How to Study for the Executive Assessment While Working Full-Time: Top 10 Tips

The Executive Assessment (EA) is taken mostly by working professionals. As such, our EA students regularly seek out tips to help them study effectively while working a demanding job. In this article, we will provide some actionable advice to help you manage your EA preparation while working full-time.

Here are the 10 essential tips we’ll cover:

• Tip #1: Prioritize Your EA Studying
• Tip #2: Be Realistic About How Long It Will Take to Prepare for the EA
• Tip #3: If Possible, Study in the Morning
• Tip #4: If Your Workday Ends on the Earlier Side, Study in the Evening
• Tip #5: Use Your Weekends to Fit in Long EA Study Sessions
  • Take EA Practice Exams on the Weekend
• Tip #6: If Possible, Study on the Way to Work
• Tip #7: Study on Your Lunch Break
• Tip #8: Keep Up with Your Exercise Routine
• Tip #9: Cut Out Unnecessary Stuff in Your Life
• Tip #10: Prepare with Accurate, Applicable, Efficient, and Effective Material
• In Summary
• What’s Next?

Let’s begin by discussing a key aspect of preparing for the EA while working: being proactive in making study time.

Tip #1: Prioritize Your EA Studying

When planning your EA study time, take the bull by the horns and make time for your EA prep! In other words, find time in your daily schedule to study for the EA. On the flip side, if you do not prioritize EA studying, then it’s very unlikely that it will happen, right?

So, sit down and make a study calendar for yourself. Look at how many hours a day you must work and how many hours a day you have family-related obligations, and then strategically schedule your EA study time.

At first, fitting in your studying may feel uncomfortable, but if you can make studying a daily task, eventually, it will become part of your routine. Thus, you’ll be able to get your EA studying wrapped up as soon as possible!

Tip #2: Be Realistic About How Long It Will Take to Prepare for the EA

Being realistic about how long it will take to study for the EA will serve you well. If you have unrealistic expectations, you will constantly feel rushed, a situation that will lead to anxiety. Ultimately you will get demotivated, resulting in your giving up your EA preparation altogether. Conversely, mapping out a realistic plan will help you stay motivated throughout your EA journey.

It’s challenging enough to study for the EA while working, without rushing or putting yourself under unnecessary pressure. Moreover, most folks discover that their EA preparation takes longer than anticipated. If you are wondering how long you may need to study, give this article about how long to spend studying for the Executive Assessment a read.

Tip #3: If Possible, Study in the Morning

Something I notice about working professionals is that they often consider studying at night only. However, for some students, studying after work can be problematic. For example, if you try studying after a long workday, you may lack focus because you are tired. That situation ultimately leads to haphazard studying and poor retention of content.

Conversely, if you study in the morning, before you start your workday, you may find that you are fresh and alert, allowing for solid studying during which you more readily retain information.

However, there is a caveat. Mornings are great, assuming that your workdays are long and you get a good night’s sleep. However, if you go to bed at midnight, getting up at 5 a.m. to study for the EA will be challenging.

So, assuming that you can swing it, go to sleep early, so you can wake up and dominate your EA prep! It’s worth noting that getting your studying done early provides a sense of accomplishment and relief, eliminating the nagging feeling that you still have a task to complete at the end of your day.

All that said, let’s discuss when it would be appropriate to study in the evening.

Tip #4: If Your Workday Ends on the Earlier Side, Study in the Evening

We have already discussed scenarios in which morning studying is ideal. However, if you have a shorter workday, and if you’re still refreshed after work, evening studying may fit your needs.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to structure an evening study session. For example, you could “hit the books” right after your workday ends, putting in a few hours before heading home for the night. Or you could grab a bite to eat or head to the gym after work, and then put in a few hours of studying. Whatever path you choose, ensure that you are as fresh and alert as possible, so you can maximize your learning during every study session.

Tip #5: Use Your Weekends to Fit in Long EA Study Sessions.

We have already discussed how you can structure your EA prep during the weekdays, but how about on the weekends? If you are a working professional, most of your free time will be on Saturdays and Sundays. So, try to shoot for at least 8 hours of weekend studying.

