A practical FP II study plan: 30-day intensive, 60-day balanced, and 90-day part-time schedules mapped to the official CSI blueprint and chapter syllabus.
FP II is a 60-question exam, but it has long scenario surfaces (retirement + family law + estates + business). Prep improves fastest when you repeat one loop:
Syllabus → short drills → review misses → mixed sets → checkpoint.
CSI’s official guidance is 110 – 150 hours of study for FP II.
Source: https://www.csi.ca/en/learning/courses/fp2/exam-credits
Choose a timeline based on hours per week:
| Time you can commit | Recommended plan |
|---|---|
| 25–35 hrs/week | 30‑day intensive |
| 12–18 hrs/week | 60‑day balanced |
| 8–12 hrs/week | 90‑day part‑time |
Target pace: ~25–35 hours/week.
Goal: master retirement and integrated planning, then harden decision speed with mixed sets.
| Week | Focus (CSI chapters) | What to do | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1–4 | Process + client facts, net worth/cash management, debt planning, and mortgage planning. Build checklists and drill constraints. | Overview • Syllabus |
| 2 | Ch 5–7 | Investment management + tax planning strategies + registered/trust accounts. Focus on “strategy type → constraint check” reasoning. | Cheatsheet • Practice |
| 3 | Ch 8–9 | Retirement planning (highest weighting): needs analysis, government benefits impacts, RRSP/RRIF/LIF/annuities. Do daily short scenario drills. | Cheatsheet • Practice |
| 4 | Ch 10–18 + review | Insurance, small business, family law, and estate planning. Finish with 2–3 mixed sets and close gaps. | Syllabus • Practice |
Target pace: ~12–18 hours/week.
Goal: spaced repetition so decision rules stick.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1 | Planning practice: goals, risk profile, ethics and responsibilities. |
| 2 | Ch 2–3 | Net worth/cash management + debt planning; drill ratios and borrowing decisions (concept). |
| 3 | Ch 4–5 | Mortgage planning + investment management; build a constraint-first decision table. |
| 4 | Ch 6–7 | Tax planning strategies + registered/trust accounts. |
| 5–6 | Ch 8–9 | Retirement: needs analysis, benefits impacts, and products. This is your highest ROI block. |
| 7 | Ch 10–13 | Insurance: needs analysis, contracts, disability/CI/LTC, general insurance. |
| 8 | Ch 14–18 + review | Small business + family law + estates; then mixed sets and gap-closing. |
Target pace: ~8–12 hours/week.
Goal: consistent cadence with frequent short drills.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1 | Process and “best next step” reasoning. |
| 2–3 | Ch 2–4 | Savings/debt/mortgages; practice budget → constraint → decision workflow. |
| 4–5 | Ch 5–7 | Investment + tax planning; build a one-page “strategy categories” sheet. |
| 6–8 | Ch 8–9 | Retirement (core): needs analysis and product mechanics; drill scenarios weekly. |
| 9 | Ch 10–13 | Insurance: needs analysis + contracts + income protection + general insurance. |
| 10 | Ch 14–15 | Small business: entity forms, valuation framing, taxation and estate freeze concepts. |
| 11 | Ch 16 | Family law impacts: property/support and plan changes. |
| 12 | Ch 17–18 + review | Trusts/POA + will/probate/tax; then mixed sets and miss-log cleanup. |
✅ Next: open the Syllabus and begin Topic 1.