GIA Cert Governance Practice study plan

GIA Cert Governance Practice · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Governance & Risk management

Map the full governance syllabus into a one-page outline of principles, board structures, and accountability lines
Define risk management vocabulary and the risk-intelligent organisation concept in your own words
Build a personal glossary of at least 40 governance and risk terms
Complete 30 practice questions on governance fundamentals and log every error with its cause

A one-page governance outline plus a 40-term glossary in a single study document

Week 2

Explain board composition, independence, and committee structures well enough to teach them aloud
Distinguish the roles of chair, CEO, and company secretary in governance terms
Apply risk appetite and tolerance concepts to two short scenario questions
Draft five original scenario questions on governance and answer them yourself

A recorded 10-minute verbal explanation of board roles and structures, plus five self-written scenario questions with model answers

Week 3

Analyse the risk management process from identification through treatment and monitoring
Compare at least three risk frameworks at a conceptual level and note where they diverge
Link governance failure modes to specific risk controls in a written comparison
Score 70 percent or higher on a 40-question mixed set covering domains 1 and 2

A two-page written comparison of risk frameworks with a governance-to-control mapping table

Week 4

Complete a timed 60-question mock weighted toward domains 1 and 2
Categorise every incorrect answer by root cause: knowledge gap, misreading, or reasoning error
Re-study the three weakest risk subtopics identified by the mock
Summarise internal control and assurance concepts in a one-page note

A mock exam score report with an error log of at least 15 entries and a remediation list

Week 5

Outline the compliance function's purpose, positioning, and reporting lines
Explain the elements of an effective compliance programme in your own words
Distinguish compliance risk from legal risk and ethical risk using worked examples
Write 20 flashcards on compliance concepts and self-test until all are recalled

A one-page compliance programme framework diagram plus 20 completed flashcards

Week 6

Describe the company secretary's statutory and advisory duties and how they support the board
Map meeting administration from notice through minutes to follow-up actions
Connect compliance monitoring and reporting obligations to secretariat record-keeping
Complete 30 practice questions on compliance and secretariat practice and log errors

A meeting lifecycle checklist covering pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting secretariat tasks

Week 7

Explain board support activities including information flows, inductions, and evaluations
Draft a set of board minutes for a fictional meeting that meets good-practice standards
Apply disclosure and filing obligations to two short scenario questions
Review all prior error logs and re-answer every missed question correctly

A complete set of fictional board minutes plus a cleared error log with all items re-answered correctly

Week 8

Complete two full timed mock exams under exam conditions
Score 75 percent or higher on both and confirm no single domain falls below 60 percent
Condense all four domains into a final one-page revision sheet
Recite the ten most frequently missed concepts from memory without notes

Two completed mock exams with scores, a domain-by-domain breakdown, and a final one-page revision sheet

Week 2: Governance outline and glossary are complete, and you can explain board roles and structures aloud without notes

Week 4: Scored at least 65 percent on the 60-question mock weighted to domains 1 and 2, with a documented error log

Week 6: Compliance framework and meeting lifecycle checklist are complete, and you recall all 20 compliance flashcards

Week 8: Scored at least 75 percent on both full mocks with every domain at or above 60 percent, and the final revision sheet is finished