How is everybody going with their exams. I myself passed Level 1 in September however decided to sit it out in March due to CFA preparations.
For people who just did the Level 2 CAIA exam how did they find it in comparison to Level 1?
Took L2 yesterday. Nothing unexpected. Glad to be done with it. Now I have 83 days to focus on CFA!
what about the time issue for part 1? Did you have the chance to check answers or was there a rush to get it all done on time? Lots of calculation? That was mentioned to be a major issue in previous posts
thanks,
xk
I finished with about 15 minutes of review time. I read last year that the calcs took up 70-80% of the MCQ. I did not find that to be the case this session - it was relatively light on the copmutation aspect. I don’t think I’m giving anything away there (don’t want to violate the code). Uppermark has posted in these forums that this session would be less calculation intensive (see my other thread), and I think that is accurate.
Thanks for the feedback. TheSingularity what prepatory material did you use? I used schweser for Level 1 and saw surprises in the exam…
I read the assigned readings and used Uppermark qbank. I have to say the Uppermark qbank was a so-so experience. I used it for level one and I was pleased, but this time around I ran into repeated technical glitches and found a few questions that were factually incorrect. I don’t want to imply its a bad product - I definitely relied on it and I feel confident that I passed.
It would be great if CAIA would include EOC questions like the CFA texts.
How does the CAIA Level II rank in difficulty wise compared to the CFA (Level 1,2, or 3)?
Is CAIA II harder or easier than CFA II? What about CFA III?
I found CAIA Level II to be something between CFA 1 and CFA 2, in terms of difficulty. The testable knowledge base is pretty broad, and some of the academic literature in the cirriculum is pretty technical. There are a lot of quantitative concepts and research that I think will eventually become the core of the test, which will put it on par with CFA2. It isn’t quite there yet.
I know that CAIA has a reputation of being much easier than the CFA program. I have to say that I’ve found it very interesting and massively helpful for anyone who works in alternatives. I originally embarked on the program with a “I might as well…” attitude, but its definitely converted me to a big advocate.
Hi troguli
what do you mean surprises? It’s simple than the real eaxm? or some what?
So April 22nd will be the big day.
*Crosses fingers*
I took level 2 last week. My thoughts are:
- Difficulty level: similar to level 1
- Calculation questions: Less than 10%
- Time: Part 1 was a little tight, but ample time for part 2
- Questions: Fair, if you knew it you knew it, as in no trick questions or red herring answers.
Fingers and toes crossed.
Any thoughts on the Level 1 exams?
Where did they say they will release grades on the 22nd?
Email was sent…for level 2 that is.
Did CAIA L2 on March 8, 2013. Not many calculations as promised by the CAIA Institute (“less than 30% calculations”). Multiple Choice was a bit strange. Lots of totally easy questions but also tricky ones with multiple phrases MC. Was sometimes a bit confusing. Essay was feasible too but I had problems remembering things I’ve learned. I think it’s much more difficult to Essays than Multiple Choice. Not quit sure if I passed L2, was not 100% well prepared due to a lot of stress at work.
Took L1 and found it to be a walk in the park compared to any level of the CFA. The questions were pretty straight forward and less computaionally intensive than I expected.
On a side note, did anyone feel like they were entering a prison at the Pearson testing center? Rolling up sleaves, emptying pockets, hand scans, and cameras everywhere felt a little ridiculous.
Still much better than any CFA experience.
Today is the day. 4pm here in Seoul on April 22, and no word yet. Could be a long night of waiting.
boy o boy, I cannot wait either. Expect updated info on your profile in 4 to 5 hrs…
good luck,
xk
Results are up. Good luck everyone.