This is how I got through all Three Levels of the CFA Program as well as Level I FRM Exam in one leg while holding down a full time job. The schedule I am going to share is for people who will be highly disciplined and stick to the game for four straight months. Here we go.
FRM Level II as backdrop - a total of 1,400 pages of text with 19 weeks before the exam’s date Game Plan: To run through 100 pages week and be done with the text in 14 weeks. -Breaking this down, 10 pages daily for weekdays and 25 pages for weekend (100 pages per week) - Breaking even further down: 40 mins before work (5 pages) in the morning and 40 mins before bed - Weekend to have 3 study sessions of an hour each to go through 8/8/9 pages (25 pages) If you feel up to it, set aside additional session over the weekend of 15-30 mins to run through some sample questions of the readings you have completed. I always do this to ensure the materials stick with me.
Following this schedule for 14 weeks straight, it ensures you will be on track to finish your text and have plenty of “me-time” over the weekends and be on top of your work. I wake up daily at 6am to study and be at the office at 8am till 8pm. Come back home have my dinner, freshen up and get back to my texts at 1015 pm and ensure I would have at least 7 hours of rest each night.
This also allows me to ensure I have a whole month to focus on practice papers. I usually spend the first 2 weeks running through all the areas I am weak in. Also I ensure to notify my employer months in advance that I will be taking the final 2 weeks off from work to stay at home and focus on practice papers.
Here is my final 2 weeks schedules
- Wake up at 830 for breakfast - Write the practice paper from 9am to 12pm (Study Session 1) - Have lunch and rest from 12pm to 2pm (you may be wondering if that is too long?) - Take an afternoon nap from 2pm to 5pm (wait… what?) - Write the practice paper from 5pm to 8pm (Study Session 2) - Have dinner and rest from 8pm-930pm - Write the practice paper from 930pm to 1230am (Study Session 3) - Go through the formula cheat sheet from 1230am to 1am - Go to bed from 1am to 830am
As you can see, this allows you to have plenty of rest and sleep while still clocking in close to ten solid hours of studying. Keep this up for the whole 2 weeks and go through as much practice paper as possible. This has been my game plan for the past 4 years allowing me to complete my CFA and hopefully FRM end of the year.
Hopefully you will find this useful.