How to Sit the ICAG Level 1 Online Exam: PC Requirements, Timetable and Rules
ICAG Level 1 is sat as an online, proctored examination you take on your own computer. That changes how you prepare: as well as knowing the four subjects, you need the right PC, a stable connection and a clear understanding of the rules, because a technical slip or a proctoring breach on the day can cost you the paper.
ICAG Level 1 has four papers, each a two-hour online exam sat from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on consecutive weekdays, with login at 9:50 am to authenticate. You sit it on a Windows or Mac computer through Google Chrome, with a working webcam and microphone, because an in-built online invigilator captures your photo and ID and records you throughout. It is a closed-book test with an on-screen calculator, so no physical calculators, watches, earpieces or notes are allowed. This guide covers the timetable, the exact PC and internet requirements, the proctoring and exam-day rules, what each paper tests, and how to pass at the first attempt.
The exam logistics below follow the official ICAG Notice to Level One Students for the July 2026 diet. Exact dates change each diet, so always check the notice ICAG issues for the diet you are sitting. The teaching is what MSL Business School does best.
Published by MSL Business School. Exam logistics follow the official ICAG Notice to Level One Students (www.icagh.org); paper structure follows the ICAG Professional Qualification Syllabus 2024–2029.
The four papers and the exam timetable
- Four papers. Business Management & Information Systems, Financial Accounting, Business & Corporate Law, and Introduction to Cost & Management Accounting.
- Two hours each. Every paper runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, one paper a day, on consecutive weekdays.
- Online and proctored. Sat on your own computer through Google Chrome, with a live in-built online invigilator.
- Closed book. An on-screen calculator is provided, so physical calculators, watches and notes are not allowed.
ICAG Level 1 is examined as four separate online papers over four days. You must register for the diet through ICAG and you sit each paper at the scheduled time from wherever you have a suitable computer and connection. The timetable below is the official schedule for the July 2026 diet. ICAG holds Level 1 examinations in more than one diet each year, so the exact dates change every diet, but the pattern of four two-hour papers on consecutive weekdays is consistent.
| Date | Paper | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, 30 June 2026 | Business Management & Information Systems | 10:00 am to 12:00 noon |
| Wed, 1 July 2026 | Financial Accounting | 10:00 am to 12:00 noon |
| Thu, 2 July 2026 | Business & Corporate Law | 10:00 am to 12:00 noon |
| Fri, 3 July 2026 | Introduction to Cost & Management Accounting | 10:00 am to 12:00 noon |
Always confirm your diet dates. These dates are specific to the July 2026 diet. For any other diet, take the dates only from the official ICAG Notice to Level One Students issued for that diet, not from this guide.
Exam-day timing: login at 9:50, start at 10:00
Each paper lasts two hours, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. You are expected to log in to the assessment portal at 9:50 am, ten minutes before the start, to authenticate your credentials. Use those ten minutes to confirm your login works, that your webcam and microphone are detected, and that the proctoring check has completed, so the clock starts with you fully set up rather than troubleshooting.
Treat each paper as a fixed appointment. Because the exam is proctored and timed centrally, there is no flexibility to start late, and a paper missed for being unprepared is simply a paper failed. Plan for the four days as four separate exam mornings.
- 9:50 am: log in and authenticate; complete the proctoring photo and ID capture
- 10:00 am: the paper begins
- 12:00 noon: the paper ends; you remain seated and in view of the camera throughout
- Each day: one paper only, so you can give the next morning’s paper a fresh start
Minimum PC requirements
Your computer must meet ICAG’s minimum specification for the online assessment platform. Check this well before exam day, not the night before, and have a backup device ready in case your main one fails. The platform runs on Windows and Mac through Google Chrome.
| System specification | Windows PC | Mac OS |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz or faster x86-compatible processor (or Intel Atom 1.6 GHz or faster for netbooks) | 1 GHz or faster processor |
| Memory | 4 GB minimum | 4 GB minimum |
| Operating system | Windows 10 or above | OS X v10.6 or above |
| Graphics | 512 MB graphics memory minimum (internal or external) | 512 MB graphics memory minimum (internal or external) |
| Multimedia | Sound card; microphone (standard 3.5 mm jack or internal); webcam supporting minimum 320x240 colour video at 15 fps | Sound card; microphone (standard 3.5 mm jack or internal); webcam supporting minimum 320x240 colour video at 15 fps |
| Supported browser | Google Chrome | Google Chrome |
A few practical notes on the multimedia requirement, because it is the part most candidates overlook. You need a working webcam and a working microphone, both enabled in Chrome, because the online invigilator uses them throughout the exam. ICAG does not recommend mobile-phone microphones, so use the built-in or a wired microphone on the computer itself. Make sure Chrome has permission to use the camera and microphone before 9:50 am.
