How much study time per week?

techman

Hello,

Doing all 5 subjects in CAP1 and working full-time.

How much study should you be doing per week in CAP1?

Difficult to keep on top of all the course material.

Just looking for some advice on the best approach to take.

Thanks,

techman.

Pisco Sour

Depends how much study leave you get. I'm in a big 4 firm and got 6 weeks study leave plus the exam week for CAP 1. My lecture attendance was pretty decent back then (though I dont think I got much from them). With the exception of about 2-3 days throughout the entire year (and also the time I spent studying for the DEBK and Tax assignments) I did not study until study leave and then worked hard monday to friday every week of study leave, working weekends towards the very very end. I got on grand, with the exception of Tax (54%) I cleared them all easily.

Running Bing

interested to know did people do much study for cap2 outside of study leave?

Sometimes I go to the lectures but wonder would I be better at home doing my own work.

Pisco Sour

Running Bing wrote: »

interested to know did people do much study for cap2 outside of study leave?

Sometimes I go to the lectures but wonder would I be better at home doing my own work.

With the exception of the study I did for the two continuous assessment exams during the year I didnt do any study whatsoever during the year, and barely attended a lecture after Christmas (as they were really really bad!). What I did do was study my backside off for 10 weeks monday to friday during study leave.

Everyone is different to be honest. I really felt burnt out from about half way through my study leave (and that was just studying monday to friday from 12-6.30). God forbid what I would have been like had I been studying throughout the entire year! I probably wouldnt have even made it to study leave .

ma.long25

I think your absolutely right , there is only a certain amount of study one can physically and mentally do..

Its really like the law of marginal returns in economics whereby the utility increase rapidly for the first few choclate bars and then declines.. i know i have not made it to clear but i think most people get the gist of what i am saying.

I think if you attend some lectures have an idea what is going on, and have notes printed off and organised before study leave you should be in good shape to get tucked in.

For the professional 3 exams i felt like i should hae studied a little bit harder during study leave... but for the faes 12 weeks was a long freaking time to be off.

I think around week 8 or 9 you jsut get so sick of it and cant wait for it to be over....

In my opinion the people who fail exams are not the people who have not put in the work... believe me most people have all the topics covered .

It is down to exam performance and exam technique... those who are good at thinking on their feet and keeping calm and analytical have a much greater chance to pass than those who get nervous and cant think.

most of the exams year on year are different , for MABF this year i think about 30% of the paper you could not study for it is on the ball thinking and common sense.

Its also difficult to study for auditing aswell..

Anyway i hope my insight have illuminanted some of your minds regarding structure and apporach for the professional exams!

jhn_noln

Does anyone have any information (or experience even) as an external candidate for CAP1?? I have all the exemptions bar two and am planning to do them both next september once i graduate. I was just wondering do you get any notes etc of the ICAI or is it all self taught?

techman

Yes, you do get notes from CAI and they are available for students to download from their website.

Exams are in May and repeats in September.