In lodges holding of the GL of Scotland, the 'proving of proficiency', as said earlier, consists of answering only a handful of provided questions, with prompting by the Deacon allowed! In theory candidate could get all 3 degrees in a few days. In practice, except in special circumstances, the shortest time would be four monthly meetings from balloting to MM degree. However, since lodges always work in the EA degree the EA is able to sit in lodge immediately upon being Initiated and so no pressure is felt about having to get him to the 3rd degree so he can sit in lodge. In my Mother Lodge, as in many others, the preference is to let the brother sit as an EA for several months before being Passed so he can observe and learn, both in his own lodge and by visiting other lodges. The same reasoning follows for having him sit as a FC for a while before being Raised. A similar situation holds in our sister jurisdiction, the GL of Newfoundland and Labrador.