How to prepare for the AFA exam

Many candidates approach their preparation in the wrong order: they work through practice papers before they’ve even looked at the material, then find themselves with low scores without knowing what to make of them. Practising without having studied merely measures what you already don’t know.

Here’s the approach that works.

1. Review the material before practising

Start with the module resources: summaries, presentations, podcasts, videos. The aim of this first step isn’t to memorise, but to recognise. You need to know what’s being discussed before you can answer a question about it.

2. Practise under exam conditions

A practice session done at a leisurely pace, with the option to go back and check, does not prepare you for the exam: it prepares you for revision. Practise against the clock, without going back, just as you would on the day. It’s uncomfortable, and that’s exactly the point: it’s better to experience the pressure during practice than in front of the examiner.

3. Revise what the results have revealed, not what you fancy

This is the step that almost everyone skips. After a practice test, the temptation is to sit another one straight away. But the result has just highlighted your weak areas: that’s where you need to go back to your study materials before trying again.

Revising what you’ve already mastered is enjoyable but won’t help you improve.

4. Aim higher than the official pass mark

A score that just scrapes the pass mark in practice is no guarantee: on exam day, you’ll face added stress, tiredness and questions you’ve never seen before. Give yourself a margin. On Caelys, a set is only considered passed if it exceeds a threshold that is deliberately more demanding than that of the exam.

5. Spread your revision over time rather than cramming it all in

Two hours a week for two months is better than a whole weekend of cramming. Your memory needs to forget a little and then recall: it’s this back-and-forth process that helps information stick, not non-stop repetition.

What preparation cannot do

No platform, no course and no method can guarantee success, and any promise to that effect would be unlawful. Good preparation increases your chances and eliminates unpleasant surprises. The rest depends on your own hard work.