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CIPD exams

Hi All, Could you please share your tips on how to prepare for CIPD final exams - LEVEL 7?

Thank you, 

Aynur 

1126 views
  • Good luck Aynur. For me it was over 25 years since I’d last sat an exam and to say I was terrified is mild. Get hold of past papers and work through questions on the variety of topics. Try and remember key names/dates with whatever method works for you. I had a great study buddy and we discussed each area at length, used mind maps and revision cards. For me part of the issue was also timing and sitting a 3 hour exam. Do some timed practice mocks and work out how long you can spend on each question. Also look ay the examiner reports as they are really helpful. Marks can often be lost for missing the most obvious. Set planned revision time - whatever works for you. I had the luxury of 2 whole days for each exam (spread out) and used them productively. If you have a case study do some research so that you can include current data. Finally RTQ - read the question. You’d be amazed at how easy it can be to misinterpret.
  • In reply to Sarah Trueman:

    Hi Sarah , thank you for the information and advice . If I were to not pass the exams , how many times can I do a retake of the exams ?
  • In reply to Stefanie Singh:

    My understanding that you can re-take as many times as you like - the only issue is that you have to keep paying the entry fee.
  • In reply to Sarah Trueman:

    Thank you very much .
    I will make further enquiries with the university about the costs of that.
  • Hi Aynur,

    I think the important thing with the exams is just to trust your own knowledge. As a HR professional you are generally always going to understand what the questions are asking around, as you will often come across the themes or topics in your everyday experiences. As long as you remember to back your answers up with a few supporting theories and examples you will be able to answer whatever they throw at you effectively.

    Good luck with them!

    Hannah
  • if it's HRM in Context, I'd start linking all the themes and theories by drawing a mind map. I used one in an inline template, and started with the boxes for each learning outcome and it grew from there. when you got a study or idea that reaches across to another topic, study, or learning outcome, make a link. I found this quite useful to refer back to quickly for brief revision once I'd done it.
  • In addition to demonstrating a sound technical mastery of the subject in hand, make sure that your replies show that you understand :

    • how specific HR functions (recruitment, comp & ben, development, IR etc.) are inextricably connected and depend on each other for obtaining good results
    • how other functions operate and how HR interacts with them and impacts on them to contribute to adding value to the company
    • the need to adapt the actions you propose to different situations (start-up, steady state, difficult IR, company in financial difficulty, multi country operations....)
  • Dear Aynur,
    hope you are doing well i have just seen your note and was wondering if you managed to pass the exam? I also study Level 7 and have HRC and LMD as an outstanding works

    regards
    Irana
  • In reply to Callum McNab:

    This sounds great, what template did you use and would you be happy to share? I failed the HRC in September last year and have to resit next month (final module) and I am dreading it. Have really struggled with this one (passed all the others first time, 4 with merit but this one has really got me stumped!)
  • In reply to Mary-Anne Fiorini:

    Hello Mary-Anne, sorry just seen this. It is a big topic, and I wish you the best of luck with it. I used https://www.mindmup.com/

    The act of creating it was really helpful in getting some of the ideas to stick, and drawing links between topics and ideas helps to add context and cements understanding.

    All the best.
  • In reply to Callum McNab:

    Thanks, this seems fab!! Have signed up