A practical FP I study plan: 30-day intensive, 60-day balanced, and 90-day part-time schedules mapped to the official CSI blueprint and chapter syllabus.
FP I is an 80-question exam, and the best prep loop is simple:
Syllabus → short drills → review misses → mixed sets → checkpoint.
CSI’s official guidance is 70 – 90 hours of study for FP I.
Source: https://www.csi.ca/en/learning/courses/fp1/exam-credits
Choose a timeline based on hours per week:
| Time you can commit | Recommended plan |
|---|---|
| 18–24 hrs/week | 30‑day intensive |
| 9–12 hrs/week | 60‑day balanced |
| 6–8 hrs/week | 90‑day part‑time |
Target pace: ~18–24 hours/week.
Goal: finish all chapters once, then harden decision speed with mixed practice.
| Week | Focus (CSI chapters) | What to do | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1–2 | Process first: advisor role + planning workflow; then build cash flow, net worth, credit vocabulary. | Overview • Syllabus |
| 2 | Ch 3–4 | Mortgages + taxation: learn the vocabulary and the “directional math” (what makes costs go up/down). | Cheatsheet • Practice |
| 3 | Ch 5–6 | Investments + retirement: risk/return basics, registered plans, retirement needs framing. | Cheatsheet • Practice |
| 4 | Ch 7–8 + review | Estates/POA + risk management/insurance; then 2–3 mixed sets and close gaps. | Syllabus • Practice |
Target pace: ~9–12 hours/week.
Goal: spaced repetition so terms and decision rules stick.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1 | Planning process + advisor role; create a “missing info / next step” checklist. |
| 2 | Ch 2 | Budgeting + credit fundamentals; drill statements and ratios (concept). |
| 3 | Ch 3 | Mortgages; compare mortgage types and focus on affordability logic. |
| 4 | Ch 4 | Taxation; build a deductions-vs-credits rule list (concept). |
| 5 | Ch 5 | Investments + TFSA/RESP; practice “match the product to the constraint” questions. |
| 6 | Ch 6 | Retirement; do several “needs vs resources” gap scenarios (concept). |
| 7 | Ch 7 | Wills + POA; focus on roles, scope, and vulnerable client considerations. |
| 8 | Ch 8 + review | Risk + life insurance; build a needs-analysis checklist, then finish with mixed sets. |
Target pace: ~6–8 hours/week.
Goal: consistent cadence with frequent short drills.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1 | Process and role vocabulary; practice “best next step” logic. |
| 2–3 | Ch 2 | Cash flow, statements, budgeting, credit basics, debt service ratios (concept). |
| 4 | Ch 3 | Mortgages vocabulary + affordability checklist (concept). |
| 5 | Ch 4 | Tax system basics + deductions vs credits rules (concept). |
| 6 | Ch 5 | Risk/return basics + investment types + TFSA/RESP use cases. |
| 7 | Ch 6 | Retirement plans + retirement needs calculation framing. |
| 8–9 | Ch 7 | Wills + POA; practice scope and role questions. |
| 10 | Ch 8 | Risk management + insurance types + needs analysis (concept). |
| 11–12 | Review | Mixed sets, miss-log cleanup, and finalize a one-page formula pack + glossary. |
✅ Next: open the Syllabus and begin Topic 1.