QIA study plan
QIA · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Investment advisory regulation and compliance
Map Domain 1 into a one-page outline of its sub-areas and note where weighting is highest
Define the core advisory-regulatory concepts (registration, fiduciary vs suitability duties, disclosure) in your own words
Build a 20-term glossary and self-quiz on the definitions
Complete 30 practice questions on regulation and log every miss with the reason
Your checkpoint
A one-page Domain 1 concept map plus a 20-term glossary with a scored 30-question practice log
Investment advisory regulation and compliance
Distinguish prohibited practices and conflicts-of-interest rules and write a worked example of each
Summarize recordkeeping, supervision, and compliance-control requirements into a checklist
Drill 40 mixed Domain 1 questions and re-test every prior miss
Explain each missed item aloud without notes to confirm true understanding
Your checkpoint
A compliance-controls checklist and a 40-question practice score with a re-test log of prior misses
Investment analysis and valuation & Financial markets and investment products
Compute intrinsic value using discounted cash flow and compare with relative valuation multiples
Calculate key ratios (P/E, P/B, dividend yield) from given data and interpret each
Describe the structure and risk features of equity, fixed income, and pooled products
Work 25 calculation problems and show full workings for each
Your checkpoint
A formula sheet with 10 fully worked valuation and ratio problems
Financial markets and investment products & Portfolio management and asset allocation
Explain how money markets, bond markets, and derivatives function and who participates
Apply asset-allocation principles to build model portfolios for three risk profiles
Compute portfolio expected return and risk from asset weights and inputs
Complete 35 mixed Domain 2-3 questions and log errors by sub-area
Your checkpoint
Three model portfolios with stated expected return/risk and a 35-question scored log
Portfolio management and asset allocation & Risk management
Contrast strategic vs tactical allocation and rebalancing approaches with tradeoffs
Identify and quantify the main risk types (market, credit, liquidity, operational)
Calculate and interpret standard deviation, beta, and correlation for a small portfolio
Draft risk-control responses for three scenario shocks
Your checkpoint
A risk register mapping five risk types to measurement methods and mitigation actions
Risk management & Ethics and professional standards
Apply the ethical standards to five short vignettes and justify each decision
Distinguish the professional-standards duties (integrity, diligence, conflicts, confidentiality)
Build a decision framework for resolving an ethical conflict step by step
Complete 30 ethics and risk questions and analyze each miss
Your checkpoint
Five written vignette analyses plus a one-page ethical decision framework
Client relationship management and suitability & Financial planning and taxation
Conduct a suitability assessment covering objectives, horizon, risk tolerance, and constraints
Match product recommendations to client profiles and document the rationale
Explain core taxation concepts affecting investment returns and account types
Produce a sample client recommendation memo with suitability justification
Your checkpoint
A one-page client recommendation memo with documented suitability rationale
Investment advisory regulation and compliance & Investment analysis and valuation
Take two timed full-length mock exams under test conditions
Categorize every missed question by domain and root cause (knowledge, calculation, misread)
Re-review the highest-error sub-areas from all eight domains
Finalize a one-page formula and concept review sheet for exam day
Your checkpoint
Two scored mock exams with a domain-by-domain error analysis and a final review sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 70% on a 40-question Domain 1 set and explain every prior miss without notes
Week 4: Produce three model portfolios with correct expected return/risk and score 70%+ on mixed Domains 2-3 questions
Week 6: Complete five ethics vignette analyses and demonstrate a repeatable conflict-resolution framework
Week 8: Score 75%+ on both timed full-length mocks with a written error analysis for each