Current for the 2026-2027 EA examPSI scheduling update
17 / 18How candidates practice and improve

How Note-Taking Fits Into EA Exam Practice

Learners with recorded note or Power Notes activity complete far more practice: 772.5 versus 89.3 average Part 1 attempts, 912.6 versus 139.3 in Part 2, and 704.5 versus 206.3 in Part 3. Their raw accuracy is slightly lower, consistent with heavier work on weak areas.

By Jordan AshbyUpdated August 14, 2026Aggregate PassFast product data
Dataset scope

What this result includes

  • 221 note users in Part 1
  • 79 note users in Part 2
  • 61 note users in Part 3
01

Note users are much heavier practitioners

Average attempt volume is 8.7x in Part 1, 6.6x in Part 2, 3.4x in Part 3.

02

Raw accuracy does not show a note advantage

The note-user cohort is 2.2 to 3 points lower across parts, likely reflecting self-selection and targeted work.

03

The next study needs matching

Baseline performance, activity duration, and exam part must be balanced before estimating whether note use changes later performance.

Performance data

Accuracy for learners with and without recorded note use

The cohorts are not matched. Note users also complete much more practice, so the chart is an association rather than an effect estimate.

Part 1221 note users; 280 without recorded use
Used notes62.1%
No recorded note use64.3%
Part 279 note users; 113 without recorded use
Used notes62.0%
No recorded note use65.0%
Part 361 note users; 84 without recorded use
Used notes68.5%
No recorded note use71.3%
Source: PassFast aggregate snapshot through August 13, 2026
Note use, accuracy, and practice volume3 rows

Only counts and activity are used. Personal note text is never queried or analyzed.

Note use, accuracy, and practice volume
PartNote usersNote-user accuracyNote-user attemptsNo-note learnersNo-note accuracyNo-note attemptsAttempt ratio
Part 122162.1%772.528064.3%89.38.7x
Part 27962.0%912.611365.0%139.36.6x
Part 36168.5%704.58471.3%206.33.4x
Read this result carefully

What the data cannot establish

Even matched observational cohorts can retain unmeasured differences, so the result cannot prove that note-taking caused an outcome.

What this means for your next study session

Turn the finding into a decision.

Use the report to choose a focused action, then test that decision with current material. The evidence should reduce uncertainty; it should never replace the complete exam outline or promise an official result.

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