Failing Level 1

CFA Level I
#1

Here is some rambling. I haven’t told anyone (co-workers, friends, family) that I haven’t passed yet, so this forum is the first people to hear.

I thought a while about posting:

I keep wanting to tell myself, its not how many tells you fall, its how many times you get up.

Thoughts after the test: Test was a miserable experience, terrible procters, sat there for so long. Test started 30 minutes late. Didn’t know you could not have a water bottle. Ran out of time on the morning section, but still filled in answers for all questions.

These are all excuses.

I scored a Band 9.

I failed Economics and Fixed Income.

Middle for Corporate Finance, Derivatives, Financial Reporting and Analysts, and Quant.

I had above 70 in Alternatives, Equity, Ethics, and Portfolio Management.

How close was I to passing? If I had scored middle for Econ and Fixed Income would I have passed?

Its funny that Econ and Fixed Income were the sections that I knew I was weakest at. I completely skipped Econ and was hoping for the best. I definitely studied the wrong way and studied like I was in college the first 3 months. I would go through the scheweser book, get the end of chapter quesitons right and move on. I would not review it in a few weeks, which made me forget it.

The last month of studying was when things started clicking. I owe it to this board and S2000 for even getting a band 9. I wished that I had 2 more weeks to study, and would have felt super comfortable going into the test.

I guess now, it’s the game plan for December. Or I can just quit.

#2

And its terrible… i’m already thinking about college football, NFL, trip out of the country for 2 weeks, thanksgving, and multiple weddings.

Being American is the WORST. None of these distractions if you aren’t American!

#3

The only way to pass the test is No life for 2 weeks before the test.

Yes, the entire setup was horrible. But they got to do it to justify the 2k they charge you for a test.

Good luck studying for december.

OH, true that… Sux to live here in U.S…the quality of education, motivation, and others are not here compared to Asia.

Worse in Florida where half the people here are idiots to begin with. Do not expect to get help from anyone for the exam.

#4

in South Florida, some piker here is charging people 3k to take his course… I can say I checked out the class day 1… Glad I didnt pay for it.

I bet 90 percent of those fools failed…there were like 40 kids in there.

My suggestion is move to Canada or go somewhere where no one can contact you for 2 weeks. Get away from distraction and do what you need to get it done…

#5

O, I am not American, so i have the right to say this: There were a million people straight form China at my testing center. and no im not from california. They all sat next to eachother, but all had China passports. They are definitely making the test pass rate higher…

#6

For that last quote, I assume you are kidding. If you are not kidding you are a moron. I always thank god that I was born in the richest country in the world.

Second, Level 1 is a cakewalk compared to Level 2. Ask anyone here and you will hear the same thing. If you legitimately busted your butt and studied as hard as you could and can’t pass level 1, I would not continue if I were you. You may pass Level 1 in December, but then you’ll spend the next 3-5 years on Level 2.

#7

Plolitics rant on…

yes. they were all chinese with chinese passport taking the test here in United States.

What is even more insulting is when you take the test, the passport picture is a chinese passport instead of U.S. passport as a requirement.

Here is my other observation also. No black people in Miami test center that took the test.

I strongly believe the true pass rate in my opinion if you went to school here is at 10 percent. The Chinese and Asian people inflated the score for us who got an education here.

I have right to say this too cause I believe in equality and fairness. I was schooled here and learned my calculus, valuation, and financial analysis in College compared to my peers that went through Differential equation, stastistics, and other advance finance concepts in 9th grade in China… Its ridiculous how my friends can do theorem and prove a theory while i struggle to understand crap they write… They always screw up the curve in test in college. I have to work double hard cause the education in United States Sux. Only thing good here is a MBA from an IVY.

Politics rant off.

#8

richest country in the world? This country is owned by China. The FED has to print money to keep this SCAM economy going. Get your facts straight.

If I have a choice, I will give up my citizenship and move to Singapore and work for Jim Rogers or Asia and start my life there.

However, being a poor bastard, working, and being tax 60 percent to pay for a war with the Arabs that I did not agree to is forcing me to live in this country you so call “RICH”…

back to the CFA., nothing is hard if passing the test means having an opportunity to actually have a life instead of being enslaved .

#9

I am very sorry for all of you who failed this year’s exam, and i know how you are feeling now, so many emotions coming from all directions… wanting to jump onto the next thing and feeling defeated somewhat at the same time.

