Struggling with Constructed Response

Hi All,

To those who have passed level II or those scoring well on the Constructed Response questions, what’s your secret to success? I’m doing well on the practice multiple choice questions but once I hit the short essay format I can’t remember all the minor details that are included in the correct answers.

What are some study tricks?

If you had to do it all over again how would you prepare better?

I find this very difficult too. Practicing the Uppermark essay questions is all I have. For example “name three other differences between private and public real estate investments” is ever so much easier to answer in multiple choice format!

I would agree with that as well! Such a pain to try to recall lists and the order therein.

I found these to be quite helpful - the CAIA has a L2 workbook with constructed responses for each section

https://caia.org/content/curriculum-study-tools

https://caia.org/sites/default/files/caia_march_2019_level_ii_workbook_finalrev.pdf

Took me several days to make it through but really helped with some of the more nuanced items.

MrMat,

To remember the “lists” embedded within these topics. What’s your strategy from now until exam date? Are you just going to review these essay questions/answers over and over?

I’m using UM and Kaplan Qbank, Notes.

Hi MailSnoop - I bought some 3x5 notecards and, especially with the CIT/Code sections since I know two of those will pop up, made a notecard for just about every list (HF Due Diligence items, PRIs/ESG items). I try to review at least a couple times a day, and that seems to help. Reviewing the workbook questions as well as some of the UM/TestBank CRQs has helped as well. I figure that’s really all I can do since there seem to be a lot less practice questions for L2 (than L1) circulating around through the providers/online. Best of luck!

MailSnoop,

I feel your pain --I’m in the same boat. Just keep at it --repetition, repetition. I’ve made lists, I review them, I take a practice exam and then review that exam. For me, it seems easier to “memorize” the material by reviewing the answers to the practice exams (smaller chunks) in conjunction with reviewing the lists I’ve created. Also, I spent an evening watching youtube videos on memory techniques, (one techniques is to creating a story to help remember a list). I am seeing an improvement as I go over the material, my notes/lists exams time and time again.

I too am open more other ideas, but it seems review, review, repeat.

Hi anyone here willing to share your CIT notes? What a pain it is.