Robin Ellis ACSI, a double winner at this year’s CISI Annual Awards, gives some study advice to fellow exam candidates
An Assistant Investment Manager at Smith & Williamson in London, Robin has recently attained the CISI Chartered Wealth Manager qualification.
Below he outlines five simple steps to success in exams:
1. Study the material: Although this is obvious, the importance of going through the course book thoroughly cannot be overstated. It can be dull at times, but the exams are so broad, and questions can touch on some of the smallest parts of the syllabus.
2. Keep up to date: The exams tend to have a few questions inspired by recent developments in regulation or in the market. Keeping up to date with all of this news should give you an advantage on the day.
3. Practise: Do as many past papers as you can. These are available on the website along with the Chief Examiner reports. Some of the exams are quite short time-wise, so good exam technique can be just as important as depth of knowledge.
4. Test yourself: As the course is so broad, the best tip I can give would be to write out your own questions. In doing this, you will quickly identify what sort of topics are likely to come up. It is also an excellent way of assessing what you know and what you don’t.
5. Relax and keep calm:
The key is not to panic. If you have put the work in, you will be much better off trying to stay calm before the exam, rather than trying to fit in any last-second cramming
The benefits of study
Robin is pictured below receiving prizes at the Institute awards ceremony from CISI Chairman Alan Yarrow, Chartered FCSI(Hon) as top performer in the Financial Markets and Securities (Investment Advice Diploma) exams.View the full list of winners at this year’s awards
"Achieving additional qualifications enables me to take on more responsibility at work and move forward with my career"
He says: "The main reason for taking the Chartered Wealth Manager qualification is to satisfy the regulator that I am qualified to manage people’s savings. It also helps me to keep up to date with the most recent studies in portfolio management and obtain a better understanding of the fundamental concepts behind the financial assets that we deal with every day.
"Achieving additional qualifications enables me to take on more responsibility at work and move forward with my career. Equally, the background knowledge that I have picked up has helped my general financial services knowledge and improved the quality of my investment research and portfolio management."
As for the future, he says: "I will probably go on to take further industry qualifications in order to continue my professional development."