I gave December 2018 level 1 examination and I did not pass. I have a full time job which has nothing to do with CFA or finance whatsover. I prepared for 5 months doing full-time job and the took sabbatical for 1 month from my job for december 2018. My office will not give leave any more for June level 1 2019 examination. I have 4 months in hand to study for the exam with a full-time job. I feel I need 4 full months to study properly for the exam. Should quit the job? I am in a dilemma
I am wondering why your job is not related to finance. To get the charter, you will need 4 years of relevant experience. Better start accumulating now. So I vote for leaving this job and finding something relevant to getting the CFA charter.
a bird in hand worth two in the bush. keep the job, grind your study harder. you can’t just quit whenever the going gets tough. CFA isn’t too bad just a lot of time commitment so it will require to be better planner of how and when to use your time.
Many of us work and study full time. It is possible. I retook level 1 and passed in December and only took a week of vacation. You do not need a full four months unless you have grasped absolutely nothing from your previous studying, what you need is just a better plan and decent time management.
Everyday after work, I would go to the library and had only one goal, to squeeze two hours of focused study. On good days, I did four hours. The weekends were longer. I personally cannot study for ten hours but I tried to put in six hours during the weekend. (Some days, I honestly only did four).
If you change “leaving this job” to “start looking for a job in finance” then it’s truly good advice. Getting the four years of experience is part of getting the charter.
Keep the current job while looking for another more relevant. There is no guarantee that you clear level 1 in your next attempt even after leaving your current job so why take that risk. Use your passion for CFA to study harder. If you feel that 4 months are not enough then eye for Dec attempt. This will give you some relief in your current stress.
I’d advise against leaving the current job without having another one lined up.
And to quit your current job just to study is terrible idea…you should be able to work full-time and study at the same time. It might be demanding and require some time management but it’s definitely doable.
You have already studied 5 months and will study for 4 more months. I think you will have a decent chance of passing this June without taking time off before the exam.
I would not resign. A gap in employment does not look great. Most people do all three levels with a full time jobs and a lot, like myself, done it with a young family.
Yeah, ignore the dude who said quit the job. I would keep your current job, look for a finance job as others have said, and study your butt off. Some finance jobs say must pass levels of the CFA exam within 6 months of starting. You at least want to have a job lined up before you quit because a new job won’t be as easy to take off much time when you’re just starting.
I wouldn’t! Was in a similar situation as yourself when I took level 1! I think you’ll be surprised how much better you will perform the exam second time round!