CeMAP Revision Timetable: A Week-by-Week Plan

Why You Need a Revision Timetable

One of the biggest reasons CeMAP candidates fail isn't lack of ability — it's lack of structure. Without a clear plan, it's easy to spend too long on one module, leave too little time for another, and arrive at exam day with significant gaps in your knowledge.

A structured revision timetable solves this problem. It ensures you cover the entire syllabus, build in regular practice questions from the start, and leave adequate time for final revision. This plan is designed for part-time learners studying 10 to 15 hours per week over 12 weeks, but we'll also cover how to adjust it if you have more or less time available.

The 12-Week Overview

| Phase | Weeks | Focus | Module | |---|---|---|---| | Phase 1 | 1–4 | Financial Services, Regulation and Ethics | Module 1 (FRE1 & FRE2) | | Phase 2 | 5–9 | Mortgages | Module 2 (MRT1 & MRT2) | | Phase 3 | 10–11 | Assessment of Mortgage Advice Knowledge | Module 3 (ASEW) | | Phase 4 | 12 | Final revision and mock exams | All modules |

Notice that Module 2 gets the most time. This is deliberate — it covers 24 topics across two units and contains the largest volume of new material. Module 3 gets less calendar time but demands a different kind of preparation, focused on applying knowledge rather than acquiring it.

Phase 1: Module 1 — Weeks 1 to 4

Module 1 covers the FRE1 and FRE2 units: financial services regulation, the FCA, consumer protection, complaints procedures, financial crime, and professional ethics. It's the foundation for everything that follows.

Week 1: FRE1 — Industry and Regulation Fundamentals

• Learning (6–8 hours): Work through the FRE1 topics covering the structure of UK financial services, key regulatory bodies, and the role of the FCA. Focus on understanding the regulatory framework before memorising specific rules.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Complete your first set of Module 1 practice questions on the topics you've covered. Don't worry about your score at this stage — the purpose is to identify how questions are structured and where your initial gaps lie.
• Review (1–2 hours): Go through every question you got wrong. Read the explanation, revisit the relevant study material, and make a note of the topic for future revision.

Week 2: FRE1 — Consumer Protection and Complaints

• Learning (6–8 hours): Cover consumer protection frameworks, the complaints process, the Financial Ombudsman Service, and the FSCS. Pay close attention to specific timescales and thresholds — these are frequently tested.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Complete a mixed set of questions covering both Week 1 and Week 2 topics. This begins the process of spaced revision from the outset.
• Review (1–2 hours): Analyse incorrect answers and update your revision notes.

Week 3: FRE2 — Skills, Principles and Ethics

• Learning (6–8 hours): Work through the FRE2 unit covering ethical principles, treating customers fairly, the FCA's Consumer Duty, professional standards, and financial crime prevention.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Mixed practice questions across all Module 1 topics covered so far. Pay particular attention to Consumer Duty questions — this is an increasingly important area.
• Review (1–2 hours): Focus on any topics where your score is below 70%.

Week 4: Module 1 Consolidation

• Revision (4–5 hours): Revisit the topics you scored lowest on during Weeks 1–3. Use active recall: close your notes and write down everything you know about each topic from memory, then check against your materials.
• Practice (5–6 hours): Complete a full-length Module 1 mock exam (100 questions) under timed conditions. This builds exam stamina and gives you a realistic assessment of your readiness.
• Review (2–3 hours): Thoroughly review your mock exam results. If you're scoring consistently above 75%, you're on track. If you're below 70%, consider extending Phase 1 by a week before moving on.

Sit your Module 1 exam at the end of Week 4 or early in Week 5.

Phase 2: Module 2 — Weeks 5 to 9

Module 2 covers MRT1 and MRT2: mortgage law, the application process, property law, mortgage products, lending criteria, and post-completion matters. With 24 topics across two units, this is the most content-heavy module.

Week 5: MRT1 — Mortgage Fundamentals

• Learning (6–8 hours): Begin with mortgage types, repayment methods, interest rate structures, and basic lending criteria. Build a solid understanding of how different mortgage products work before moving to more detailed topics.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Start practising Module 2 questions on the topics covered. Also complete a short set of Module 1 revision questions to maintain your earlier learning.
• Review (1–2 hours): Address gaps and note any areas of confusion.

Week 6: MRT1 — The Application Process and Property Law

• Learning (6–8 hours): Cover the mortgage application process from initial enquiry to completion, including affordability assessments, valuations, and conveyancing. Property law and land registration are detailed topics — don't rush them.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Mixed questions covering Weeks 5 and 6 topics.
• Review (1–2 hours): Focus on property law terminology and procedural sequences, which are common areas of confusion.

Week 7: MRT2 — Mortgage Products in Detail

• Learning (6–8 hours): Study mortgage product features in depth: fixed rates, trackers, discounted rates, offset mortgages, buy-to-let, shared ownership, Help to Buy, and specialist products. Understand the suitability considerations for each.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Questions covering all Module 2 topics so far, plus a brief Module 1 refresher.
• Review (1–2 hours): Compare similar product types and make sure you can distinguish between them.

