We recommend that a student allows 2-3 months to prepare for the examinations, spending 10-15 hours per Home Study Course (HSC) unit (depending on the size of the unit concerned and prior knowledge of technical analysis). Students may need to allow more time to read some of the books from the recommended reading list on the IFTA (www.ifta.org) or STA websites (https://www.sta-uk.org/education/reading-list/). However, you are welcome to take as long as you like with the HSC, there is no time pressure.