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Hi there are my fellow insurance colleagues!

In the 1st quarter 2010 testing window I completed CPCU 510. Feeling good, I wanted to get a harder CPCU course out of the way, so I took and today passed CPCU 540. Man that was a tough one!

My question is, I'm now trying to decide which CPCU course to take next, and is it possible to do it in one month?

thanks to all that respond.

Depending on your job function, you could do 520 fairly fast if you didn't have a problem with 510. Plus, it's multiple choice now. I did mine in about that time frame in the old format, and I was commercial agency.


Mark Walters, ARM CPCU
mwalters@csstrategy.com

I agree with the 520 recommendation if time is short. The 560 follows the 540 and it might make sense to get that out of the way while it's still fresh in your mind. I do not recommend jamming it in to only one month though. If you thought the 540 was tough, the 560 isn't going to be much better.

How are you studying for these? I just took my 7th CPCU exam yesterday and have tried various studying methods throughout. Hands down, the best is the Burnham Method. If you are not familiar with his books, he takes the entire CPCU text and whittles each chapter down to 3 - 6 pages. Using his book improved my score a great deal and made studying easier. I personally feel like I learned more reading them than I do from the actual CPCU text. You will not be disappointed. Good luck.

I have never heard of the Burnham Method before. HOw much does it cost? If you use this method, do you even buy the CPCU books?

As far as how I study, I do the following:

1) Read chapter
2) Smart On-line Practice Test
3) Note Cards on difficult questions per Chapter
4) One week prior, take full practice exam
5) Day before, go through every chapter exam, until I reach 100% on each exam

So far it's worked, but it has been a lot of hours. The first two courses I passed took me a quarter to get through. I met a guy who did the entire CPCU in 7 months. He was averaging about a course a month.

https://www.burnhamsystem.com/ It’s not cheap.

I do buy the CPCU text along with the course guide (so I can get the access code for the practice exam online). I used to order all of the CPCU study aids but I cut back to just the book and guide and skipped the course notes and flashcards. (I find them to be confusing and often incomplete answers.) I recommend buying the text book at a minimum because it does contain a wealth of knowledge. (I just don’t think it’s as clear as the Burnham is when trying to read and comprehend every single morsel of information in a particular course.)

Did you use his system when you took CPCU 520?

No. I wasn't aware the material existed when I took the 520. I have used it for the 510, 560 and 551 and will use it for the 553 which I will be taking next. The 560 was my first exam with it. I failed it, got the Burnham and added 20 points to my score. Since then I have ordered it every single time. Prior to that I took classes through the local Insurance Library.

Not to change the subject but has anyone used the Burnham material on their ARM? I like the condensed version but I'm not sure if its worth the $300. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

Is 520 difficult if you are to use the actual textbook? It appears to have more material than 540 or 510 (the book is thicker).

Has anyone tried the Kier study guides. I am considering starting my CPCU and used this company to study for my 6 and 63. Any help would be great.

I work for The Institutes, @foofin. First of all, I'm pleased that you're considering the CPCU program. We do offer our own SMART study aids for all CPCU courses, which help you focus your study efforts the educational objectives on which our exam questions are based. Additionally, we have SMART online practice exam for each CPCU course (access is included with your purchase of a study guide). I've been using the practice exams for my own study in our Associate in General Insurance (AINS) program and have found them to be very helpful tools (used in combination with the text and course guide) in preparing for my exams. For your first CPCU course, you might want to consider starting with the new CPCU 500--Foundations of Risk Management and Insurance; just a suggestion! Best wishes and let us know if you have any questions; we're happy to help you.

Keir is great, I used it for all my CPCU classes and it was a big help. You need to focus on the objectives in the course guide; Keir is a help if you can't find the answer ( I started CPCU before they gave the page # to where the answer was in the guide) and it helps explain things as well. The practice exams are great; they give you a feel for the type of question and what kind of answer is looked for. Keep going and good luck. CPCU is one of the best things I've done careerwise.

I purchased KEIR for my first exam, started reviewing it, and decided that I didn't need Keir providing alternate definitions for the terms that were already defined in the text/guide/review notes. I studied by reading the text through one time, and then reading through the review notes several times (including flashcards, or alternatively just reviewing the definitions in the review notes). Bottom line, if you are very familiar with the review notes, that seemed to be the most useful method for me. After the first exam, I never looked at the course guide unless it contained supplemental reading. I just stuck to Text (once), Review notes (several times) and flashcards. I took all my exams under the essay format (except for the commerical survey) and scored 90-100 on six, 80-90 on two. I passed all of them my first time.

I probably would've taken 520 before 540. Since you just completed 540, I would go on to 560 immediatley aferwards because it is also very finance heavy. Unless of course you have no plans to take 540.

There have been some changes to the program since I posted last. The 560 is no longer a required course. There are a handful of electives you can take instead. You can still take it if you want and I definitely recommend doing it right after the 540 if you do, but check out the alternatives before deciding.

I just completed the CPCU 520 exam. I personally felt that it was the hardest one I had taken to date. I have already taken 510,553,540,560. I am about to take 552 which is the liability exam in the next few months. Does anybody have any thoughts on it in regards to how hard it is? I know it is considered advanced. Thanks.