Learner tips Study hacks that helped learners pass their professional qualification exams

“The key to learning for me when I was going through the CeMAP and the DipFA qualifications was actually using colour-coordinated cue cards. 
I ordered those online and I was able to break down each section of the advice or the learning that I was doing into different colours so that I could, when I've got 10 minutes free, just have a flick through on certain areas that I need to brush up on. It was really good for me to be able to split out my learning that I was doing using these cue cards, but also taking the main information that I needed from the textbook. 

I think the real key here is your drive to actually obtain your qualification. If it's a qualification that you want to do and you are eager to pass that exam, then you are going to be able to put in the time that is necessary for you. 

It’s about learning your way. If you need everything turned off and a silent room to learn and retain knowledge, great. I like background noises and distractions – television or music – so I can focus better on my text. Using cue cards let me extract all the main points the textbook was teaching.” 

“My focus was on those subjects that I didn't know so well. Think about your strengths and weaknesses, about your own knowledge already, as a starting point.

Read through everything and then go back and look at the areas that you might not necessarily be that familiar with.

With the CeMAP Diploma exam that I recently completed, things like inheritance tax I'm not familiar with, lending in Scotland I'm not familiar with. So it’s focusing on the areas you think you don't know so well or might need a refresher because they’re complex.

When sitting the exam, I always flag any questions where I'm not sure, or it might be between two answers, and then I go back to those at the end to read them through.”

“The best study technique that works for me is to set myself a certain amount of topics that I need to get through each week. 

I will read through these topics, but not do so much in a certain amount of time – maybe 40 minutes of reading, a 20 minute break and then get straight back into it – and just make sure you understand what you're reading as well. Try not to go back over the sentence so many times. 

At the end of each topic, I do the end-of-topic test, which makes sure that all that knowledge that I've just read is brought together and that I understand it, and if I didn't feel like I understand it, I'll then read the topic again and then redo the topic test.” 

“To study the diploma alongside being a busy working mum, I obviously needed the ability to work flexibly and within my own timeframe. 
What was good for me was I was working in the education sector, so I had the holidays off where I could spend a good amount of time each day studying. 

I also found that I could do some studying in the evenings after work.” 

“Here’s what works for me: the 12-month exam window is gold – I can shape my own pace. I study in 45-minute bursts first thing in the morning because that’s when my brain is freshest, and I never force late-night sessions; I’m sometimes simply too tired to retain anything. I don’t try to study every single day – life happens – but I stay consistent overall. Most importantly, I slow down and unpack every question before I answer, a habit I built while tackling my CDCS certification.” 

• Break content into bite-size chunks – cue cards, weekly topic quotas or school-holiday blocks beat marathon sessions. 

• Set a hard deadline – booking the exam early turns “someday” into a plan. 

• Target weaknesses first – high-scorers tackle unfamiliar topics head-on. 

• Build flexibility – life and learning can coexist when you control the timetable. 

• Test yourself early and often – quizzes and question-flagging sharpen recall under pressure. Use LIBF’s topic quizzes!