AuthorTopic: Difficulty level of questions in exam
Bolt
@2018-09-21 22:34:43
I am studying the curriculum books. I read the whole chapter and do the EOC questions. I recently finished studying FRA. Then I happened to do review questions from analystnotes for FRA. Honestly 30 questions in the review exam were much harder than EOC questions in book.

So I am wondering, are the questions in test similar to EOC questions or Kaplan questions are more indicative? Someone who has sat in the exam and studied both will have an answer.

Please advice.
mrojas
@2018-10-08 08:17:10
i studied with analystnotes and here is my take:

-review questions in analystnotes for each study session have harder questions in them than the EOC's. But this makes them all the more valuable, as I feel that these self-tests are comparable to the analystnotes mock exams in terms of difficulty.

-CFAI EOC's are harder than the basic questions but not as consistently challenging as the analystnotes review tests.

-The CFAI mock is harder than all of the analystnotes review exams, though i can get with the argument for the exact opposite viewpoint.

-The real exam is easier than the CFAI mock and any of the analystnotes mock exams.

This is my hierarchy, and while others may disagree, im not stating it as fact.

While going through the readings, I would dread the analystnotes review questions and, actually, never scored over 50% (except on rare occasions). These really discouraged me but i quickly pushed them to the back of my mind and proceeded to trudge through the rest of the readings. The mock questions were harder than the real exam, IMO. This is for the simple reason that, on the real exam, you either know it or you don't. There are some distractors here and there in the questions (I found the greatest distractors were in the answers), but, for the most part, the questions are extremely straightforward and simple to understand (its your ability to remember the material that's challenging). In the practice tests, though there are more distractors and longwinded questions. At times I would find myself wondering what exactly we're expected to find, and could make arguments for more than one answer.

I'll leave you with this advice: don't let the review exams get you down, and DO NOT be afraid to jump right into mock exams (this almost held me back two months out from the exam, but i bit the bullet and was pleasantly surprised).

An aside: In all practice tests (including CFAI mock) i found myself finishing morning/afternoon sections in 150-175 minutes.

CFA Discussion Topic: Difficulty level of questions in exam

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I passed! I did not get a chance to tell you before the exam - but your site was excellent. I will definitely take it next year for Level II.
Tamara Schultz

Tamara Schultz