Thoughts on how to approach the fall exam if you’re taking a July exam

Here’s a question I recently got by email that I think captures a quandary that’s on many people’s minds:

With the postponement of my spring 2020 LPM sitting, I’ve been put into a situation wherein I’m trying to figure out the best timing for studying. Originally my plan was to take LPM in April, start studying for LFM in May. The new date for the Fall 2020 LFM sitting is November 4th, so that makes it a little bit tighter to study for. My backup plan was to instead study for LAM, which is October 29th, and I think that’s manageable as it’s a shorter exam. Do you think that studying from mid-July to October 29th is sufficient for LAM?

I think you’ll have more than enough time to be fully prepared for LAM if you start in July. The vast majority of people who take LAM in the fall start after August 1. Also, many people taking the 5-hour exams (and ERM) start in July after getting their results in a normal year, so I honestly think that’s as doable as ever too (for anyone who is willing to start studying right after taking the July exam).

As always, we let folks purchase their next TIA course before getting exam results and will let you pause it indefinitely if you need to go back to the previous exam. If you’re taking a July exam, this will give you the ability to immediately begin studying for the fall exam (if you wish). If you get bad news about your July exam in September, you’ll have the choice of pausing the new course and going back to the previous course (provided you have a free extension available), or you could just stick with the new exam and try to knock it out (and return to the previous exam in spring 2021).

To be clear, there is no right or wrong decision this year. 2020 is a very unusual year to say the least, and I think it’s up to each of us to decide what’s best for us and go forward from there. As they say, it’s not about making the right decision, but about making the decision right. Make the most of the time you have, and try to continue moving forward in some way on your journey to fellowship. Good luck, stay safe, and always stay positive!

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