This CIA Prep Tip concerns your study schedule.
The CIA exam tests a vast amount of material. Because you have limited time to study and review all of the subject matter, it is crucial that you establish a study schedule and stick to it.
The first step is to examine your schedule. Write down how many hours each week you spend at school or work. If you are a student, how many hours a week do you spend studying? How much time do you require for sleeping, eating, and your other activities?
Set up a study schedule with the time remaining. Keep in mind that you must make sacrifices during exam preparation. Thus, you will probably have to curtail leisure activities. But if you make the necessary effort, you will have to restrict your normal lifestyle in this way just once for each part. Make your study schedule work for you. Some people can only study for a short time. Others like to study for hours. The best plan is to study for several hours each day of the week.
Another thing to consider when developing your study schedule is the time of day. Study for the CIA exam when you are most productive. Some people prefer to get up at 4:00 a.m. and study before they go to work. Others are more productive in the afternoon or late at night. Obviously, the more efficient and productive your preparation is, the less time you will have to spend studying.
Once you have set up a study schedule that meets your needs, the easy part is over. The hard part is sticking to it. For this you need study discipline. One effective way is to do whatever is necessary to start and complete a Gleim study unit every two days if you are preparing to take 4 parts within 6 months. You will never be completely satisfied with your preparations. However, you must stay on schedule.