The big day for everyone taking the NFLPA Exam this summer is Monday. Pretty crazy that, after all this buildup, it’s just around the corner. So many people have been preparing since early this year (and some much longer), and it all comes to a hopefully happy ending in three days.

Obviously, we try hard to make sure everyone we work with gets good news in October, when results come out. However, predicting success is difficult. Or is it? As a way of predicting which of our clients will have success, we decided to look at last year’s buying patterns among our clients who passed the exam. Here’s what we found:

• Seventy percent purchased the ITL Study Guide. That’s no surprise. We see it as the best exam prep resource on the market. “I actually feel better after reading the study guide about literally 20 times,” said one especially diligent student for this year’s exam. “There is no way I would even have a chance on this test without the study guide . . . .” 
• Of those who purchased the guide, 63 percent had it before the end of April, while 72 percent had it before the end of May. It’s never too late to buy it, but the earlier, the better, generally.
• Not everyone bought a study guide, but those who didn’t mostly purchased at least one of our two practice exams. Only 14 percent of our class passed on the study guide and practice exams, sticking only to our videos. You must buy Exam 1 first, which you can do here. 
• Our practice exams are a big part of our prep services, as well. About two-thirds (64 percent) of our clients bought at least the first practice exam. Frankly, that’s surprisingly low. Our exam questions are written in the style of the actual exam, and knowing what the test looks like is crucial if you want to pass.
• Just under half (45 percent) of our clients last year bought the second exam. Given that the second exam is only half the price of the first exam, that’s an unnecessary risk, in my opinion. 
• Sixty percent of those who bought the study guide took no chances as they also bought both practice exams. 
• In just our first year offering monthly video sessions teaching different facets of the CBA, 25 percent of our clients bought at least one of our six videos. 
• Only 16 percent attended our final, two-hour Zoom review session.

So here are our takeaways.

• Get the study guide, and get it as soon as you can.
• Buy at least Practice Exam 1. 
• If you’re more of a visual learner, check out our six videos (buy them here), though they may serve best as a backup plan.
• If you feel confident about what you’ve learned, take the last days before the exam to “sweep up” and collect your thoughts.

If you’re taking our exam, good luck! We hope you pass, especially if you worked with us. For more tips and info on the exam, check out our Friday Wrap. You can register for it here.