Sample exam documents to help you prepare for the IPEd accreditation exam.

Sample exam documents

These sample exam documents are to help you:

understand the kinds of questions that may be in the exam
familiarise yourself with using the exam documents
practise completing the exam within the allotted time frame for each exam part.

The sample exam documents have the same format and structure as the actual exam documents, except where noted. But you should not assume anything about the content of the exam based on the specific content of these sample exam documents. The Exam resources page sets out the likely content of the exam, listing the IPEd standards each part of the exam assesses.

Below you will find information on:

Note about style of quotation marks in the exam and sample exam documents

The current major style guides available in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand still use single quotation marks. But the exam instructions and non-editable question text use double quotation marks in line with IPEd recommended practice and style.

In the Language and Knowledge parts of the exam, your use of single or double quote marks is neutral for marking purposes, provided you use them consistently within a sentence or passage. In the Manuscript part, the publisher’s brief directs you to use double quotation marks for accessibility, in line with the publisher’s house style.

Exam timing

Each exam part has preparation time, reading time and working time.

The preparation time is for you to:

receive instructions from the invigilator about the exam rules and procedures
download and save the exam files from the secure link your invigilator provides
open the exam document(s) and check that your candidate number is correct
check file settings and that you have no technology issues
read the instructions for the exam part.

Your exam invigilator steps you through this process. The time this takes may vary for each candidate.

The following table shows the reading and working time for each exam part. This is the same for all candidates.

Part and weighting	Reading	Working	Total time
Language (20%)	5 min	30 min	35 min
Knowledge (40%)	20 min	75 min	95 min
Manuscript (40%)	20 min	75 min	95 min

Use your reading time to:

read the questions in the Language or Knowledge parts, and read the publisher’s brief and the extract in the Manuscript part
decide on your approach to completing the tasks (for example, in the Knowledge part, decide which 2 of the 4 elective questions, and which sub-questions in any of the questions, you might answer).

Use your working time to:

answer all 20 questions in the Language part
answer 2 compulsory questions and 2 elective questions in the Knowledge part, including all required sub-questions
copyedit the extract, write author queries and prepare the style sheet for the extract in the Manuscript part.
review your answers or spend longer on any task that poses more difficulty.

The sample exam documents

In 2024 we updated these sample exam documents to reflect changes that came into effect for the 2024 exam, including changes to the formatting and structure of the exam. We adapted some content from previous sample exams and created some new content in 2024.

In 2026 we updated both Manuscript samples to increase the focus on editing for accessibility. We also developed a second Knowledge part sample.

All sample exam documents are copyright to IPEd and are provided for the private use of exam candidates only. You must not use them for any other purpose, including teaching purposes, without the express permission of the Accreditation Board.

Sample answers are provided for each sample exam document. Note that in many cases, other edits or answers are possible. Where feasible, this is indicated in the answer guide.

There are 2 sets of sample exam files, labelled Sample A and Sample B, for each exam part.

Important note about these samples: Only use Adobe Acrobat (free version) to practise completing the PDF documents. (Other PDF readers may not render the form fields properly.) You will use Acrobat in the exam itself, so it is good to become familiar with how it works.

Download the Guide to using the 2024 exam documents or watch the IPEd recorded event, How to use the accreditation exam documents, for detailed instructions on preparing the exam documents and using the PDF and Word files. Note that in the 2026–27 exam, your candidate number will be pre-entered into the exam documents you download to your computer.

Language part

These Language part samples from 2024 have 24 questions (20 sentences for copyediting and 4 multiple-choice questions). From 2026 onwards, the Language part of the exam has 20 questions in total (16 sentences for copyediting and 4 multiple-choice questions). You should complete all 20 questions in the exam.

Download this zip file containing 2 Language part sample exams and answer guides: 2024_Language_sample-exams.zip.

When you extract the files, you should get the following 4 documents:

Language_IPEdExam_Sample_A.pdf – This is a sample Language part document for you to practise with. It is a fillable PDF form.
Language_IPEdExam_Sample_A_Answer-key.pdf – This document provides the answers to the Sample A Language part above, including how marks are allocated and alternative answers. It is an ordinary PDF.
Language_IPEdExam_Sample_B.pdf This is a second sample Language part document for you to practise with. It is a fillable PDF form.
Language_IPEdExam_Sample_B_Answer-key.pdf – This document provides the answers to the Sample B Language part above, including how marks are allocated and alternative answers. It is an ordinary PDF.

Manuscript part

Download this zip file containing 2 Manuscript part sample exams and answer guides: 2026_Manuscript_sample-exams.zip

When you extract the files, you should get 2 folders containing the following 8 documents:

