CFA® Level 1 tips and thoughts

I would like to start to prepar theCFA®level 1 in order to attend this december's exam.

Given I'm working and from september I'll be studying for the MSc, I would like to know how many time it takes to prepare theCFA®level 1 with a business and finance background (BSc)..?
有建议或嘘ks to buy in order to gain as much as possible?

And - curiosity - after how many level you can "put" the famousCFA®after your name? L3 isn't it?

Cheers

Comments (34)

4y
LeChiffre, what's your opinion? Comment below:

I passed Level I a few years ago. I have aBSin marketing and anMBAin finance, but am no finance wizard. I took the June test, and prepped for around 330 hours stretching back to the previous December. Schweser materials and practice tests/questions were great, as well as official practice tests. I recommend the book 'Direct Path to theCFACharter' linked below. It outlines a study plan, recommendations, and even a test day plan. It's 20 of the best dollars I've ever spent.

https://www.amazon.com/Direct-Path-CFA-Charter-Strategies/dp/1941074014

  • 3
4y
LeChiffre, what's your opinion? Comment below:

You're very welcome, good luck! Check out the forum linked below, several good articles and posts aboutCFA. Also, a good community going through the exams together. I used it quite a bit during my prep.

https://forum.300hours.com/

  • 1
4y
Rick_Sanchez009, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Taking Level 3 next month. I remember I started studying for Level 1 around April-May for the December test. It's pretty easy stuff with your intro to finance and fundamentals of accounting. A lot of my former colleagues used Schweiser, but I also heard the Schweiser questions weren't written the same way as theCFAexam so people get stumped on that.

4y
Wickus, what's your opinion? Comment below:

I used Schweser for Level 1 last year and I passed. I found some of the questions for Schweser were very easy and the wording was different but they all helped you gain an understanding of the topic. What I personally did was go through the Schweser material first and do the Qbank and mock exams. From there I went back over my week topic areas and then moved onto the mock exams provided by CFAI.

Always take advantage of the resources CFAI gives you since they are the closest thing to the actual exam you will get.

  • 1
最有帮助的
4y
BreakingOutOfPWM, what's your opinion? Comment below:

If you take all of the Schweser materials, AND do all of the mock exams in order, it is pretty robust prep. The test writers incorporate a mix of hard and easy questions by topic area. Since the material is so broad, Schweser can't possibly anticipate all of the topic areas that will be more difficult. I think it was pretty comparable on the whole. It's important to review the areas on the practice tests that you weren't sure about to make sure you can solve them even after reading the questions.

I'd also suggest the BSAS practice test if you can sign up for it in your region (usually administered a few weeks before the exam in a live format).

You can't use the marks until you pass all three levels, have all of the requisite work experience, and the application is approved by theCFASociety. That being said, for recruiting purposes, passing all three levels is the same as putting the letters after your name. You can state that you passed all three levels without using the marks.

The hardest part is making a study schedule and sticking to it. I found signing up for a class to be helpful, it gave me a weekly target to hit and kept me accountable (if you're behind, you won't be prepared for class). The Kaplan course paces things so that you finish with a few weeks to spare, giving ample time for practice exams and going deep.

All that said, Level I is a cakewalk compared to II and III. The questions are straightforward and it all comes down to memorizing content. It's not easy, you need to put the time in, but it's a question of quantity over quality for LI.

4y
Gekko21, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Yeah, I don't think it will take you too much longer to study and all of the info is covered in theCFAbooks; I even used aCFAtextbook for my portfolio management class.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
4y
LIBOR, what's your opinion? Comment below:

could you takecfa12月1级作为ug seinor然后水平2 at the end of your senior year? anyone ever try this?

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
4y
chanky, what's your opinion? Comment below:

I passed level 1 in Dec, and I cannot register for level 2 until I graduate which is in May and after the registration deadline. So it is impossible to take level 1 in Dec and level 2 the following June, unless you act unethically and fake your graduation dates. Not sure if they can find out about it too.

  • PrincipalinPE - Other
4y

6 months for level 1? That's extremely generous and more than enough time. Seriously, depending on your work load you can pass it in December and only start studying in September. Most people I know did level 1 in 3 months or less - I spent 3 months and didn't take any finance classes in college. With your background, I'm sure you can cut a good 50-100h off the "recommended" 250 hours of study time. Also, especially for level 1, Schweser/Stella books will be enough to pass the exam - don't waste your time with the official material.

  • 1
4y
Brez385, what's your opinion? Comment below:

I appreciate the response from everyone.

From what I hear, those of us who have full time jobs and are studying to take theCFA, finding the time is one of the hardest thing to do.

4y
Bottles and DCF Models, what's your opinion? Comment below:

^ It depends. If you work in banking, it is difficult to find the time. But for those with regular 40-50 work weeks, studying for theCFAis pretty simple. I just spend 1 - 2 hours a day after work. I try to get in 10 hours a week, so 6 months is a good amount of time.

4y
Victor252, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Agree with most of what has been said. One thing to add is that you shouldn't worry about your field of study. The curriculum is designed for someone with any background to be able to study in 250 hours and pass. Read everything twice, do all the practice problems and reade ethics three times. If you put in the effort you will pass.

Here's a link to another post. You may find the tips I gave wywy88 useful. //www.yjhypon.com/forums/transition-to-front-office-0

Good luck

  • 1
4y
Ronald360, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Ha ha sorry.

4y
Ronald360, what's your opinion? Comment below:

**At the lastCFAexam, I met people who were sitting Level 1 for the third time. Hopefully I pass this time round but how do I make sure I'm not in that position?

4y
abc 123 burner, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Level I shouldn't have anything that you haven't seen before if you have a finance/econdegree, besides Ethics. The key is to make a study plan and stick to it, while limiting distractions. Make sure you hit the 300 hour mark.

If you can afford it (or your company pays for it) Schweser is the way to go. They will cut down on a thousand or so pages of CFAI reading and get you to the nuts and bolts. I would recommend that you still read the entire Schweser series and it really shouldn't take that long. Be sure to do every Schweser and CFAI end-of-chapter question and do well over a thousand Schweser Q-Bank questions. It's important to know how the questions could be phrased and how they can trick you, especially with Ethics.

Then in the last month start going through practice exams and ideally get through five or six. In between exams, keep hitting the Q-bank on trouble spots. Flash cards also helped me with Level I to nail down some sections that you just have to mindlessly memorize.

4y
Asatar, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Just a friendly warning to not post ANYTHING specific to questions / areas tested or not tested. CFAI take this very seriously and WILL discipline you if they find out who you are.

4y
Kassad, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Agreed - the morning section wasn't bad at all. The afternoon session I found far more challenging, especially the FRA.

Overall it was pretty much what I expected. The mock exams seem to do a great job at acclimating candidates to the real deal.

in it 2 win it
4y
RealMittRomney, what's your opinion? Comment below:

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4y
bigblue3908, what's your opinion? Comment below:

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