The September R06 exam will soon be upon us. Luiza Todd, BTS considers the best way to prepare for the CII Financial Planning Practice exam?
The July R06 results were released 13 August. We can bet all candidates were logging onto the CII website at 8am in the morning with their hearts in their mouths for sure. The six-ish weeks between the exam sitting on the 6 July and results day on the 13 August initially feels like forever.
Countrywide results are bound to be mixed. Those candidates that put in the legwork with their exam prep should be rewarded with an exam pass (although nerves / system issues on the day can put a spanner in the works). Those that thought R06 was going to be easy, a real ‘slam, dunk’ of a paper are more than likely to have ‘deferred their success’.
Here at BTS we are pleased to report many R06 candidates’ successes, and some brilliantly high scores to boot. We have however also heard from candidates that did not do so well and who can’t understand why.
So, what is the best approach to try and avoid being in the ‘deferred success’ situation on R06 results day? BTS recommend a three-pronged approach for the R06 exam.
1. Start with an R06 study guide
One of the keys to an R06 exam pass is question answering technique. Candidates must do their best to:
- highlight the key words in each question stem.
- answer the question they are being asked (not their own version of it). This can be easier said than done as we still have the infamous CII use of the English language in this exam, just like in the previous 5!
- personalise answers to the case study wherever possible.
- give the R06 examiner a spread of answers to the questions asked.
These techniques need to be learnt and then practiced ad nauseum, until they are second nature for an R06 candidate. The most difficult thing in the exam is being faced with a blank screen to type your answers into. There are no options in front of you – just that screen scaring you. A quality R06 guide teaches you these techniques and gets you practising them on sample case studies.
2.Practise on past CII R06 exam guides/ JOIN OUR WEBINAR
Having learnt and started to practise these key question answering techniques, candidates should then get their hands on as many past examiner guides as they can. An R06 exam guide is full of useful information to help candidates.
Firstly, it gives suggested answers to all the questions asked. Which is very useful as candidates can practise sitting these papers in exam conditions, self-marking them and assessing how they are progressing in applying key question answering techniques.
Secondly, the examiner’s comments are well worth a read. Here the R06 examiner comments on the sitting and candidate answers generically before going onto comment on each question that was asked. This is a veritable goldmine of dos and don’ts for future exam candidates.
Having studied every single R06 exam guide released, BTS can tell you that many of these comments we have seen numerous times. These old chestnuts include:
- a lack of technical knowledge amongst some candidates.
- not answering the question asked but one the candidate thought they should be answering!
- writing /typing down the same point just using slightly different words.
- giving generic rather than specific answers.
- not relating answers to the case studies.
- a lack of detailed answers.
3. Attend an R06 workshop
The last part of a candidate’s R06 preparation should be either attending a workshop, or, if financials don’t permit this, purchasing a quality R06 analysis.
Many candidates have this last stage as the cake in their revision process, whereas in practise it ought to be the cherry!
A quality R06 workshop helps candidates take everything they have learnt so far and apply it to their actual exam case studies. Questions are practised, technical areas are discussed, and methodologies are debated on the best ways to find quality answers to possible exam questions. Don’t underestimate the benefits of being in a group of R06 candidates all in the same position as you, sharing thoughts and ideas, having a forum to ask questions of an experienced R06 facilitator.
Post workshop you then have access to a whole suite of possible questions and answers, plus some key technical crib sheets on case study specific areas that may come up. Now is the time to work through all of these questions and areas in the run up to your exam sitting on the 21 September.
A quality R06 analysis
For some candidates, especially those self-funding their way through R06, a workshop is just not financially viable. For those individuals, purchasing a quality R06 analysis should be the next step. This will give you a set of possible questions and answers again based on the actual exam case studies. Careful thought should be given in relation to which analysis provider to use – quality of materials and accuracy of question predictions varies widely. Look out for ‘shout outs’ on social media. Whose R06 support regularly gets a mention?
Look out for any R06 freebies!
Professional Paraplanner is putting on a free R06 webinar on Monday 6 September hosted by yours truly. This is open to subscribers to the magazine and, whilst not giving you access to a full analysis, will be a great way to get some hints and tips towards your September sitting. Follow this link to register your interest: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8DyxRq95Q0yPfTHIawBFSg
With the right study plan, giving the R06 exam the time and attention it needs, you will be on your way to an exam pass. Good luck to all those candidates who have registered for the 21 September exam.
About Bespoke Training Solutions
Bespoke Training Solutions (BTS) have been supporting regulated exams for 17 years, specialising in R0 support with outstanding candidate tracked results and feedback. Resources include digital and printed study guides, group and 1:1 training, e-Learning modules and a mobile app of practice exam questions. Visit www.bespoketrainingsolutions.com to learn more on how BTS can help you on your regulated journey.