M-extract_IPEdExam_Sample_A.docx – This is a sample Manuscript extract document in which you can practise copyediting a short extract and writing author queries. It is an ordinary Word file.
M-extract_IPEdExam_Sample_A_Answer-key.pdf – This is a sample markup of the Sample A extract, following the Australian Government style manual, with sample author queries. It is an ordinary PDF. It also contains a set of notes explaining:
- the possibility of different style choices with different style guides
- the ability to override your style guide on a specific matter by means of a style sheet entry
- how you can gain a mark for leaving something as is (consistent with your style sheet)
- the markers’ awareness that more than one good edit can be possible.
M-style-sheet_IPEdExam_Sample_A.docx – This is the template for you to practise creating your style sheet for the extract in the Manuscript part. It is an ordinary Word file. You can re-use this template as many times as you like (e.g. on other short passages you might use to practise your copyedit).
M-style-sheet_IPEdExam_Sample_A_Answer-key.pdf – This is a sample style sheet created for the Sample A extract, following the Australian Government style manual. It contains some explanation of how marks are allocated. It is an ordinary PDF.
M-extract_IPEdExam_Sample_B.docx – This is a second sample Manuscript extract document in which you can practise copyediting a short extract and writing author queries. It is an ordinary Word file.
M-extract_IPEdExam_Sample_B_Answer-key.pdf – This is a sample markup of the Sample B extract, following the Australian Government style manual (with some variation), with sample author queries. It is an ordinary PDF. It also contains a set of notes explaining:
- the possibility of different style choices with different style guides
- the ability to override your style guide on a specific matter by means of a style sheet entry
- how you can gain a mark for leaving something as is (consistent with your style sheet)
- the markers’ awareness that more than one good edit can be possible.
M-style-sheet_IPEdExam_Sample_B.docx – This is the template for you to practise creating your style sheet for the extract in the Manuscript part. It is an ordinary Word file. You can re-use this template as many times as you like (e.g. on other short passages you might use to practise your copyedit).
M-style-sheet_IPEdExam_Sample_B_Answer-key.pdf – This is a sample style sheet created for the Sample B extract, following the Australian Government style manual (with some variation). It contains some explanation of how marks are allocated. It is an ordinary PDF.

Knowledge part

Download this zip file containing 2 Knowledge part sample exams and answer guides: 2026_Knowledge_sample-exams.zip

When you extract the files, you should get the following 4 documents:

Knowledge_IPEdExam_Sample_A.pdf – This is a sample Knowledge part document for you to practise with. It is a fillable PDF form.
Knowledge_IPEdExam_Sample_A_Answer-key.pdf – This document provides the answers to the Sample A Knowledge part above, including some explanation of how marks are allocated and alternative answers. It is an ordinary PDF.
Knowledge_IPEdExam_Sample_B.pdf – This is a second sample Knowledge part document for you to practise with. It is a fillable PDF form.
Knowledge_IPEdExam_Sample_B_Answer-key.pdf – This document provides the answers to the Sample B Knowledge part above, including some explanation of how marks are allocated and alternative answers. It is an ordinary PDF.

To gain additional practice for the Manuscript and Knowledge parts:

find any (unedited) text of about 1,200 words and practise copyediting, writing author queries and creating a style sheet for your edit
re-use the 2 sample Knowledge parts, this time answering different questions and sub-questions.

Simulating exam conditions

It is a good idea to practise using the sample exam documents under as close to exam conditions as you can. For example:

Set aside enough time for the exam part you want to practise.
Choose a time when you are unlikely to be disturbed, preferably in a quiet place.
Close all applications on your computer (especially email and social media), except for Word, Adobe Acrobat (free version) and an internet browser for the online resources that will be available in the exam.
Have the hard-copy or digital resources available that you plan to use in the exam (see below).
Save each sample exam document with a 5-digit candidate number at the front. You can make up a number, or after you have received your actual candidate number, practise using that number (as long as you are not sharing your practice with anyone else – you must keep your candidate number confidential).
Note how long you take to complete each part.

Resources to practise using for the exam

The Exam resources page has a list of general resources to help you prepare for the exam. It is a good idea to be familiar with the specific resources you plan to use during the exam, and to practise using these resources – and only these resources – in exam conditions.

All exam candidates have access to at least 3 online resources for use during the exam:

Macquarie dictionary online (MDO)
Te Aka Māori dictionary
Australian Government style manual
any other approved online style guide – to get approval, you must nominate the guide when you register for the exam.

The style manual and the Māori dictionary are free, open-access resources, but the MDO requires a subscription. You can practise with your own personal subscription to MDO (IPEd offers discounts to members), or use its free 7-day trial and practise doing the exam while you are in the trial period. You will have free access to the MDO during the exam using an IPEd username and password that we give you.

The exam registration form asks you to nominate which style guide you intend to use in the exam, so that we can consider access to other online or digital guides. We will tell you before the exam if you are allowed to use other online resources.

You will also have access to a digital version of the IPEd standards for editing practice (3rd edn).

The exam is open book. Besides the above online resources, you can use:

a print copy of a style guide, such as a commercially available style guide or an in-house style guide
a print dictionary
a print copy of the IPEd standards for editing practice (3rd edn)
other print reference books
printed or digital notes
a standard, nonprogrammable calculator
notepaper and pens or pencils for making notes.

You will not have access to smartphones, smartwatches or other digital devices during the exam. Internet access is restricted to the 3 online resources listed above unless we tell you otherwise before the exam.

You are welcome to use Microsoft’s built-in spelling and grammar checking tools in the Manuscript part of the exam, but you are not allowed to use AI assistants or common add-on editing tools such as PerfectIt or macros.

Read the Guide for candidates for more information about the exam procedures and requirements.

The IPEd accreditation exam is proudly sponsored by the Macquarie Dictionary and Thesaurus Online and the Canberra Society of Editors