We preach 60 days, minimum, to prepare for the NFL agent exam. It’s a very challenging test with a very high failure rate. Of course, we still have lots of people who, for whatever reason, get a much later start. Those people need an expedited plan, obviously. We thought we’d put one together this year.

If you’re a big-time procrastinator, or you’ve been studying but suddenly realize you need some help, here’s the strategy we recommend. Disclaimer: It’s going to involve plenty of our products and services. Sorry if that sounds self-serving, but you’re going to have to come out of pocket to do this.

Here goes.

Buy our study guide. It all starts there. No study guide, you seriously impact your chances of passing. That’s why we sell lots and lots of them every year. “The study guide explains everything very simple which is great,” said one client this month. “I’m able to catch on to it quickly. Said another, also this month: “The study guide has been amazing.” We get these comments every year.

Or . . . buy our videos: Maybe you’re more of a visual learner. We have six one-hour videos for sale (February, March, April, May, June and July) that cover all the important topics in the CBA. They are $50 each, plus tax. If you prefer to watch our CBA guru, Ian Greengross, teach all the topics, order them all here. Theoretically, you could watch all six over the course of a day as a kind of self-taught CBA course. Each video lists the topics covered.

Either way, you need to spend 10-20 hours studying the guide or the videos. To me, that’s the minimum for covering the topics like split contracts, injury grievance, reading the signals report, drug policy, benefits and the like. You’re talking about a detailed 700-page document and, technically, everything in them is game for the exam. You’re probably talking about taking one or two days off from work this week. I’d also say 10-20 hours is the floor. It might take you longer to really grasp the concepts.

Listen intently to the NFLPA virtual seminars Wednesday and Thursday. This is still a legitimate way to learn the material, and NFLPA officials tend to give hints on what’s going to be tested. The problem is, they go at a breathtaking pace, so it’s hard to keep up (especially if you don’t have our study guide, which gives an excellent overview of all the key topics). You also tend to get really boneheaded questions, and the officials try to take them all seriously. This takes away from the time on task and the flow of teaching.

Take our practice exam on Friday. We actually have two, but you have to buy them in sequence, so start with Exam 1. I’d try to take it Friday morning. Don’t expect to ace it, but you’ll get a good handle on your weaknesses. Register for it here. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get them both (Exam 2 registration is here), but at least get one of them.

This is the bare minimum that I would recommend. I’d also think you should join us for our two-hour exam review and Q&A on Saturday night at 7 p.m. (details in the Friday Wrap, which you can register for here), but I think this at least gets you to some level of competence before Monday’s exam.

Best of luck. I fear you’re going to need it.