CPCU 540® is notorious for its extensive list of formulas, which probably has a lot to do with it having the highest failure rate of all the CPCU courses. CPCU 520 also  has its fair share of financial ratios and calculations that you’ll need to memorize. This blog tip is all about the most effective strategies for mastering the CPCU formulas for your exams.
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#1: Focus on studying and memorizing only one or two formulas a day

Only some of the chapters have formulas, and the ones that do have a TON. So if you were studying chapter by chapter, you’d basically have certain days or weeks where you’d be SLAMMED with a batch of formulas to learn. That means, those chapters can be really overwhelming.

Instead, pace yourself by studying just one or a few formulas per day. This is easy to do if you’re using our printable formulas module that comes with our IEG study materials. This bonus content has all the formulas that you need to learn for the course in one PDF, with a detailed explanation of each formula so you can learn the ins and outs of it.

When you study a formula, you want to get a GOOD understanding of it. What does the formula result tell you, what does it mean when the result is higher versus lower, and so on. Simply memorizing the formula is not going to get you through the exam, so take the time to learn how to properly use it and apply it.

#2: Practice writing down all the formulas you’ve learned so far from memory every day

Before you move to learning a new formula, take out a blank piece of paper and see if you can write down all the previous formulas you learned…from memory. Always double check that you got them right, and if not, force yourself to do it again until you can write out all the formulas WITHOUT without any errors.

When you ARE memorizing a new formula, always memorize it EXACTLY as it appears in your course material rather than trying to shorten it, because you might forget which number is supposed to actually get plugged in.

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#3: Practice applying the formulas to actual word problems

One common mistake is to concentrate only on memorizing the formula without giving enough attention to learning how to apply them. It is imperative to do as many word problems so you know how the formulas are actually used. Use any method possible to find word problems, such as reworking the problems in the textbook, checking out the application questions from the white coursebook (workbook), and looking for ones on practice quizzes.

Our CPCU 520 & CPCU 540 study guides also come with bonus worksheets of extra application questions with explanations, so you can ensure you get the practice you need!

#4: Dump the formulas immediately at the start of the test

As soon as you get into the test room, use one of the scratch papers to write down all the formulas and dump them out of your brain. If you followed tip #2 above, this will come easily because you’ve been doing the same thing every day leading up to the test. Writing down the formulas right from the start frees your mind to concentrate on the test questions themselves, and it also serves as a handy reference sheet for the test questions that ask you conceptual things about the formulas.

#5: Don’t focus only on the formulas

A final tip: don’t get tunnel vision when it comes to the formulas. Remember that the CPCU courses cover so much more than just the formulas, so you need to studying everything else too!

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Ace your AINS® & CPCU® exams with the help of our study materials!

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