Unpopular Opinion: Difficulty of CA CAP II is exaggerated

I know I will get downvoted for this, but I think the difficulty of CA CAP II is often exaggerated… both by people within the field and those outside it.

I do agree that passing in one attempt or scoring above 60–65% requires a high level of consistency and dedication.

However, if it’s not your first attempt, I believe that two months of studying for around 8 hours a day is more than enough to pass. In some cases, even one month of focused study can be sufficient.

Do I think studying 8 hours a day for 1–2 months is difficult? Absolutely. But I don’t buy into the narrative that people need to study 10+ hours a day for 5–6 months and still fail repeatedly.

It’s possible to get unlucky in one or two attempts despite putting in serious effort. But beyond that, I think it’s important to take some personal responsibility.

There’s also a common assumption that everyone pursuing CA is highly disciplined or exceptionally intelligent. In reality, I’d say around 80% of students in CAP II and CAP III are fairly average (myself included).

That said, CAP III does seem genuinely tough, especially because managing it alongside articleship can be quite hectic.