Exam FM study plan: how many hours you have
Turn your sitting and weekly hours into a week-by-week Exam FM study plan.
Study hours before your sittingYour plan
50over 5 weeks
Topics done by November 19, then 2 weeks of timed practice exams.
Register by November 4, 2026 for the December 3 to 14, 2026 window.
Your week-by-week plan
| Week | Starts | Focus | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 29 | Time value, Annuities | 10 |
| 2 | Nov 5 | Loans, Bonds | 10 |
| 3 | Nov 12 | Portfolios and ALM | 10 |
| 4 | Nov 19 | Timed practice exams and your weakest topic | 10 |
| 5 | Nov 26 | Timed practice exams and your weakest topic | 10 |
Start week 1 today
The free diagnostic shows which Exam FM topic to start with, and the course has lessons and practice for every topic, plus full timed practice exams for the final weeks.
How the weeks are split
| Topic | SOA weight |
|---|---|
| Time Value of Money | 5–15% |
| Annuities | 20–30% |
| Loans | 15–25% |
| Bonds | 15–25% |
| General Cash Flows, Portfolios and Asset Liability Management | 20–30% |
Questions people ask
How many hours should I study for Exam FM?
As many as your weeks to the sitting allow at a pace you can keep. Ten hours a week for twelve weeks is 120 hours; the planner turns your own sitting and hours into weeks by topic, then timed practice exams.
Which Exam FM topic needs the most time?
Annuities and General Cash Flows, Portfolios and Asset Liability Management: SOA weights each 20–30% of the exam, so they get the most weeks in the plan.
How long should I leave for practice exams?
The plan keeps the last 20%, 30% or 40% of your weeks for timed practice exams, depending on where you start: more if you are reviewing after a fail.
How long is Exam FM?
30 multiple-choice questions in 2.5 hours, at a Prometric test center.
Independent, original practice for SOA Exam FM (Financial Mathematics). Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Society of Actuaries (SOA).