Important Tips for CGFM Candidates
While there’s no "one-size-fits-all" approach to studying for the CGFM examinations, here are a few tips that many candidates find helpful:
- Read everything about CGFM certification on the AGA website
- Start your preparation with the examination content outlines and pay special attention to the acronyms and sample questions
- Review additional references in areas with which you are less familiar
- Make flashcards for local, state and federal terms
- Use reputable resources, such as AGA materials, information provided by a government agency or college textbooks (beware of poor quality materials that are sometimes sold online)
- Read the most recent version of the AGA study guide (cover to cover) and pay attention to highlighted boxes, key terms, etc.
- For the end of chapter/section questions, don’t just identify the correct answer; ask yourself why the other answers are incorrect
- Know what the AGA study guides are and are not:
- Are resources that provide an excellent foundation in studying for the CGFM examinations
- Are not intended to offer answers to individual exam questions
- Determine if you need more in-depth preparation: while many candidates find the guides to be sufficient in their preparation, some individuals may need to go a step further and review additional references
- Pay attention to your timing as you go through the 115-question practice exam; keep in mind that you will be given 2 hours and 15 minutes for each live CGFM exam at a testing center
- Don’t just identify the correct answer; ask yourself why the other answers are incorrect
- Print the result pages of your practice exam and review the references for incorrect answers
- Understand that practice exam questions are a study tool and not a predictor of your performance on the actual CGFM exam
During the Exam
- Slow down and read each exam question thoroughly – look for specific terms in the questions that might help you identify the correct answer
Exam Retake Tips
- If you don’t pass a CGFM examination, you’ll receive an instant report that shows your performance by content area - use this score report as your guide to help you focus your study preparation
- Within a week of taking the exam, contact Pearson to schedule a retake for the first available date, after your waiting period
- Go back to the exam content outline and highlight the areas with which you struggled during the exam. When studying for the retake, focus on those areas.
- Remember that candidates may not discuss exam questions with anyone, including AGA staff
- A number of successful CGFMs have struggled with at least one of the examinations, so please don’t feel discouraged!