For most people, taking an examination involves hard work and some long hours. Unless you have a plan, however, you may find that a lot of good intentions go astray…after all a night out with friends or watching the television is much more appealing!

To begin with enlist the help of those loved ones around you and discuss your plans and how it will impact on them. Discuss with them the benefits and your reasons for studying.

Next the plan. If you examinations are CII based, the dates of the examinations can be found on their web site. Next, work out how many weeks to the examination and plan your time. A good way of doing this is by using a GANNT chart and an example can be found under the learning documents page, along with an example. You should aim to set aside about 120 hours for a Certificate in Financial Planning subject and 240 hours for Diploma or Advanced Diploma subjects.

Then, examine your current knowledge. Quickly read through the learning material to determine what aspects you already know and what is new to you.

Allocate time based on your workload and commitments. Make sure you study when it is best for you. Know when you absorb information effectively, how you learn and when is it impossible to study.

Use this site to test your knowledge by working through the multi choice tests.

Above all do not lose heart. A job well done is never easy, but the satisfaction on successful completion is immense.

If you have any specific questions about your learning please contact me, Geoff, at PRISM TD.