CPOA study plan

Map the governance-ethics-accountability domain into a one-page outline of subtopics and their exam weight

Define and contrast fiduciary duty, duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience with an original example of each

Identify the roles, authority, and boundaries of the board versus the executive director and draft a two-column comparison

List common conflict-of-interest scenarios and write the disclosure and recusal steps a board should follow

Self-quiz on governance concepts and log every missed item with a corrected explanation

Deconstruct the strategic planning cycle into mission, environmental scan, goals, objectives, implementation, and evaluation stages

Practice writing SMART objectives from vague organizational goals

Compare logic models, balanced scorecards, and KPI dashboards and note when each fits

Draft a mock SWOT and a short set of strategic priorities from a fictional organizational profile

Explain how performance metrics tie back to mission and board reporting

Distinguish operating, capital, and cash-flow budgets and describe the purpose of each

Walk through the full budget cycle from preparation through monitoring and variance analysis

Compute and interpret basic ratios: current ratio, program expense ratio, and operating reserve in months

Explain the roles of the board, finance committee, treasurer, and auditor in financial oversight

Practice reading a simple statement of financial position and activity statement and summarize findings

Outline the employee lifecycle from recruitment through separation and note the compliance touchpoints at each stage

Differentiate volunteer management practices from paid-staff management, including screening and recognition

Design a program logic model linking inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes

Identify methods for measuring program outcomes and selecting appropriate evaluation designs

Draft interview-style answers to HR and program-delivery scenarios under timed conditions

Compare major fundraising channels and match each to donor segments and cost structures

Explain the donor lifecycle and stewardship practices that support retention

Summarize key legal and regulatory obligations, including reporting, solicitation, and governance filings

Build a compliance calendar template mapping recurring obligations to responsible parties and deadlines

Analyze a fictional fundraising scenario for ethical and compliance risks

Identify stakeholder groups and map their interests and influence on organizational decisions

Draft key messages for a crisis communication scenario using a structured messaging framework

Explain data governance basics: privacy, access control, retention, and backup practices

Describe how technology supports reporting, donor management, and program data collection

Evaluate a fictional data-handling situation for privacy and security weaknesses

Re-review weak spots flagged in weeks 1 through 4 and rewrite corrected notes for each missed concept

Complete a timed mixed practice set weighted toward the heaviest domains

Practice eliminating answer choices on scenario questions by identifying the governing principle

Explain aloud the reasoning behind five difficult questions without notes

Update the governance and finance cheat sheets with any new insights

Re-review weak spots flagged in weeks 5 and 6 and consolidate corrected notes

Complete a full-length timed practice exam simulating test-day conditions

Analyze results by domain and rank remaining gaps by risk

Drill the highest-risk gaps with targeted review and rapid self-quizzing

Finalize a one-page test-day strategy covering pacing, flagging, and review order