School of PE Blog

While preparing to take certification exams, exam prep courses can be a tool to help refresh the knowledge necessary to successfully complete the exam. However, finding time to study while working a full-time job can be difficult and daunting. That’s not to say that it can’t be done. Career advancement by way of professional certification can be done while working full-time. It takes diligence and determination with an eye on the end goal to make the preparation period worth the time investment.

Here, we’ll discuss the importance of finding a balance between exam preparation and work and strategies for busy professionals that create this balance.

Without a good balance between exam preparation and work, the effort put into both will result in next to nothing. Even if the test is passed, there can be hazardous effects on the person’s mental, physical, or emotional health. Given that two-thirds of employees have experienced burnout at some point in their career, it’s a wonder why anybody chooses to take on such a seemingly insurmountable task as certification exams while working full time. Conversely, if a good balance is reached, satisfaction is much greater, and the enjoyment post-exam is much easier to come by. Finding the balance between exam prep and work can look like:

Finding the right balance for yourself and your life situation depends heavily on your goal, your specific life circumstance, and your personal capabilities. Using these strategies, you’ll be able to develop a system that works for you.

Find an Effective Goal Framework- There are dozens of frameworks to choose from that break down goal setting and turn goals into specific, manageable tasks. For instance, the goal in the end isn’t just to pass the exam. The initial goal is to develop a study plan that enables you to manage both work and exam preparation. The next goal would be to complete the exam prep course and then, finally, the exam itself. Whichever way you choose to look at it, finding a framework that works for yourself and your personality that helps you break the goal down into what needs to get done is a big step forward.

Have a Plan in Place- Develop an action plan that helps you reach your ultimate goal. This plan comes in the form of a study schedule and a contingency plan should that schedule be negated by life’s unforeseeable circumstances. Create a realistic study plan that’s specific to you and what you’re capable of doing in the given timeframe. For instance, most courses are set up for the average learner. However, most of the world is not actually made up of an average person. So, take a look at how you have historically completed big projects and adjust accordingly.

Organization is Key- A fundamental aspect of balance is organization. Whether in your professional or personal time, you need to find an organizational practice that works for you. Whether you’re visual and having sticky notes up on a board helps you stay on track or manage best with a simple to-do list, staying organized will help you know when to do the work, where, and how.

Plan by Months, Weeks and Days- While we try to plan for the best-case scenario, if there’s anything we can learn from life, it’s inconsistent. Sometimes, we’re able to do more than we wanted and sometimes less. So, make a goal for the month and a plan for the week, and then adjust to what you need on the individual days.

Find Support from your Employer- Whether you plan on staying on your job, and the exam is for advancement in your current role, or the plan is to transfer, most employers are more than willing to help accommodate for exam review. It’s likely that they’ve been in a similar situation and can sympathize with the pressure you’re under. Some accommodation can be made to help with time, such as working from home some days to eliminate long commutes and being given low-energy assignments.

Use Technology to Maximize Efficiency- The ability to focus for longer periods of time is becoming a skill that most people work really hard to master. With YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok, the idea of watching or listening to something that doesn’t immediately grab our interest is exhausting. While there is this negative aspect of the internet and technology as a whole, there are also incredibly valuable resources that help increase focus, such as timers, focus music, etc., that can help focus when it’s necessary.

Create and Keep Boundaries Around Certain Tasks- While sometimes it’s okay to watch a video here and there during your lunch break or in between meetings, creating very direct boundaries around specific task sets (such as setting up a PowerPoint for work and completing assignments for the course) allows you to compartmentalize when and where you’re working on a specific thing. If you allow yourself to keep working on a course review assignment while you’re supposed to work on the PowerPoint, you’ll not only have less focus, but you may be less satisfied with your completed work and information retention.

Don’t Discount the Benefits of Healthy Habits- Sleep, a nutritious diet, and exercise all play a part in our ability to manage stress, both continuously and sporadic. Ensure that you’re prioritizing sleep along with getting adequate nutrition and exercise. This will help you in the process of determining what tasks are necessary to prioritize, as well as provide you with good judgment.

Manage your Time Effectively- Time management is a hot topic right now, and it seems like everybody is giving the exact right way to manage our time more effectively. Truth be told, you’re the only one that can find the right tools for you. However, time management is an important skill to learn, especially where work and exams are concerned. Here’s a short list of ways that you can manage your time more effectively.

Be Flexible- Exam preparation courses are long and daunting and have an even more stressful event at the very end that can decide the ultimate trajectory of your career. The path to getting there can be difficult, but it doesn’t need to be stressful. By keeping a flexible mindset, you can tackle any obstacles that are thrown your way, manage your time when things go awry, and maintain a work-prep balance that works.

Learn to Outsource- A very powerful tool of top leaders and achievers is the ability to delegate and the understanding of which tasks are better suited to another person rather than you. Delegation is not something that comes to high achievers naturally, so learning to let go of control in some situations is a skill that needs to be developed. It can help free up time and energy so that you can work on things that actually need your attention.

Automate Repetitive Tasks- Going back to using technology to do your bidding, you can automate certain tasks to be done at specific times, like email responses, and form auto inserts of information. This also frees up time and attention that you wouldn’t have had before.

Take Regular Breaks- Whether scheduled or not, taking breaks for your mind to be completely disengaged from work can create a natural environment where your mind can wander, stress-free, into whatever line of thought you want. Sleep is important, but equally as important is your mind’s ability to wander and not think about anything in particular for a while. These breaks can involve games, writing exercises, and many other forms of mind numbery.

Returning to education is a big decision that can have a long-term positive impact on your future, but in the short term (and in most cases) leads to stress, missed deadlines, and personal and professional frustration- and that’s one of the best case scenarios. Finding a balance between work and exam preparation involves creating and sticking to boundaries and living a very organized life. However it looks for you, there’s no doubt that professional certification is one of the most rewarding steps you can take toward career advancement.

Are you ready to take your career to the next level with professional certification? Explore School of PE's exam review courses and gain the skills you need to succeed.