[CPA ISA]

Hi All,

I plan to sit for FAR exam around 23 Aug and i will start my studying from first of May with Becker Review
i am working 9to5 and will not be able take any leave from work till the exam data so i really want some insights for a good study plan and whether this period is enough or not i think i can put in around 12 hours of study per week.

[Anonymous]

You can try Jeff's “ELL Plan”. I think most exam candidates who work FT use this plan. It's pretty self-explanatory as well.

E (Early): Wake up early to study. You start work at 9 a.m. so wake up 2 hours earlier than you usually do to get some studying in. Your brain is the freshest in the morning, not after work.

L (Lunch): Study during lunch hours. If you usually go out with your co-workers, say “NO” so you can study. I'm sure they'll understand.

L (Late): Study after work. No one wants to study after a long work day, but you got to do what you go to do.

On weekends, you should plan to study 8 hours on Saturday/Sunday. Now, this is easier said than done, so you need to be disciplined to stay consistent with Jeff's ELL plan. Hope this helps, and good luck on your journey.

[Jgabbay]

Hi,

I work 8am-6pm and study from 8pm-11pm every night with the following plan that I believe has really helped me learn the material:
5 days a chapter… Do not watch the lecture…
Day 1 and 2) For each Module in the Chapter, go through the annotated textbook on Becker and take down concise notes, pay attention to what's highlighted etc. From those notes, create hand written flash cards on white index cards for topics you believe to be important.
Day 3 and 4) Go through the MCQs with your flash cards. If a topic is hit more than once in the MCQs, transfer that topic to a different colored index card. Any time you encounter a MCQ that you are even the slightest bit hesitant on answering, create an index card for it.
Day 5) Do the sims and run through all index cards, with particular emphasis on the multi colored index cards.

Then during your lunch breaks, commutes, whenever you have a spare 15 minutes, run through your index cards – carry them with you, its the textbook in your pocket :). Rinse and repeat – this is the best way to ensure you are retaining the material. By the time you sit for review, the multi colored index cards should be the main topics on the exam and you mainly study those.

Again, rinse and repeat- you have to ensure you are taking progress tests and going through these flashcards for past sections as often as you can.

At first this seems like a lot of work, but in reality its less than you think. Its efficient and still allows me to have a free night Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights.

Try it out! Hope it helps!

[Author]

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