How do you support yourself emotionally?

CFA Level I
#1

Dear friends, how do you support yourself emotionally while preparing for the exam?

I have started to prepare for the December exam (level 1), however, as I don’t have much financial background, I’m really worried. Could you give me some advice please?

And how do you practice the questions? Do you use Qbank? How many times do you reread Notes or Curriculum?

Do you attend any courses or prepare just on your own?

Thank you! :slight_smile:

#2

If you are starting now, have a good approach and even half a brain you can pass.

Rereading big sections is a waste of time. You might reread a 3 page section, but not whole chapters.

Finance background is only a modest advantage.

Emotional support comes from doing well on qbanks, practice questions, mocks, and the exam itself. Start doing questions early. Keep track of the numbers.

#3

Ahaha))) thank you!

#4

+1 for everything above

#5

Hi,

Do the Qbank after finishing each reading, this will solidify the concepts that you study in a reading. After completing a topic you a mock exam (only that topics question) this help you gauge how good you are at that topic. I used this approach and it proved to be helpful for me.

For December exam, there is ample time as of now, try to keep a steady pace throughout. I would also recommend that you should plan to complete the readings one month prior to the exam date; In the last month you should practice as many questions as you can, this last month can make or break your exam. Hope this is helpful.

#6

Thank you very much! I appreciate your advice. And what do you consider to be the most crucial topics that need most thorough studying? (I mean, questions on what topics are mostly asked)? I understand it can be different every time, but maybe you’ve noticed the tendency…

#7

Hi,

You ask a good question about the emotional aspect of these exams.

The CFA exams are draining. There’s just a ton of material on them, and it’s even more difficult to juggle studying along with work and family.

To prepare yourself, I suggest that you start studying early and get into a routine. Discipline is necessary in order to study for these exams. It’s really like a marathon in the sense that you’ll need endurance.

I’d also suggest you create a schedule for yourself to outline how you plan to study.

Best regards,

Keith

#8

You have plenty of time before the December exam so don’t drive yourself too crazy. The first thing is to know what type of student you are. Are you good at self study or do you need the structure of classroom setting? I was able to pass all 3 with self study, but I also knew people who used a classroom setting and passed. So its really just a preference.

Since you have a good amount of time, start slowly. Start with small sections and then take the practice questions regularly. You’ll start to get positive feedback loop from good results on the practice questions and you can start adding more sections over time. Those practice questions are probably the most useful thing you can do to retain all the information. Try to get in the habit of taking using them regularly.

Since you don’t have as much of a finance background, you might also consider getting the actual text books for sections you find the most challenging. Good luck!