This article was published before we developed our VIRTUAL Online Pre-Recorded Workshops. The feedback is now even better, with higher pass rates recorded. Do not just read the article, but register and do the workshop. You will save thousands in exam fees. Current exam fee = R1226.00 if you fail it 4 times, you lost R4904.00 in exam fees. Then the R1250.00 was worth it. Some write this exam 5-9 times, without proper study material and support.
How to Ace the RE at First Attempt
Preparing for the RE was not an easy process. I had to juggle between studying for the exam and still balance out every other area of my life.
Some weeks were good and other weeks were filled with stress and anxiety. I had to work hard to not only study for the exam but to also remain as positive as possible.
These tips below worked for me and I hope it will do the same for you.
- Give yourself enough time to study. Preparation took me 3 months in total. I spent 2 hours each day studying. I was about 90% consistent in doing this.
- Attend RE workshops. I went to INTEGRITY ACADEMY in Pretoria to get all the tips I needed to ace the exam. The RE is a tricky exam and you need to know what NOT to do in order to pass it. INTEGRITY ACADEMY gave me a summarised study pack material and more question banks to prepare. I believe I tried about 250 questions before the exam.
- Take strategic breaks. I would take a week off if I was too stressed to study or overwhelmed with tasks from work. This was possible because I started early in my preparation for the exam. If you can't take a week off, go for a day or two.
- Have a weekly study plan. I would plan out what I needed to achieve by the end of the week. If this was not achieved, I would use my Saturdays to catch up at the library or cafe. I was never productive on weekends at home. Therefore, ensure that you find an environment where you can be most productive, not the environment that you "like". I liked studying at home, but that was not the environment that got things done!
- Learning takes time. Take the time to go through the material carefully. I read through each topic at least three times. I did this till I could grasp the content. That’s why it’s important to start early!. I also did the questions at the end of each topic, in order to see if I really understood the content.
Tip: Do the questions immediately after you are done with each topic. Don't leave this stage till the last minute.
- Prayer, meditations & declarations in the morning. These tools increased my faith. I would go into prayer & meditation feeling demotivated and come out feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. This was better than any day at the gym!
Declarations are so important. I would constantly declare that " I will pass the RE exam" or “God is in my midst, I will not fail!". This allowed me to align my mind with the goal to pass the RE and eliminate any doubt or fear! You are what you believe!
- Diet. I knew that in order to best prepare and stay energized during the process, I had to ensure that I had a good diet. Please take your vitamins, eat as many fruits and veggies! Focus mostly on brain foods. The internet is filled with different ideas.
- Be patient with yourself. This was one of the hardest things I had to achieve. In order not to procrastinate or give up during the process, I told myself that “I will do better tomorrow". I would have times were the studying was slow or it would be hard to stick to the study plan, but each day got better and after a couple of weeks, it got easier and easier to implement and achieve everything on the study plan.
Written by: Mbali Hope (Mathobela) Lekubu
GO TO https://integrityacademy.co.za/index.php/qual-cour/regulatory-exam-1-3-4-5
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