Why I Chose Self-Study for the Administrative Scrivener Exam | A Realistic Choice When Attending Classes or Online Courses Was Difficult

When you look up study methods for the Administrative Scrivener exam, a lot of information about prep schools and online courses comes up.
Even when reading success stories from those who passed, I had the impression that many people utilized these courses.

In that environment, I chose self-study.
No, to be precise, it might be closer to say that I "had no other choice."

I started studying during a period when my child's surgery and hospital stays for accompaniment were overlapping.
It was a situation where it was difficult to attend a prep school at fixed times, or even to watch video lectures for a block of time.

In this article, I have organized the background of how I started self-study and the reasons why I was ultimately able to continue with it.

The background of having no choice but to study on my own

When I started studying, to be honest, I was not in a situation where I could concentrate on "exam study."

My child's surgery was coming up, and after the surgery, hospital stays for accompaniment continued.
While at the hospital, I could not use my time at my own pace.
In a state of tension where I didn't know when I would be called, it was difficult to secure a block of time.

When that happens, general study methods are almost entirely ruled out as options.

Attending a prep school requires a fixed schedule.
The style of heading to a classroom at a set time several days a week was not realistic from the start in this situation.

Video learning for online courses is the same.
Videos assume that you will face the screen for a certain amount of time.
In an environment where there is a high possibility of being interrupted, this learning style did not fit.

Even after being discharged and leaving the hospital, the situation did not change.
I judged that in a life with a small child, it is difficult to continue studying that assumes blocks of time.

When it became "impossible to attend classes or watch videos" like this, the only option left was "self-study."

With self-study, you can resume at your own pace even if you are interrupted.
This flexibility suited my life at the time.

I actually looked at commercial textbooks and felt that "self-study might work"

Before deciding to study on my own, I first decided to verify whether self-study suited me.

While reading several success stories, I found that many people were using the Gokaku Kakumei textbooks and problem sets.
Since the reputation seemed good, I headed to a bookstore to actually see the contents.

The first thing I checked when I picked up the textbook was whether I could "read and understand the meaning."
I thought that if I stumbled here, self-study would be tough.
Because if I couldn't understand even after reading the explanations, I wouldn't be able to move forward even if I spent time on it.

When I actually read the textbook, I was able to read through it without any particular issues.

I judged that "I could probably proceed with self-study," and bought the textbook on the spot.
I started studying on my own.

I decided to start with self-study first, and switch if it was impossible

I didn't decide from the beginning that I would definitely pass through self-study.
I thought I would start with self-study first and rely on an online course if it proved too difficult.

However, I did set a personal standard for when I would switch.

That was if I encountered a field I couldn't understand at all.
Or, if I felt I couldn't handle the preparation for the written-answer section on my own.

If that happened, I intended to judge it as the limit of self-study and consider an online course.

In reality, there was never a moment where I seriously considered switching.

It's not that I didn't have any anxiety, but I was proceeding rather optimistically.
This was because, while working on mock exams and past questions, there were times when I could score 180 points or more.

The feeling that 'it might just work out' gradually accumulated, and before I knew it, I had reached the day of the exam while still self-studying.

Reasons why I was able to continue with self-study in the end

Looking back, there are several reasons why self-study suited me.

First, the content of the Administrative Scrivener exam was genuinely interesting.
There were many moments while studying subjects like Civil Law and Administrative Law where I felt, 'I'm glad I know this,' and I was able to engage with it as a pleasure rather than a pain.
I think the fact that I liked studying in the first place was also a big factor.

Another reason was that it overlapped with the time of my child's surgery and hospital stay.
Regardless of the exam study, it was a very difficult time.

In the midst of that, studying for the Administrative Scrivener exam became a kind of escape.
Only while I was solving problems could I distance myself a little from my anxiety.
I think that was one of the reasons I was able to continue.

Also, I could set my own pace.
When you have small children, it is difficult to make time as you wish.

In such a situation, the self-study style where I could adjust things myself, like 'I'll do this much today' or 'I'll do this field first,' fit my life rhythm.
Not having to conform to a fixed curriculum was less stressful than I had expected.

And, I started to be able to get points on mock exams and past questions.
When I started getting scores over 180, I was genuinely happy and felt like 'I'll try a little harder.'
I think the accumulation of small successes led to maintaining my motivation.

Choosing self-study was initially a process of elimination.
But in the end, I feel it was the method that best suited my situation.

Thank you very much for reading until the end.

I will continue to update my experience records regarding studying for the Administrative Scrivener exam in my note magazine 'Administrative Scrivener Exam Study Record Until Passing'.

I would be happy if you could like and follow me!

★I have also written these articles

• 2025 Administrative Scrivener Exam Success Story | Passing on the First Attempt via Self-Study: A 35-Year-Old Mother of Two's Study Method

• Choosing Materials for Self-Study for the Administrative Scrivener Exam | The Textbooks and Problem Sets I Used

• 3 Preparations I Made Before Studying When I Was Anxious About Whether I Could Pass the Administrative Scrivener Exam Through Self-Study

• Childcare x Self-Study x Administrative Scrivener Exam: A Study Schedule Balanced with Accompanying a Child During Hospitalization

• I Don't Make Summary Notes: My Study Method That Led to Passing by Writing Everything on Scrap Paper [Administrative Scrivener, Real Estate Notary, FP Level 2, Nissho Bookkeeping Level 2]