I am studying Stott Pilates Essential/Comprehensive Matwork (Merrithew) but haven’t yet found a reason for the order which I need to keep to for my exam? Can anyone help?
TIA

You will definitely need the manuals. The exams are filled with questions that are in the manuals.

Pilates exercises are ordered. STOTT PILATES reworked J Pilates's original order to switch more frequently between forward flexion, extension, rotation, & lateral flexion & added warm-up exercises, but the principle of ordering maintains. Certain exercises should precede others: they are more foundational (other exercises will build on what is practiced first), they precede or follow other exercises which they complement, &/or they are less complex so essentials like stabilizing/breathing/ lengthening/recruiting only the muscles needed can be focused on first. Even if not doing the entire repertoire of exercises, the order should be maintained. For ex, it's hard to do the whole SP Essential level repertoire in 1 hour at first with beginners (see asterisked exercises in your book that you should begin with). As beginners progress, then you add in the other exercises on that level a few at a time, in the order given.