A great way to structure your weekend studying is to get up early on Saturday and Sunday, head to a coffee shop, and put in some good study hours. What’s great about the weekend is that your mind should be clear of any work-related stresses, allowing you to get your most productive EA studying done during that time.

Try to put in around 18 hours between your weekday and weekend studying. If you can do that and maintain a high level of motivation, you should have no issues getting to your score goal in a reasonable amount of time.

Take EA Practice Exams on the Weekend

As you near the end of your EA prep, you’ll begin taking EA practice exams. Since those exams take a lot of mental energy, I recommend taking them on the weekend, when you have time and are fresh. Also, since GMAC offers just four official practice exams, you do not want any to go to waste.

Tip #6: If Possible, Study on the Way to Work

If you commute to work via public transportation, take advantage of that time to study for the EA. Depending on the situation, you can review your EA flashcards or even work through the Target Test Prep EA Course.

Of course, if you are not using public transportation, then studying on the go may be slightly more challenging. However, one solution is to create your own set of audio flashcards. Take the written verbal and quant flashcards you have made and convert them to audio. That way, you can listen to them while driving to work. You can also utilize them when shopping at a store, taking a walk, or working out at the gym.

Tip #7: Study on Your Lunch Break

Another ideal time to study for the EA is during your lunch break. Instead of going out to eat for lunch, find a quiet area, pull out your EA preparation materials, and spend an hour studying. To maximize your study time, bring a prepared lunch, so you do not waste precious minutes (or money) buying lunch each day. Rather, spend that time getting in some EA prep.

Remember, your learning will be maximized when it is spaced out properly. For example, if you study in the morning, then by lunchtime, your brain will have had time to process what you learned that morning. So, you can then quiz yourself on that previously learned material, to ensure that it has stuck.

Tip #8: Keep up with Your Exercise Routine

Exercise is important for the body, but it’s also good for the mind. Dopamine and other neurotransmitters are rebalanced and recalibrated by exercise. Unfortunately, stress and anxiety can easily creep in without this recalibration. Stress and anxiety are not ideal for your EA preparation. Thus, doing some physical activity will help you climb the EA mountain.

Remember, there is no “one size fits all” approach to exercise. You can exercise by running, taking a long walk, lifting weights, practicing yoga, or joining an exercise class. If you’re a multitasker, study your notes or flashcards while you use the treadmill or elliptical at the gym. Just be safe!

Tip #9: Cut Out Unnecessary Stuff in Your Life

There is no escaping the fact that studying for the EA takes time. Thus, you’ll need to eliminate or postpone some activities to find the required study time.

In fact, you should sit down and create a list of everything that takes up time during each day and each week. Once you have the list, arrange everything in order of importance, from most important to least. Then, look closely at the things near the bottom of the list. Are these activities that could be pushed aside, for the most part, during your EA preparation?

Tip #10: Prepare with Accurate, Applicable, Efficient, and Effective Material

Even if you follow all the tips we’ve already discussed, if you lack great prep materials, your EA studying may be all for naught. So, ensure that you use a thorough prep resource with a built-in study plan, so you know exactly what to do and when. If you are wondering what prep materials are available, you can do a quick Google search. I also welcome you to check out the full-access trial of our EA self-study course.

In Summary

In this article, we have offered our top 10 tips for effectively preparing for the Executive Assessment when you have a job. Here they are:

1. Prioritize your EA studying.
2. Be realistic about how long it will take to prepare for the EA.
3. If possible, study in the morning.
4. If your workday ends on the earlier side, study in the evening.
5. Use your weekends to fit in long EA study sessions, and take EA practice exams on the weekends.
6. If possible, study on the way to work.
7. Study on your lunch break.
8. Keep up with your exercise routine.
9. Cut out unnecessary stuff in your life.
10. Prepare with accurate, applicable, efficient, and effective material.

Following these tips will give you a definite boost in your EA preparation, making your study time much more efficient..

What’s Next?

When you have a demanding job, preparing for the Executive Assessment can be incredibly stressful. It might be easy to lose sight of the end goal, and your motivation might wane along the way. For tips on keeping your eyes on the prize, check out our article about staying motivated during your EA prep.

Good luck!