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- Topic: Thoughts on how to pass level 1:
| Author | Topic: Thoughts on how to pass level 1: |
|---|---|
| n9845705 @2016-07-27 14:42:50 |
I should post how I passed it so all you hopefuls out there will know what it takes: You must study religiously everyday for at least 2 hours. You must spend one week on every study session. You must take practice exams until you score in the top third of the other candidates (2 thirds fails this exam!). You must study like the test is tomorrow for the remaining 4 weeks leading up to the exam. Go back and review everything (every section), 1 section every 1 to 2 days leading up to the exam. Then complete all mock exams without notes. Make sure you understand along the way why and how you got the questions wrong. Make a cheat sheet for yourself along the way of the hard to remember points and formulas. I even read all the books, but realized too late this was futile. In retrospect, I would have just read the analyst notes they are more than enough for the level 1 exam. Good luck, with hard work and determination, you can pass this exam. Thanks to analyst notes, I did. Brian PS - I'm not taking level 2. Too much work! |
| stevelaz @2015-08-06 17:08:37 |
Timbball, You are taking CFA L1 in December?.....what SS are you doing and what method are you using to study (Combo of materials). I passed the IMT course within 1 month of study and expect CFA to be harder but need some guidance on whether analystnotes + Audio CD's and flashcards will be enough. Do you know what the 40/60/80 approach is? Are you a local (BC based) Good luck Steve |
| synergy @2016-08-03 18:24:14 |
How does Analystnotes compare to other study notes like Schweser? |
| bjorgan @2016-08-04 01:34:00 |
I passed L1 on my third try. I made the mistake of using the 2010 study materials from Stalla in order to take L1 in 2011. There was no good excuse for my second fail, I was not aware of Analyst notes. For my third try, I found analyst notes and used it religously. I bought the materials from CFAI (the 4 volome set of books) and read about half of it. Of course I did not do as well on the sections of the test relating to the sections of the text books that I did read. The part that I found so difficult is the wording on the actual exam and the two part answers. English is my first language but I found that I had to unwind some the questions to understand what they were asking. Phrases like " Which is least likely to be negatively related to" does not seem so tough but if you have to stop and think, you lose time. So mock exams are a must. Do as many as you can! In a nutshell, I have been very persevering in my studies and committed to passing the exam even when I failed and did bad on the mock exams. |
| stevelaz @2016-08-04 15:59:52 |
Hi, What is the 40-60-80 approach that was mentioned in an earier post?. Also - I am a tad confused as some people are saying that the analystnotes are sufficient to pass the exam and others are saying that we should read the official CFA 4 books. I have the 4 books + analystnotes + Audio CD's and flashcards, but wonder if the analystnotes/CD's and flashcards will be enough? I did the CSI- CSC and IMT exams with good marks (80%+) but wonder if the CFA exams are at a much much higher level? I really really need to pass L1 in December and any good advice will be welcome. Regards Steve |
| timbball @2016-08-05 17:29:25 |
Steve, CSC is no comparison to the CFA exam, both in terms of scope and difficulty of the questions (I'm taking it in Dec in Vancouver). |
| timbball @2016-08-08 03:46:31 |
Good explanation Sourav. Yup I'm sitting for the Dec exam and yes also a local. I'm on SS7 right now having fun with CFO, CFF and CFI. The study materials I use are Schweser notes, analyst notes, some textbook readings, secret sauce. For practice I'm using Schweser Pro. I haven't used schweser flashcards yet but mostly use their audio to retain the knowledge. Are you becoming a CIM? we can chat through emails: timbball@gmail.com Tim |
| chipster @2016-11-19 19:06:21 |
Also - I am a tad confused as some people are saying that the analystnotes are sufficient to pass the exam and others are saying that we should read the official CFA 4 books. ++++++++++ I am finally starting to understand this--I think what folks are saying is that if you do not come from a pretty solid finance background you should probably read the CFA reference texts. If you do have background AN might be enough for you. This has been a real issue for me as I do have a finance background to say the least--my knowledge of probability and statistics is for practical purposes zero--yet I also have a very intense full time job, family etc. I think the answer for me might be to accept that it will take a lot longer than most to prepare well. |
CFA Discussion Topic: Thoughts on how to pass level 1:
I just wanted to share the good news that I passed CFA Level I!!! Thank you for your help - I think the online question bank helped cut the clutter and made a positive difference.
