70 hours in with Equity Investments, Corporate, PM, and Alternatives QBanks done. Anyone else moving at a similar pace? Would anyone recommend using CFAI questions aswell as KS?Feel like i’m moving too fast. Also, how key is formula memorization? I feel like if you work enough problems and situations eventually your brain will recognize trigger words in the problems to help you organize formulas. Lastly, hardest section? Econ or FP&A.? Fixed income seems hard but had most of the material in UG.
I doubt many people are moving at your pace… I certainly didn’t. Memorization is important. Test day nerves disprove many people’s preconceptions about their context-based recall. If you’re moving this quickly, why not work CFAI questions? Seeing things worded differently can only help you on test day. FR&A was the most difficult section for me, but I was several years removed from undergrad and not in a hard skills position.
YMMV.
Thanks for the reply. I have an accounting minor but dropped the major so I could pick up double in Finance and Data Analytics, that being said I still have intermediate 1&2/Cost management under my belt granted I took them sophomore year. You make a good point about the CFAI institute questions I may start to use them after I finish Kaplan. My fear on this exam is econ just because when I took it in college I didnt do well past basic micro/macro because I am very number oriented and recognize concepts better/quicker when the numbers clearly speak versus variables that are mostly theoretical. Hoping to grind FP&A then Econ/Ethics the last 3 weeks to eliminate doubt.
mikec5, I like your strategy, most people over-read and do enough practice problems. I took lvl 1 in 2009 and practicing questions is absolutely key. In my opinion the hardest topics are Quant and FRA so that warrants some time. Memorizing formulas can be important but knowing the “whys” behind some of the formulas is just as important, if you understand some of the concepts behind the formulas you might not need to memorize it in as much details. Anyways, best of luck and hope you kill the exam!
Thanks man,
TBH I’ve had most of this material in undergrad so practicing the questions is most likely my best bet as reading for a long time bores me and before you know it I am reading a sentence and forgetting it immediately. When I work problems I stay attentive and refresh myself step by step until I have an aha moment on each question immediately. Still pretty nervous but I don’t think I’m going to need 300 hours for this level.