ABC CP study plan
ABC CP · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content)
Map the full Domain 1 body of knowledge into a personal outline of topics and subtopics
Define business continuity, business continuity management, and resilience, and distinguish each from the others in your own written definitions
List the components of a BCMS lifecycle and sequence them in correct order
Draft a one-page glossary of the 20 most testable Domain 1 terms
Your checkpoint
A Domain 1 outline with at least 40 mapped subtopics and a 20-term glossary
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content)
Explain how risk assessment feeds business impact analysis and where the two differ
Write out the purpose and required inputs and outputs of a business impact analysis
Derive recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives from stated impact tolerances in worked examples
Distinguish maximum tolerable downtime from recovery time objective in three written scenarios
Your checkpoint
A worked BIA case study (one page) with derived RTOs, RPOs, and MTDs
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content)
Compare recovery strategies for people, facilities, technology, data, and suppliers
Select and justify a strategy for each of five given disruption scenarios
Order the steps of plan development, testing, and maintenance
Identify the roles and responsibilities of a continuity coordinator versus an incident management team
Your checkpoint
A strategy selection matrix covering five disruption scenarios with written justifications
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content)
Differentiate exercise types (tabletop, walkthrough, simulation, full-scale) and state when each is appropriate
Design an exercise program cycle including objectives, scope, and after-action review
Explain the role of awareness and training programs in embedding continuity
Identify common causes of plan failure and the maintenance controls that prevent them
Your checkpoint
A full exercise program design for one organization, including a sample tabletop scenario and after-action template
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content) & Professional Practice and Experience Requirements
Consolidate Domain 1 into a single condensed review sheet of key definitions, formulas, and lifecycle steps
Self-test on Domain 1 under timed conditions and log every missed item with its root cause
Review the professional practice and experience requirements and list the competencies they assess
Audit your own work history against those competencies and flag gaps
Your checkpoint
A Domain 1 condensed review sheet plus a scored timed self-test with an error log
Professional Practice and Experience Requirements
Describe the professional practice standards and ethical expectations relevant to continuity practitioners
Map each experience requirement to a specific project or role you have held, with evidence
Draft experience narratives that demonstrate competency using situation-action-result structure
Identify and plan remediation for any competency gaps found in week 5
Your checkpoint
A completed experience and competency evidence matrix with draft narratives for at least four requirements
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content) & Professional Practice and Experience Requirements
Refine experience narratives for clarity, specificity, and verifiable evidence
Practice articulating professional judgment in scenario-based prompts
Re-test on Domain 1 weak areas identified in the week 5 error log
Integrate Domain 1 knowledge into professional practice examples
Your checkpoint
A polished experience narrative portfolio and a second timed self-test showing measurable improvement
Business Continuity Management Knowledge (Qualifying Examination content) & Professional Practice and Experience Requirements
Run two full-length timed practice simulations and score them
Review every remaining error and close out the error log
Rehearse a concise summary of your professional experience for interview or verification
Finalize submission-ready documentation and confirm all requirements are addressed
Your checkpoint
Two scored full-length simulations and a submission-ready documentation package
Milestones
Week 2: Can derive RTO, RPO, and MTD from a written scenario without notes
Week 4: Domain 1 outline fully mapped and one complete exercise program designed
Week 5: Timed Domain 1 self-test passed at target score with error log started
Week 6: Every experience requirement mapped to concrete evidence
Week 8: Two full-length simulations scored at or above target and documentation submission-ready