How much time you actually need to study, by exam

Realistic study-time estimates for the most popular certification and licensing exams, broken out for working adults studying part-time.

Every certification vendor publishes a recommended study time. The recommendations are almost always optimistic — they assume you have prior exposure to the material, that you study without interruptions, and that you remember everything you read. For a working adult studying 5-10 hours a week, the realistic numbers are higher.

IT and cloud foundations (Cloud Practitioner, AZ-900, MS-900)

40-60 hours from a relevant background, 80-100 hours from a non-technical background. The exam is wide but shallow; the cost is in covering all the surface area, not in any single deep concept.

IT and cloud associates (Security+, Network+, SAA-C03, Azure Administrator)

80-120 hours from a foundations background, 150-200 hours from cold start. These exams test scenario-based application, which takes longer to internalize than vocabulary recognition.

PMP

60-80 hours of structured study after the required 35 contact hours. Candidates with day-to-day PM experience need less; first-time PMs need more.

CCNA

120-180 hours including lab time. Subnetting alone usually takes most candidates 15-20 hours to internalize.

NCLEX-RN

After nursing school, 4-6 weeks of focused review (60-100 hours), heavily weighted toward question banks rather than re-reading textbooks.

Real estate salesperson

40-80 hours after the required pre-license course. Math drilling is the highest-yield study activity.

Series 7

80-120 hours, heavily weighted toward options and packaged products. Take SIE first.

CPA (per section)

80-100 hours per section. Most candidates pass the four sections over 9-15 months while working.

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