Hello everyone,
I’ve signed up for the June exam and am about to wrap up quant so basically still on book one. I know I have a little less than 5 months but I am already panicking for I feel as if I am behind schedule. How much have you guys covered so far?
I’m using Kaplan (books and online classes) and IFT’s videos (for review and for clarifying topics I get stuck on). Ethics, I read both Kaplan and the CFAI material.
Best wishes
KK
I am an instructor on a level 1 class that started a week ago. Many of the students started studying in January. Jan and Dec are the most common starting months.
You have time. At 16 hours per week, starting last week, you would have about 350 hours before the exam. I did 350 hours and had no problems at the Level 1 exam.
Thank you so much for your reply. I guess having to reintroduce myself to so much math is freaking me out. After a few hours of studying my brain just refuses to take more. I love and am good at math but the thought of the exam is not letting me focus. This makes me feel better. I will stick to my schedule making sure I leave a month for test taking. I have also decided to take my two weeks vacation right before the exam.
Thank you again for your reply!
Best wishes,
KK
I understand your concerns. I have signed up for the June Level 1 Exam and started studying in December. I recently started the Economics section. Personally the way I’ve been approaching it is, once I’m done with session readings, to do as many practice questions as possible to gain an understanding as to how exactly we will be tested on the specific material. If I get hung up on a topic area too long, I write down exactly where I’m struggling, move on from it (at least for that day or study period) and return to it the next day or the next few hours. More often than not the material I struggle with is something I’m drastically overthinking.
I hope this helps! Just remember to take it one day at a time and enjoy educating yourself! I’m sure the test will take care of itself if you’re able to do this. 
Best,
Christian
Hi Christian,
Thank you so much for your feedback. That is exactly what I am doing. When something doesn’t click, it is making me freeze in place. Normally I enjoy figuring things out and learning new concepts, but with the thought of time flashing by, my brain seems to just stop. I am going to borrow your method, jot those things down and revisit them with a fresh mind. Things do fall into place when your brain is ready for the next workout!
I just made a new schedule for myself. Two hours a day during the week and six hours each day on the weekend should give me enough time (hopefully). I am sure there will be days when I don’t touch my books. If nothing else, this exam will make me a morning person. I have never looked forward to getting up at 6 a.m before lol.
Thank you again!
Best of luck,
KK
When something doesn’t click, you can also switch from CFA to Schweser or vice versa for that topic,
Econ is ranked as the least clear topic in the CFA text. Thus, many people read the Schweser (or other third party) materials for Econ.
Thank you Bob. I will do that.
Hi guys, I agree with MunicipalBob. I studied very hard from August till the last days of November. For me, it was critical to make the most possible number of mock exams and especially to see the right answers. Also, I do recommend making all CFA mocks but also the live mock exam of Kaplan Schweser (in my point of view it was way harder than the CFA exam), in doing so, I came to the exam day very prepared and with a lot of confidence in myself.
Best of luck!
I am almost done with FRA. Trying to get everything done early so I can have a good review at end.
Hello, I do not believe there is a “good” answer to this question. In my case, I started studying Level I on the first day of September and I was sitting on the December 2nd exam which effectively gave me 3 months. I also work full time so I basically only had weekends to dedicate to the studying. I’ll admit it was basically 8-10 hours on each Saturday/Sunday and wish I had started earlier but I still managed to pass the exam fairly easily.
I had a background in Finance (bachelor degree) so I guess it was more of a review than anything else but my point is only you know how much time you need to study to get ready. The best advice anyone can give you is probably to follow a tight schedule and make sure you have at least 3-4 weeks to review/practice.
Thank you Sherlock. I have created my schedule in a way to give me a month to just sit for tests and mock exams. I will do my best to stick to that and will definitely sign up for the live mock exam by Kaplan. Thank you for that tip.
You are right, there isn’t a good answer to this question. I guess hearing about other people’s experience helps with tips as well as puts things into perspective of sorts. I have worked in Finance for a while now, so a lot of the terms sound familiar but I am finding that I am way more nervous than I should be at this point in time of my study calendar. The only other exams I have taken recently are the investment exams, like 7 and those are a piece of cake compared to this. Working full time makes studying harder during the week. I have started coming in early to use the quiet of the office for an hour or so during the week and will hit it hard during the weekends. Definitely keeping a month for test taking. That seems to be the general consensus. Thank you for your feed back.
So, AnyTime, if you are nervous studying, that is ok. You should be worried about the exam and finishing studying on time.
You don’t want to be nervous at the exam. Do mocks under exam conditions to prepare. No phone , no water, leave the clock running if you do a bathroom break.
Study plans, and to a lesser extent classes, help keep you on track and reduce anxiety.
Thank you Bob. I will take as many mocks / timed tests as I can. Hopefully that will help. Thank you for all your advice. I truly appreciate it.