Internet connection and bandwidth
Because the exam streams your webcam to the online invigilator while you work, a stable connection matters as much as a fast one. ICAG publishes a minimum and a recommended bandwidth per user.
| Tier | Upload | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum per user | 1 Mbps | 1 Mbps |
| Recommended per user | 10 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
Aim for the recommended speed rather than the minimum, and protect the connection on the day. Sit close to your router or use a wired connection, ask others in the house to stay off heavy downloads and video calls during your two hours, and have a mobile-data hotspot ready as a backup. A dropped connection mid-exam is stressful and avoidable, so test your real upload and download speed in the same room, on the same device, a few days before.
A quick, indicative check of your download and upload against ICAG’s thresholds. For an exact reading, use the full tools at the bottom.
Scale is logarithmic in Mbps. The coloured bands map ICAG’s thresholds: red is below the 1 Mbps minimum, amber meets the minimum, and green meets the 10 Mbps recommended speed.
This is an indicative single-connection check, and it reads low on fast lines, so your true speed is usually higher than shown. For an exact figure, use the full tools below.
Tap “Test my speed” to check the connection in the room where you will sit the exam.
Want an exact reading? Run a full test for precise download, upload and latency figures:
Online proctoring and the exam rules
The exam platform has an in-built online invigilator, or proctor. Before the paper begins it will ask you to capture your photo and your ID card, and it records you for the full two hours. The rules below are not formalities: the proctoring is active throughout, and any breach is reviewed against the recording.
What the proctor requires
- A working webcam and microphone, enabled in Chrome, for the duration of the paper
- Your photo captured at the start, and your ID card shown to the camera to confirm identity
- You to remain seated and in view of the camera, and not to move away from your computer
- A quiet, well-lit room where your face is clearly visible to the camera
What is not allowed
- Foreign materials. Earpieces, airpods, headphones and digital watches are all treated as foreign materials and are not permitted
- Physical calculators and watches. The platform provides an on-screen calculator, so your own calculator and any watch are not allowed
- Notes and books. This is a closed-book test; no notes, textbooks or other reference material
- Eating, drinking or smoking during the test
- Leaving your seat or moving away from the computer at any point during the examination
Malpractice cancels the paper. ICAG states that any form of examination malpractice will lead to cancellation of the examination paper upon review of the video recording. The safest approach is simple: clear your desk, keep your hands and face visible, and treat the room as if a human invigilator were standing beside you.
Before exam day: logins, demo and practice
Most exam-day problems are prevented in the days before. ICAG provides everything you need to arrive ready, so use all of it.
Your logins
Your login details are sent to your email the night before each exam date. If you have not received your login before the date of the exam, email ICAG at examsicag@gmail.com rather than waiting. Check the inbox you registered with, including spam, the evening before.
The demonstration video
ICAG releases a demonstration video showing the online assessment platform and the online proctoring in action. Watch it before your first paper so the screen, the navigation and the proctoring steps are familiar before they count. ICAG circulates the link in its notice to students for the diet.
The practice questions
ICAG provides mock questions covering all Level 1 papers so you can rehearse on material that mirrors the real thing. Sit them on the same computer and browser you will use on the day, so you are practising the format and the technology together. The link is shared in the official notice.
- Test your computer against the minimum specification, and ready a backup device
- Confirm Google Chrome is installed and updated, with camera and microphone permissions granted
- Check your real upload and download speed in the room you will sit in
- Have your ID card to hand for the proctoring check
- Watch the demonstration video and complete the mock questions in advance
- Confirm your login the night before, and email examsicag@gmail.com early if it has not arrived
What each Level 1 paper tests
Level 1 is the knowledge foundation of the ICAG qualification. The four papers introduce the core of accounting, the business and information environment, the law that governs organisations, and the basics of costing and management accounting. The table sets out what each one covers under the 2024–2029 syllabus.
| Paper | What it tests |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Financial Accounting | Double-entry technique and the principles behind it: recording transactions and events, correcting errors and performing reconciliations, preparing basic financial statements for single entities, partnerships, accounts from incomplete records, an introduction to public sector statements, and key accounting ratios. |
| 1.2 Business Management & Information Systems | How organisations in Ghana are structured and run: entity types and objectives, organisational structures and processes, the business environment, planning and behaviour, operations and business functions, managing business information, and the impact of technology on the accountant. |
| 1.3 Business & Corporate Law | The legal framework for business: the legal system, the law of obligations, employment law, the formation and constitution of organisations, the capital and financing of companies, the management and regulation of companies, companies in difficulty, and governance and ethics. |
| 1.4 Introduction to Cost & Management Accounting | How management accounting supports decisions: the scope of management accounting, accounting for cost elements, costing techniques and pricing, forecasting, budgeting including the public-sector budgeting process, and standard costing with basic variances. |
Knowing the weightings helps you spend your study time where the marks are. In Financial Accounting, recording transactions, reconciliations and preparing statements together carry the bulk of the marks. In Business & Corporate Law, the law of obligations and company administration are the two heaviest areas. In Cost & Management Accounting, cost elements and costing techniques dominate. In Business Management & Information Systems, operations and business functions carry the most, with technology and information management close behind.
