I registered for the CBS exam about a month ago and now I'm genuinely wondering if I bit off more than I can chew. I've been doing 1.5 hours per day on weekdays and about 3 hours on Saturdays. My practice scores are hovering around 65%, and the passing threshold makes me nervous.
The strategic planning and execution modules feel manageable since I work in consulting and deal with that daily. But the financial analysis and valuation sections are rough for me. I didn't come from a finance background and some of the ratio analysis questions require math I haven't done since undergrad.
Anyone have recommendations for supplementary resources beyond the official study materials? I've been watching some YouTube videos on financial ratios and it's helping a bit, but I'd love something more structured. Also curious if the real exam is heavy on case-study style questions or mostly straightforward multiple choice.
My goal is 80%+ because I've heard the exam can be retaken but the waiting period is painful. Would rather get it right the first time and move on.
The financial analysis section is the one that knocks most people who come from non-finance backgrounds. I spent probably 40% of my total study time just on that section. Khan Academy's financial ratios playlist is free and actually really solid for getting the fundamentals down fast.
65% at 8 weeks out is fine. I was at 61% at the 6-week mark and passed on exam day with a 77%. The case study questions are definitely present but they're not as complex as some prep material makes them seem. The strategic frameworks section is worth reviewing carefully - Porter's Five Forces, VRIO, and BCG matrix come up pretty regularly.
Eight weeks is a reasonable timeline for someone with a consulting background. The parts that'll feel intuitive to you - stakeholder management, strategy execution, competitive positioning - are worth 50%+ of the exam. Don't let the finance section stress you into neglecting the parts you already know well.
I took it about 4 months ago. Roughly 60% multiple choice, 40% scenario-based. The scenario questions test application more than memorization, so if you understand the underlying concept you can usually work through them even if you haven't seen the exact scenario before.
I passed the CBS in March and honestly the thing that changed everything for me was stopping trying to memorize everything and just drilling the areas where I kept failing. At 65% you're closer than you think, but that score is probably hiding a few weak spots that are dragging you down consistently. Find them and go deep instead of spreading your time evenly across the whole syllabus.
The strategic planning section tripped me up too. What finally clicked was just doing practice questions under timed conditions every single session, not just reading. Eight weeks is actually enough time if you're focused. You've got this.