i did not realise how screwed up i am until i have seen 163 days remaining sign posted here… can i still start studing and make it or am i officially doomed…?? 
you’re doomed. might as well just quit. for life.
just kidding…
no it’s not too late =)
Get through the readings ASAP and hit questions until test day…
really depends on whether you work or not. if you’re just studying full time then there is plenty of time don’t worry…
if i were you i’d spend 7-8 hours of intensive studying a day, and will only reduce the amount a little bit till I can comprehend the material (theoretically) thoroughly.
Plenty of time, but get on it son.
I Just started studying this week, but I’m in a cushy situation. Not currently working. I have the time to devote 40-60 hrs a week to studying no problem. I feel like I’m making good progress.
Is anyone else taking the exam without using a third party study class? Am I crazy for just doing it with the CFA materials and a bunch of sample questions? Mind you my understanding of finance is pretty advanced already.
Any advice would be great.
I studied with only the CFAI material. I did end up getting the Schweser final review pack which included some final study materials but that was not critical to my studies. I took one mock exam through Schweser and decided not to take another through them because they structure their questions different than CFAI. Anyhow, at this point, I don’t know whether I passed or not but I felt very prepared and don’t think studying with a third party would have increased my chances.
Thanks! I’ll throw some positive vibes your way.
You have enough time. Just start today!
I started around Dec 18th. I’m done with ethics and TVM and feel pretty good so far… 72% on ethics practice and 85% on TVM practice from schweser. … Still haven;t received my CFAI books though… going on 2 weeks now…
If it makes you feel better, I bet many people who will retake in June still haven’t started studying. We’re waiting for December results.
I am Level 1 candidate awating result and if/when I pass level 1 on 28th Jan, the CFA institute will be giving roughly 4 months to prepare for Level2 to candidates like me and would expect to pass.
If you start studying today, you still have 5 months to prepare (i.e. 1 month more the than CFA institues estimate)
There is no better time to start studying than now 
thanx i’ve started studyin with quant and couldnt get past tvm so i’ve changed to fixed income.i know this is not an ideal subject to start with but i wanted to prepare a studyin schedule and then come back to quant
I am expecting my result soon (i.e. YET TO PASS) so dont take my word for it.
I am not from Financial / Banking /Economics backgroud so it was important for me that I understand and enjoy the topics (so that interest developes) so I started from Equities and fixed income (5th Volume)
I went online and opend a shares account and added some shares to my portfolio.
Went on Google finance and created pseudo portfolio of stocks and started keepin an eye on them & market overall (and applying the theory in practice, i.e what I was reading from volume 5)
I enjoyed reading all 6 books
Hey guys. I’m in a similar boat.
Will start cracking on my studying today (first time taker). I am currently looking for work and will be studying the CFA as well. I have a BBA with a specialist in finance. Is 4 hours too little to devote to studying if I have all this free time at home?
Also - what section do you recommend starting first? Or should I follow the order of the books?
it seems like forever ago that i took the december exam haha. wow.