Top 4 Tips for Taking Mock CFA Exams

Taking a mock exam is one of the best ways to prepare for the real exam. However, you need to know the right way to make the best use of this assessment tool. Below are our top 4 tips for taking mock exams.

1. Put your study notes and formula sheet away.

Referring to your notes when taking the mock exams can produce a false sense of security. The mock exams should feel like the real thing. On exam day, you will be retrieving information from your head, not your study notes. The process and effort between the two can feel very different, so don’t create the impression that there’s a resource you can rely on when taking the exam.

On exam day, you will be retrieving information from your head, not your notes, so you should put your notes away during your mock exam.

2. Stick to the timer.

It is important not to pause your mock exam timer solely because you need a break or you’re trying to solve every question. After all, knowledge is only one of the many elements you need to pass the exam. Your momentum also plays a big role in determining your success or failure, especially under time pressure. You not only need to answer the questions right—you also need to answer them fast.

By working on the mock exams strictly within the designated timeframe, you will learn to manage your mental stamina based on a more accurate expectation of the exam length.

Instead of feeling discouraged by a low score, turn that anxiety into motivation to truly understand what you’re struggling with!

3. Don’t beat yourself up if you get a low score.

Getting a low score in your mock exam may not be as bad as you think. You will get the chance to spot your knowledge gaps and revise them to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes on the exam. So, instead of feeling discouraged, turn that anxiety into motivation to truly understand what you’re struggling with!

4. Review the solutions and understand why your answers were wrong (or correct).

The model solutions will often demonstrate the best ways to solve exam problems. Instead of focusing on just your final score, take time to compare your thought process to our solutions to learn why your answers were right or wrong. You’d be surprised how many times you correctly answer a question for the wrong reason, which tells you that you need to spend more time reviewing these topics.

Try a free mock exam from Salt Solutions.

Ready for a mock exam? When you sign up for a free trial to Salt Solutions, you not only get access to a full topic, including all video lessons, manuals, and our custom quiz builder. You also receive access to a fully featured mock exam for your level. To access your free mock exam, register for a free trial using that handy teal drop-down menu above, then select "Mock Exams" in the left-hand sidebar of your account menu.