We get a lot of questions from prospective writers wondering whether they should take a 2-day prep course or a 10-week prep course. After all, getting through the exam is all about studying the most, right?
Wrong.
Getting through the MQE is about more than just the number of hours you spend studying. It’s about Studying Smart, which can include selecting an effective prep course over a course that may be longer; you do not need to have someone watch you write practice exams for 10-weeks. We offer you some food for thought below when weighing the benefits of a 2-day prep course versus 3-day or 10 week courses:
1) Relevance of Past MQE’s: There are only so many relevant past exams to “practice”, recognizing that the MQE is only offered once a year and has been evolving in recent years. Given the relatively limited number of relevant practice exams available, they should be written in exam-like conditions and closer to the exam date than you may think. In our view, exams prior to 2006 are likely no longer relevant (2006 is about income trusts, and tax has significantly changed), and may in fact mislead you in your preparation for your MQE.
2) Don’t Peak Too Early: The MQE is extremely time constrained. You need to be able to recall information quickly as the MQE simply does not provide you with the luxury of time to think back to what you did on a practice exam two months ago. Writing practice exams weekly, starting in early July, will likely put you in a situation where you may peak too early. While it’s okay to write an old MQE or two to get familiar with the exam, we suggest taking a prep course and brushing up on your technical. to kick things off before writing any of the more recent MQEs or before you develop bad habits (like going over the allotted time). If you can take one or two weeks off prior to the MQE, that is more than enough time to write and debrief the number of practice exams it will take for you to be successful.
3) We are all busy: With your work, family and other commitments, you’ve already got enough on your plate to keep you busy this summer. Spending extra hours during the summer writing exams from the pre-2006 (exams where the CICBV standards were different and the exam format was different) will not improve your chances of success.
Based on feedback we consistently receive from past writers, and our own experience writing the MQE, we have found that a 2-day intensive course is the ideal amount of time to for you to get an understanding of what it takes to be successful on the MQE. If we thought that 3-day or 10 week courses were effective, we’d offer them.
Our 2-day course provides you with exam writing strategies (for first time and repeat writers), a detailed technical refresher, a comprehensive course notes package and several detailed walk-throughs of actual past MQE questions. We are confident that two days is the ideal amount of time to give you the studying kick-start you’ll need to be successful on the MQE.