Use this material to examine your own work. Confirm current requirements, forms and dates with IStructE before applying.
The Incorporated paper follows the Chartered paper's day and rules. It requires one scheme instead of two and allocates proportionally more marks to calculations and drawings.
Allocating time on the Incorporated paper
Section 1a requires one scheme. Calculations and drawings together carry sixty of the hundred marks, compared with forty-two on the Chartered paper, where more marks are allocated to the two-scheme appraisal. Allow enough time for a complete calculation and dimensioned drawing set.
Developing the scheme
For a building, explain framing, grid, load paths, foundations and stability. For a bridge, show the structural form, spans, abutments, load paths and foundations.
Freehand sketches need not be to scale but must communicate the design principles. Detailed calculations are not required here; principal members may be sized by judgement or rules such as span-to-depth ratios. An unsafe structure or omission of stability is an automatic fail.
Preparing drawings in 2d
This section carries thirty marks, half as much again as on the Chartered paper. Draw in proportion and include dimensions, plans and sections with foundations, and elevations where needed. For bridges, use cross and longitudinal sections, with plans where skew matters.
For estimating, size non-principal members using judgement, span/depth ratios or established guides where appropriate.
Where the Incorporated paper differs from the Chartered one
| Situation | Incorporated | Chartered |
|---|---|---|
| Schemes in 1a | One | Two, plus a recommendation |
| Marks for 1a | 20 | 40 |
| Marks for calculations | 30 | 22 |
| Marks for drawings | 30 | 20 |
| Marks for the method statement | 10 | 8 |
| Where the day should go | Into calculations and drawings | Into schemes and appraisal |
Both papers are marked out of 100 over the same seven-hour day. The balance is what differs, and it should change how you plan.
Official sources
Selected publisher pages were rechecked in September 2026. Other source records were last checked in July 2026. Open the latest official document before relying on a requirement.