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PatrolGuideismyBible · Guru

RE: How long should you study for the Sgt exam?

Boogie Knight · Senior Member

sgt2be wrote:
I studied 1.5 years for lt....started one hour a day for 5 days. Finished over 8 hours 7 days a week. Stop listening to others and do what works for you....are you prepared for the hardest test ever?? If you answer no...your not doing enough.

i agree with you about doing what works for you. What was your raw score ?

-- Edited by Boogie Knight on Friday 8th of January 2016 08:44:01 PM

sixmonthwonder · Guru

If you can study constantly without burning out then awesome. There is no such thing as studying too much for someone who is able to do it. Most people are not able to ignore their families and give up their lives for years at a time. Plus this stuff is very, very boring. My advice is to ignore everyone in the coming months and give it everything you have.

For the sergeant test I studied about six months. The first two months I did about 1 - 2 hours of studying everyday and went to one class a week, sort of a warm up. The middle two months I was doing about 3 - 5 hours everyday, still went to classes, building a foundation of useless Patrol Guide knowledge. By the last two months I was doing around 8 hours everyday, a bit more in the weeks leading up to the test, this was game time. I got a pretty fair test, scored somewhat well and was in the 2nd BMOC of the 2011 Sergeant Test.

If I would have studied like that for the 2015 Lieutenant Test I definitely would have failed.

This test was incredibly difficult, even unfair I would say, I should have studied even harder than I did and I studied extremely hard. Studied for about eight months, went to two classes every week, was taking practice questions over and over. Made my own index cards, upwards of 1000 cards with different procedures on them. At first I didn't go crazy because I felt I would burn out so I was doing about 5 - 6 hours a day for the first few months, but kicked it up over time until I was doing about 12 - 14 hours a day in the weeks leading up to the test. I did relatively well since I passed and most people didn't.

As I said, I would have failed this test if I studied the way I did for the 2011 Sergeant Test, not that I was slacking for that one, but I went pretty hardcore for lieutenant. To say it was mentally exhausting would be a huge understatement. I had nightmares about studying and the test for several weeks after, not joking.

Good luck. If you study enough you will pass. If you don't study enough you will fail. That's it, there's no secret method. All of the classes are good, but if you aren't studying you're still going to fail.

-- Edited by sixmonthwonder on Saturday 9th of January 2016 12:35:34 AM

DETSGT · Guru

Well said buddy

Dr Feet · Veteran Member

zoozoo373 wrote:
I love all these guys negating others study techniques like there's only one way to study. The only thing you should be posting in this thread is what you yourself did to pass, and for everyone else to take it just as consideration. I definitely didn't study 4 hours+ a day...I definitely didn't study for 1.5 years....I didn't read the patrol guide at all....I outlined the key packets over and over for 5 months and Utilized the key app and got an 83....take it for what it's worth

zoozoo - exactly, everyone is different and must do what works for them. You must've been a gifted studier to not read the PG at all, lol. For my exams, an 83 wouldn't work lol, I did 6-8 months of hardcore studying using rising star stuff and it paid off to put me at the top of my 3 lists. To each his own.....just gotta find it.