 2024 sitting, and every paper from January 2025 onwards carries the IAC title. On the published evidence, the IAC is the exam now in use.
No retrieved page states the ITC is formally retired, so treat that as an observed pattern rather than an official policy statement. If you registered under the ITC, ask SAICA directly which sitting and exam apply to you.
Sources: IAC Exam Results | SAICA — Results listings for IAC (from January 2025) and ITC (through June 2024); duplicate letter application; Past exam papers | SAICA — ITC papers June 2024 and January 2024 (Papers 1-4); IAC papers January 2025, June 2025 and January 2026 (Papers 1-3) with suggested solutions
Exam structure shown in the published papers
Recent ITC sittings were published across four papers; current IAC sittings span three. Each paper's questions and suggested solutions are downloadable.
Both exams are written as separate papers per sitting. The last two published ITC sittings each cover four papers, while the IAC papers published so far cover three.
Recent sittings have taken place in January and June, and SAICA publishes per-sitting results and statistics as downloads on its results page. Duration, marks per paper and pass marks do not appear on these pages.
The table below reflects exactly what SAICA's past-paper library publishes for each sitting.
| Sitting | Papers published |
|---|---|
| ITC, June 2024 | Papers 1 to 4 |
| ITC, January 2024 | Papers 1 to 4 |
| IAC, January 2025 | Papers 1 to 3 |
| IAC, June 2025 | Papers 1 to 3 |
| IAC, January 2026 | Papers 1 to 3 |
Sources: IAC Exam Results | SAICA — Results listings for IAC (from January 2025) and ITC (through June 2024); duplicate letter application; Past exam papers | SAICA — ITC papers June 2024 and January 2024 (Papers 1-4); IAC papers January 2025, June 2025 and January 2026 (Papers 1-3) with suggested solutions
Use SAICA's own past papers before any simulation
SAICA publishes real exam questions with suggested solutions as free downloads. That is a more faithful practice resource than any simulated test.
For each recent sitting, SAICA's past-paper library offers the exam questions and suggested solutions, and selected sittings also include examiners' comments. These downloads cost nothing and require only a visit to SAICA's website.
These are the questions candidates actually faced, paired with the solutions SAICA released for marking. A simulated paper cannot reproduce that fidelity, so make the official library your core practice source.
The free practice test this page accompanies is a training aid. It can help you rehearse pacing and integrated reasoning, but it is not the live assessment and completing it guarantees no result.
A drill routine for official past papers
Attempt a paper under timed conditions, mark it against SAICA's suggested solutions, then use the examiners' comments and an error log to target your weakest areas.
This routine is study advice, not an official requirement, and you can compress or stretch it around your available time. Its value comes from marking against the same solutions SAICA used, rather than from guesswork.
One full pass of the routine on a single paper teaches you more than skimming several papers, because the marking step is where you discover how answers earn credit.
- Choose one paper and attempt it in one sitting, closed-book and timed to a fixed length you keep consistent across attempts.
- Mark your script against the suggested solutions, noting where your reasoning diverged rather than only where the final answer differed.
- Read the examiners' comments where published, and note the types of answer they reward or penalise.
- Keep an error log grouped by concept or paper section, then redrill that section before starting a new paper.
- Repeat with the next paper, rotating across papers so no area goes unrevised.
Passed under the ITC? Replacing a lost result letter
Candidates who have lost the letter confirming they passed a SAICA examination can request a duplicate copy using SAICA's application form.
SAICA's results page includes an application form for a duplicate letter. It is intended for candidates who have lost the original letter confirming they passed one of SAICA's examinations.
If a duplicate letter is what stands between you and a next step in your qualification route, download the form from the results page and submit it as instructed there.
What this guide could not verify
Exam duration, question counts, pass mark, fees, registration windows and official syllabus weights are not shown on the pages reviewed. Check SAICA's exam information directly.
The retrieved SAICA pages publish results, statistics and past papers. They do not state how long each paper runs, how many questions each contains, what mark is needed to pass, or what the exam costs.
The same pages do not reproduce the competency syllabus behind the papers. The practice materials on this site cover areas such as financial reporting, management decision-making, auditing, taxation, financial management, and ethics and governance, but that coverage is not an official syllabus and carries no weightings. Confirm your study objectives against SAICA's official documents before committing to a plan.
Your next steps
Confirm your exam route, download the official papers, and build your preparation around them.
Everything above reduces to a short list of actions you can start today.
- Confirm with SAICA whether your route now runs through the IAC or you remain tied to an ITC sitting.
- Download the latest past papers and suggested solutions from SAICA's past-paper library.
- Run the timed drill routine on one paper and mark it against the official solutions.
- Check duration, pass mark, fees and registration dates on SAICA's exam information pages before you book anything.
Sources: IAC Exam Results | SAICA — Results listings for IAC (from January 2025) and ITC (through June 2024); duplicate letter application; Past exam papers | SAICA — ITC papers June 2024 and January 2024 (Papers 1-4); IAC papers January 2025, June 2025 and January 2026 (Papers 1-3) with suggested solutions
Sources
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