Part 3 –practice, practice, practice and then practice some more.
The Blueprint
https://www.ileahub.com/CSEP/Become-a-CSEP/Exam-Blueprint
Download and keep it handy and I would suggest a print off for some on the sofa at home review.
While recently studying for the CMP exam – I tackled learning the skill set with 3 simple categories:
I know this competency inside out and just need a quick review
I do not feel confident with this competency and need to review
This competency scares me, and I want to learn more and dive in deep
Reading List
https://www.ileahub.com/CSEP/Become-a-CSEP/Reading-List
I know – that is a long list. In my opinion start with Glossary. It is free and I love words!
Events Industry Council: Industry Glossary
https://insights.eventscouncil.org/Industry-glossary
The new exam has less of a focus on terms and more on practical experience, but I find that reviewing the glossary gives a quick reference on where your strengths lie and what you need to still learn.
Practice Exams
I was always on the fence about practice exams. When I wrote my CSEP exam, I was still in an academic state of mind having graduated University five years earlier. Writing the CMP exam at 55 was completely different and the practice exams became like an addictive game.
Here is how they helped me:
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Helped me know where I was with understand the competencies
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Help pinpoint gaps in my knowledge (then I used by markings above to help plan my study material for the next week)
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Gave me sense of the format and types of questions you’ll be asked
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Fostered confidence for the actual exam (well at least made me less anxious)
The only thing I don’t like about the practice exams ILEA offers is that you can only take them once, and I found that with the CMP practice quizzes, it was very beneficial to focus in on the answers I got WRONG. Taking a practice exam will help you detect any weak points that you can address later. I like to know my weaknesses.