Five steps to CII RO exam success

Perspective Financial Group’s Julie Hepworth offers a series of tips to help advisers hop, skip and jump their way through the CII’s RO exams.

This summer, as every year, the press was full of coverage of GCSE and A-Level results with the annual accusations of ‘dumbing-down’ and exams getting easier.

On a similar note, there has been much discussion about the CII’s RO multiple choice exams, with the accusation that this is an ‘easier’ method to achieving Level 4.

However, to my mind this is a legitimate option for many advisers – times have changed and not everyone wishes to use, or is suited, to the traditional exam methods of the past when it comes to achieving qualification aims.

The exams are not any easier, and the level of knowledge required is not any less. It is merely a different approach. Therefore, it may be useful for advisers preparing for RO exams to use the following helpful tips to achieve success.

1. Syllabus

Firstly, it is vital advisers refer to the syllabus throughout their studying. Becoming familiar with how many exam questions there are for each chapter is a necessity as is structuring a study plan in proportion to this; those that produce a plan to the size of the chapter are making a common mistake.

For example, in RO1 29% of the questions test knowledge of chapter five while chapters one, four, eight, ten and 11 combined only account for 21%. Assuming the adviser completes the recommended 60 hours of study, they should spend a whole weekend (or equivalent) on chapter five.

2. Don’t be scared

Secondly, advisers should not be fearful of the multiple response questions; it is still possible to pass without getting any correct. Multiple response questions are only used to test a small number of chapters, not all areas of the syllabus, so advisers should allocate additional study time to the chapters they will be tested on in this way to ensure they know the subject matter well enough. For example, in RO2 this questioning technique is only used for chapters one, six and nine.

3. Practice

Next, advisers should make sure they practice, practice, practice. It is true the RO exams are as much about technique as the subject matter and what better way to hone technique than to practice?

Advisers must discipline themselves to complete mock papers under timed, exam conditions starting with the Revisionmate mock exam. They should then try to do at least three more if possible; in doing so advisers will start to see a pattern to the type of questions asked.

4. Timing

It is important to plan how to use time in the exam and adhere to it. Use the ‘time’ button to display how long is left – it is not automatically displayed. The ‘one minute per question’ rule should serve advisers well; if they cannot answer the question after one minute, they should flag it and move on. Time spent thinking about a question you are not sure of could be better spent picking up points on questions you do know.

Advisers should also ensure they allow themselves enough time at the end of the exam to revisit questions they were unsure about or did not answer. Using the ‘flag’ button during the exam to mark the questions that need to be reviewed is a good method of achieving this aim easily.

5. Online

Finally, advisers should spend time looking at the simulation of the online testing format, which is accessible via Revisionmate. Here they are given the option of completing the simulation prior to starting the exam and are allocated ten minutes for this.

However it is far better to be familiarised with the format in their own time before the day of the exam. Advisers will then know what to expect and it will mean they can bypass the simulation on the day and start the exam straightaway.