A Swiss Army Knife of exam strategies

One of the best things about studying for a professional qualification is that you can upskill while working and earn while you learn. It can also be a major juggling act. Finding a balance between your day job, your studies, and, well, everything else can be downright overwhelming.

If you're feeling lost or need to get back on track, I've got you covered with tried and tested exam strategies to suit any paper. I've navigated the CA, ATT, and CTA exams, and I'm here to share the hard-won lessons I learned along the way. ??

1?? Create a realistic timetable.

Look at the time between now and the exam(s), and be honest about how much of that time you can set aside. ?? Some people will be very hardcore about this, planning to study before, during, and after work... However, people who schedule that level of study are typically headed towards burnout. ??

Your timetable should factor in non-negotiable personal commitments, like caring for relatives if you cannot arrange cover and making time for yourself for self-care. (Yes, time to decompress is a non-negotiable! ??)

Rather than pretend you don't have a life, build it into the plan. And if the plan isn't doable, consider whether now is the right time to do those exams or if you can move any other levers. Can friends and family pitch in more with your personal commitments? Can you buy more annual leave from your employer?

2?? Don't practise easy questions (at least not yet).

You will typically get access to many practice questions for most exams - more than you can shake a stick at. If you spy a question that you like, don't do it.

When prioritising which questions to answer, pick the ones that make you want to skip past or do 'later.' If they make you wrinkle your nose, either there's something offputting with how the question has been worded, and it's worth you getting to grips with what the examiner is asking, or there's a technical gap to plug. The questions that make you feel uncomfortable are the ones that teach you the most.

You can revisit the 'easy' questions in any remaining study time. You'll have done the heavy lifting with the topics you didn't like, and the topics you do like will become confidence boosters later on.

3?? Sticker charts aren't just for kids. ??

Create a list of what you need to revise and record your progress in a form that resonates with you. An old-fashioned sticker chart (cheap stickers can be found in the local pound shop!) or a simple hand-drawn paper planner will work.

For ATT, I plopped the topics I needed to study into a spreadsheet and coloured them in green as I made my way through. (Can you tell I'm an accountant at heart? ??)

Ticking things off, colouring things in, or even adding smiley faces to a bit of paper speaks to our inner child and helps make the experience feel a tiny bit more fun. Do whatever appeals to your sense of whimsy the most, and take any win when it comes to enjoying your studies!

4?? Never miss an opportunity to do a mock exam marked by someone else.

Self-study could be an option depending on the specific exam and your unique background. However, at the very least, consider paying for practice exams to be marked rather than going it totally alone. The whole point of having someone mark your paper is to get some outside perspective and align your assessment of where you are with the course with the reality of it.

When I did my ICAS TPE paper, an actual client of mine marked and debriefed my mock exam in person! ?? You don't get a more useful, terrifying and worthwhile experience than that...

If you are at risk of missing a mock deadline, speak to your tuition provider ASAP. If, for example, you are unwell, they will often be able to give you a little extra time to submit your answers. Self-marking should be a last resort - if there is no other option, see if a colleague or fellow student will take pity on you and mark the paper for you using the guide supplied.

5?? Don't fall into the perfectionism trap.

If you're a perfectionist (like many of us in the profession! ??), make sure your high standards are working for you, not against you. Getting caught up in creating the most beautiful study notes or obsessing over minor details is easy. Remember, done is better than perfect, especially when time is limited.

If you find yourself getting bogged down by perfectionism, try setting time limits for tasks, focusing on progress over perfection, and reminding yourself that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. If your perfectionist tendencies are taking over or you're finding yourself hyper-focussing on the wrong things, seek support in developing healthier study habits.

Remember, there are many paths to success, and finding the right strategies for how your brain is wired is key.

?? If you're studying towards a professional qualification or you manage accountancy or tax trainees, do give me a follow if you haven't already! I regularly share accessible tips for students and insights on navigating the profession's challenges.