AIS Study Plan (30 / 60 / 90 Days) April 6, 2026
A practical CSI Advanced Investment Strategies study plan with 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day tracks aligned to the official weighting, route-fit notes, and exact web practice.
Use this plan with the Guide Home , the Cheat Sheet , the FAQ , the Official Resources , and exact AIS practice on MasteryExamPrep .
AIS improves fastest when you keep the full decision chain visible:
identify the client objective and dominant constraint choose the right analysis or planning lens select the stronger portfolio solution and explain why nearby alternatives fail Before you start Keep one short miss log with only three tags: constraint missed, wrong analysis tool, and wrong solution or protection choice. Treat AIS as a portfolio-judgment exam, not a product-catalogue exam. Because the official structure is 75 questions in 2 hours , you need recognition speed but not rushed guessing. How long should you study? CSI lists 60 – 80 hours of study for AIS.
Weekly study time Timeline Total hours (approx.) 18–20 hrs/week 30 days 72–80 9–11 hrs/week 60 days 72–88 5–7 hrs/week 90 days 60–84
Why this order works Study stage What you are stabilizing client and portfolio process first the framing layer that controls many later solution questions analysis second the evidence base for product and allocation decisions product and alternatives third the implementation shelf once the client and analysis frame are clear taxation, solutions, protection, and impediments last the portfolio-finishing layer that depends on the first three stages
30-Day Intensive Plan (4 weeks) Week Focus What to do 1 Client, discovery, risk profile, and process Build the constraint checklist and behavioural-finance notes; drill client-fit scenarios. 2 Fundamental and technical analysis Ratio, valuation, and signal interpretation; practice what actually matters in this scenario? questions. 3 Debt, funds, and alternatives Fixed-income sensitivity, fund selection, and liquidity-structure risks. 4 International investing, taxation, solutions, protection, and impediments Close the loop with after-tax and implementation questions, then run mixed timed sets.
60-Day Balanced Plan (8 weeks) Week Focus What to do 1 Client and wealth context Investor stages, objectives, and what changes constraints. 2 Discovery and behavioural profile Build risk-framing notes and bias-response patterns. 3 Portfolio management process Allocation process, monitoring, and rebalancing logic. 4 Fundamental analysis Macro, industry, company, and ratio interpretation. 5 Technical analysis plus debt Use technical tools as context, then shift to fixed-income and sensitivity intuition. 6 Funds and alternatives Focus on mandate fit, fees, liquidity, structure, and suitability. 7 International investing and taxation Currency, withholding, after-tax return, and cross-border friction. 8 Solutions, protection, impediments, and review Finish with portfolio solutions, wealth-protection logic, and mixed timed sets.
90-Day Part-Time Plan (12 weeks) Weeks Focus What to do 1–2 Client and process Build discovery, risk-profile, and IPS-style notes. 3–4 Analysis Fundamental and technical interpretation. 5–6 Debt and funds Selection discipline and risk trade-offs. 7 Alternatives Liquidity, valuation, and suitability checklist. 8 International investing Currency and implementation effects. 9 Taxation After-tax and wrapper-aware thinking. 10 Portfolio solutions Turn analysis into practical client solutions. 11 Protection tools Risk reduction, hedging, and wealth-preservation logic. 12 Impediments plus mixed review Fix compounding, spending, and friction errors; finish with timed sets.
Weight-aware build order Domain Weight Why it matters Understanding the Client and the Portfolio Management Process 19% the heaviest block and the framing layer for the whole exam Fundamental and Technical Analysis 15% the evidence layer for many later decisions Analysis of Alternative Investment Products 13% a meaningful block and a common source of suitability mistakes Analyzing and Selecting Debt and Mutual Fund Securities 12% core implementation knowledge Portfolio Solutions Fundamentals 12% where analysis becomes a defensible recommendation International Investing and Taxation 11% cross-border and after-tax logic affects many near-miss answers
How to review misses well Rewrite each miss as client objective and constraint -> correct analysis lens -> better solution -> why the distractor fails. If you knew the product facts but still missed the question, the real issue was usually the client frame. Rework misses in mixed sets so process, analysis, and implementation stay connected. When to open exact practice Use exact AIS practice on MasteryExamPrep in phases:
Stage What to do after client and process review short timed sets for framing and behavioural questions after analysis plus debt and fund review mixed sets for interpretation and product-fit questions final two weeks full timed sets with miss-log cleanup and pacing work
Route check If your real need is discretionary portfolio-management techniques and firm operations, compare with PMT . If your real need is earlier portfolio-management foundations before advanced strategy, compare with IMT Exam 1 and IMT Exam 2 . Sources: https://www.csi.ca/en/learning/courses/ais/curriculum and https://www.csi.ca/en/learning/courses/ais/exam-credits
Revised on Thursday, April 23, 2026
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