How many hours do fellowship exam candidates study?

In November 2018, we surveyed our customers to see how many hours they spent studying on their exam. The survey was sent a few days after they took their exam.

The data we collected are shown in the graph below. The key driver in hours studied was the length of the exam (2-hour, 4-hour, or 5-hour), as one would expect. There was generally not a material difference across exams and tracks, especially for 5-hour exams. 

Fsa study hours fall2018

Key observations for 5-hour exams:

  • 90% of candidates studied 200–500 hours
  • 70% studied 200–400 hours
  • 40% studied 300–400 hours (the most common range)

Key observations for other exams:

  • For both the 4-hour ERM exam and other 2-hour exams, most candidates spend 200–300 hours studying.
  • G&H Specialty candidates tended to spend more time studying than ILA-LRM, QFI-IRM, and even ERM candidates. Nearly all candidates in the 300–400 hour group for 2-hour exams were G&H Specialty students. We are curious to see if this pattern holds up in future surveys. There was not a similar tendency to study more for 5-hour G&H exams compared to other tracks.

Keep in mind that the quality of your study time is just as important as the number of hours you study. One hour of distraction-free study time first thing in the morning while your mind is fresh is probably worth 2–3 hours of study time when you are exhausted or being distracted.

Look in the online course for more tips on maximizing your study time, and let us know if you have any add additional questions. We are here to help!