HOWEVER PLEASE THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE REGISTERING L1 AGAIN!!!

Please give yourself sufficient time to think if you really do NEED this and if you truly enjoy what you are studying. If this is not for you, it’s not too late to give up (it never is!) so don’t get hung up on repeating for the sake of proving you can do it.

For those who do need to and want to finish the program, please also give yourself some breathing time and plan ahead and see what’s coming up in December! If you don’t think you have time to commit to it, perhaps you should take a year off or re-schedule several things first.

Cheer up everyone!!!

NANA

#10

Ok, who is the richest country? China? lol. They have an asset bubble far bigger than we had in comparison with their GDP. That will rear its’ head later this year with the first onshore defaults. Get ready boy.

Why don’t you leave then if you hate it? Free country bub. If you don’t like it, leave, or get into politics and change it.

Also, sucks you are getting taxed 60%. My taxes generally top off around 25-30%. Sucks to be you cheeky

#11

i am not exactly sure if you are ranting about Chinese test takers moving the pass rate higher or ranting about the US education system.

My opinion is that, now more than ever, everyone is facing global competition. if you don’t see Chinese students next to you in school, you are definitely seeing them in the workplace!

Especially in finance, there are only a handfull of financial capitals in the world and the pool of talents are drawn from worldwide.

The education system is more competition and expectation is higher and higher which is consistent with history and natural progression in everything else.

NANA

#12

To say that the Chinese owns this country is ludacris. The American public owns, by far, the majority of U.S. debt. As far as moving to Singapore… good riddance.

#13

The required math level too me was surprisingly low. If anything an US student should be far better due to language and exposure to GAAP free markets etc. A chinese friend of mine explained it with the higher level of dedIcation, the higher valuation of education and the willingness to sacrifice and zone in. In his words: we know how to study hard and take tests. Not sure this is true but it sounded like one good reason.

#14

The middle class is wiped in America. You have everyone on welfare and Section 8.

Singapore of course. If you do not have money, you are not even welcome to live there cause of no space… Hong Kong, Shaghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou also.

#15

Hi Nano,

I am ranting about how both really. I question Math, finance, and Science education here.

Anyways, nothing against the Chinese. They work hard and deserve to pass.

CFA should break things down to pass rate based on citizenship. That is a more fair representation.

#16

Does it matter though? having the pass rate based on citizenship doesn’t give you a “fair” representation.

First of all, there are loads of American Chinese/ Asians with US passports.

Second, let’s say the pass rate is higher for some other citizenships than America’s, and by a lot, does it mean the competition is less stiff in America at the end?

I am not sure…

#17

Yes Chinese people are dedicated , work hard, and study hard.

Some americans are like that too… However, without basic training when you are young, it is harder to have that mentality.

LIke i said, I did not have to know much about differential equation till I am in College… The kids I met from China already learned that in high school… So in a way, we are disadvantaged if we went through the entire schooling system here… and with CFA tests, the obvious gets revealed.

with FASB and IAASB converging, the different between GAAP and IFRS will diminish with time.

Cheers

#18

No one knows the answer.

However, I know if the pass rate is at 10 percent for United States and test score is broken down by country and race, letters will be sent to the Obama administration stating that things will have to change in this country. For example, LESS KILLING OTHERS AND FIGHTING UNNECCESARY WARS AND MORE INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION.

Everyone deserve good quality education instead of only the rich here in United States. All school will use the same standard and go through intensive math and science training instead of liberal arts BS that we have to study.

The place that I live in…Kids do not even know what 1 + 1 is… How do you expect them to compete? You do not see this problem in China.

Conclusion is that it will only make this place better.

#19

While America’s high school education may be somewhat lacking,especially when compared to those countries/cities that have an unabashed bias towards mathematics and science, I wouldn’t write off the entire nation as so scientifically illiterate as to make a signficant dent in the distribution of CFA results…The best graduate schools in basically any subject are found in the United States and the country’s investment in universities will probably remain at its usual top position globally for some time. I don’t think breaking down passing scores across nationalties/citizenships would solve anything really…the fairest representation for a global designation should be pass versus fail

#20

im not even reading most of these posts. Did not plan this to be about nationalism/ethnicity.

In my opinion, USA is the GREATEST country in the world.