Week 8: MRT2 — MCOB Rules and Post-Completion

• Learning (6–8 hours): Cover the FCA's Mortgage Conduct of Business (MCOB) rules, post-completion responsibilities, arrears and repossession procedures, and second charge lending. MCOB is regulation-heavy — approach it methodically.
• Practice (2–3 hours): Mixed Module 2 questions spanning all four weeks of study.
• Review (1–2 hours): Focus on regulatory requirements and timescales.

Week 9: Module 2 Consolidation

• Revision (4–5 hours): Target your weakest Module 2 topics using active recall techniques. Revisit any areas where practice question scores remain below 70%.
• Practice (5–6 hours): Complete a full-length Module 2 mock exam (100 questions) under timed conditions. Follow it with a thorough review.
• Review (2–3 hours): Identify any remaining weak spots and address them before moving to Module 3.

Sit your Module 2 exam at the end of Week 9 or early in Week 10.

Phase 3: Module 3 — Weeks 10 to 11

Module 3 is the synoptic assessment. It tests your ability to apply knowledge from Modules 1 and 2 to case study scenarios through the ASEW unit. The preparation approach here is fundamentally different — less about learning new content and more about developing analytical skills.

Week 10: Scenario Analysis and the Advice Process

• Learning (3–4 hours): Review the six ASEW topic areas: protection types and advice, the full advice process, suitability of recommendations, soft skills, fundamentals of protection advice, and case-study based scenario analysis. You should already know this content from Modules 1 and 2 — the focus now is on how to apply it.
• Practice (6–8 hours): Work through case-study-based questions. For each scenario, practise the systematic approach: read the scenario twice, identify client needs, assess circumstances, consider suitability, and evaluate protection needs.
• Review (2–3 hours): For every incorrect answer, identify whether the mistake was a knowledge gap or an analytical error. Knowledge gaps require revision of Module 1 or 2 content. Analytical errors require more scenario practice.

Week 11: Mock Exams and Targeted Revision

• Practice (6–8 hours): Complete at least two full-length Module 3 mock exams (60 questions each) under timed conditions. Focus on building a consistent approach to case study analysis.
• Revision (3–4 hours): Address any knowledge gaps revealed by mock exams. Pay particular attention to protection advice — it's the most commonly neglected area in Module 3.
• Review (2–3 hours): Refine your systematic approach based on patterns in your errors. Are you missing client details? Forgetting protection? Misjudging suitability? Target these specific weaknesses.

Sit your Module 3 exam at the end of Week 11 or during Week 12.

Phase 4: Final Revision — Week 12

If you haven't yet sat all your exams, use this week for final preparation. If you've already passed all three modules — congratulations, you've earned it.

How to Use This Week

• Mock exams (5–6 hours): Complete full-length mocks for any remaining modules under strict timed conditions. Simulate the exam environment as closely as possible.
• Targeted revision (4–5 hours): Focus exclusively on topics where your mock exam scores are weakest. Don't waste time revising topics you already know well.
• Light review (2–3 hours): In the final two days before each exam, do a light review of key facts, definitions, and regulatory thresholds. Don't try to learn new material at this stage.
• Rest: Get proper sleep the night before each exam. Cognitive performance drops significantly when you're tired, and a rested brain recalls information far more reliably than a fatigued one.

Daily Activity Structure

For each study day, structure your time in this order:

1. Brief review (15 minutes): Quickly revisit yesterday's key topics using flashcards or your revision notes
2. New learning (60–90 minutes): Work through new syllabus content, making notes as you go
3. Practice questions (45–60 minutes): Complete a set of questions covering today's topics and a selection of earlier topics
4. Error review (15–30 minutes): Go through every incorrect answer, understand why, and note the topic for future revision

This structure ensures you're using active recall and spaced repetition every single day, not just during dedicated revision weeks. The research evidence behind these techniques is among the strongest in all of learning science — practice testing consistently outperforms re-reading across seven major meta-analyses.

Adjusting the Timetable

If You Have More Time (15–20 Hours Per Week)

You can compress the timetable to 8–10 weeks. Spend the extra hours on additional practice questions rather than extra reading. More practice time means more exposure to the exam format, which directly translates to higher scores.

If You Have Less Time (5–8 Hours Per Week)

Extend the timetable to 16–20 weeks. The key is maintaining consistency — five hours of focused study every week is far more effective than alternating between intense weeks and weeks of no study. Don't sacrifice practice question time to fit in more reading; if anything, prioritise practice over passive study.

If You're Already Working in Financial Services

You may find Module 1 content more familiar, in which case you could reduce Phase 1 to three weeks and redistribute that time to Module 2 or Module 3. Test your existing knowledge with a Module 1 mock exam early on — if you're already scoring above 70%, you can adjust accordingly.

The Role of Practice Questions Throughout

One critical point that runs through every phase of this timetable: practice questions are not just for the end of your revision. They should be part of your study routine from Week 1 onwards.

Practice questions serve three purposes at different stages:

• During learning: They reveal gaps in your understanding while the material is fresh
• During consolidation: They reinforce retention through active recall
• Before the exam: They build stamina, refine technique, and provide a realistic readiness assessment

Candidates who leave practice questions until the final week before each exam consistently underperform compared to those who integrate them throughout their study period.

Get Started Today

This timetable gives you a clear path from start to finish, but a plan only works if you follow it. The best time to start is now.

Complement your revision with practice questions and begin building the knowledge, confidence, and exam technique you need to pass all three CeMAP modules.