Should I retake the level 1 exam? I didn't really study for the December paper, but feel like if I did, I could have passed.

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I don’t have a job currently, although I’m looking for one and plan on taking the CAT in November. Should I try again for l1 in June? I know if I study, I can do it, but I’m basically a lazy and kind of mentally fucked up person, and it costs a lot too. Hence need advice.

If I seriously wanted to pursue this designation that I wouldn’t even think about giving up. Give it another shot, offcourse, not familiar with your financial situation but it all comes down to how serious you are. Goodluck to you.

To be honest, no one in this forum except you can truly answer that question.

So first off, power to you; you decide; you set the standard; not anyone else.

Perhaps it may be worth reflecting on your motivations/drivers for taking the CFA exam.

Most people pursue the designation for reasons such as career advancement, career change or the breadth of knowledge/skills/abilities that it imparts. Whatever your motivation/driver is, it needs to be something that will help you stay consistenly focused and on track, while enjoying the challenge.

Also, I am not familiar with what “CAT” entails, but based on Wiki it sounds like a graduate admissions test. So I guess you need to weight up your study time / work life balance.

If you do decide to retake the CFA exam, try to give it your all because there is little point in half hearted attempts. Keep in mind that it isn’t reasonable to expect to pass a relatively challenging exam without studying diligently. Also, there are no Nobel prizes or verifiable claims to intelligence just for somehow passing the exam with minimal effort. Hopefully this should dissuade your “lazy” side from standing in the way of success.

Moreover, when you really want something it’s always better to go all in. That way, even if you fail, you can learn and develop much faster because you understand what works/doesn’t and can strategise better.

All the best with whatever YOU decide !!

P.S: “It ain’t about how hard ya hit…It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward…how much you can take and keep moving forward…That’s how winning is done…” - Rocky Ballboa (Sylvester Stallone)

Get a job first. I lived in India for 25 years before moving to Canada. Let me tell you something people have no idea of Indian demographic or landscape here so all this motivation bullshit doesn’t apply to you. Get a job dude. Don’t write exams. CAT is 10 times harder than CFA. Even though you pass CAT exam, in IIM interview they will kick you out once you tell them in interview that you basically don’t have any job and you were preparing all day at home. Everyone will tell you that you are the one, you are different than others, you are not. So first work and learn about industry. With experience you will have high chances to get into top b-school in India.