For the full syllabus, learning outcomes and our tuition for each paper, see the ICAG Level 1 hub and the individual pages for Financial Accounting, Business Management & Information Systems, Business & Corporate Law and Introduction to Cost & Management Accounting.
How to pass Level 1 at the first attempt
Passing an online ICAG paper takes two things at once: command of the subject, and command of the format. Candidates who know their material can still lose marks to the clock or the technology, so prepare for both.
Practise on the real platform
Do the ICAG mock questions on the same computer, browser and connection you will use on the day, so the screen, the on-screen calculator and the navigation are second nature. The first time you use the platform should never be in a live exam.
Work to the clock
Each paper is two hours. Rehearse full questions inside that time so you learn the pace, where to start, and when to move on. Most avoidable marks are lost to unfinished questions, not to gaps in knowledge.
Study where the marks are
Use the syllabus weightings to prioritise. Secure the heavily weighted areas in each paper first, then broaden out, rather than spreading your time evenly across topics that are not weighted evenly.
Rehearse the exam-day setup
Run a full dress rehearsal: log in, complete the camera and ID check, clear your desk, and sit a timed mock under the real rules with no notes, no phone and the on-screen calculator only. By exam morning, nothing about the process should be new.
Prepare for ICAG Level 1 with MSL
Pass Level 1 with Ghana’s most awarded professional education provider
MSL Business School is Ghana’s most awarded professional education provider, with students winning national awards across ICAG, CITG and CIMA. We coach ICAG Level 1 candidates through all four papers with live online classes led by experienced lecturers, structured topic coverage mapped to the syllabus weightings, and marked mock examinations sat under real online-exam conditions, so the platform, the timing and the rules are familiar long before exam day.
As Ghana’s clear technology leader in professional education, and the first and only provider with multimodal AI for professional exam students, MSL pairs that coaching with the MSL Business School App: instant explanations, worked solutions to past and mock questions, automated quizzes, flashcards and lesson summaries, with text, voice and image input so you can photograph a question and get it solved. The app is free to download on Android, iOS and Windows. When you are ready, you can see the current Level 1 cohorts, fees and registration, or explore the full ICAG programme.
ICAG Level 1 online exam: frequently asked questions
Is the ICAG Level 1 exam sat online?
Yes. ICAG Level 1 is an online, proctored examination sat on your own computer through Google Chrome. An in-built online invigilator captures your photo and ID and records you throughout, so you need a working webcam, microphone and a stable internet connection.
How many papers does ICAG Level 1 have and how long is each?
There are four papers: Business Management and Information Systems, Financial Accounting, Business and Corporate Law, and Introduction to Cost and Management Accounting. Each is a two-hour exam sat from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, one paper a day, on consecutive weekdays.
What are the minimum PC requirements for the ICAG online exam?
A Windows PC running Windows 10 or above, or a Mac running OS X v10.6 or above, with a 1 GHz or faster processor, at least 4 GB of memory, at least 512 MB of graphics memory, a sound card, a microphone, and a webcam supporting at least 320x240 colour video at 15 fps. The supported browser is Google Chrome.
What internet speed do I need?
ICAG sets a minimum of 1 Mbps upload and 1 Mbps download per user, and recommends 10 Mbps upload and 10 Mbps download. Aim for the recommended speed, use a wired or close connection where possible, and have a mobile hotspot ready as a backup.
Can I use my own calculator in the ICAG online exam?
No. The platform provides an on-screen calculator, so physical calculators are not allowed. Watches, including digital watches, are also not permitted.
Is the ICAG Level 1 exam open book?
No. It is a closed-book test. Notes and textbooks are not allowed, and earpieces, airpods, headphones and digital watches are all treated as foreign materials and are prohibited. You also may not eat, drink or smoke, and you must remain seated and in view of the camera throughout.
How does the online proctoring work?
An in-built online invigilator on the exam platform asks you to capture your photo and your ID card before the paper begins, then records you for the full two hours. ICAG states that any form of examination malpractice will lead to cancellation of the examination paper upon review of the video recording.
What time do I log in, and what if my login does not arrive?
Log in to the assessment portal at 9:50 am to authenticate your credentials, ten minutes before the 10:00 am start. Your login is emailed to you the night before each exam date. If you have not received it before the date of the exam, email ICAG at examsicag@gmail.com.
