Folks, I am just getting going here. Who has specific targeted advice for how I can structure my study time between now and the exam so that I am in good shape to pass. I am very motivated and ready to do whatever needs to be done. I have Schweser and CFAI materials, but I need an action plan! tx to all in advance
i suggestion is to write a test, find the parts you did back in. study that for a day. and write a test with just that area. repeat that part until you get approx 80’s and have no areas below 70%. then do book 6, and CFAI mock exam and such. (i’m still on the first part of the plan… i’m in full panic mode right now)
xck, nfortunately, I don’t have enough knowledge of the material to even hazard a practice exam… I heard somewhere that the way to go was to start with FSA…I need to get up to speed FAST… Should I try to learn the material in the next four weeks, and then leave three for exam practice, review, etc?
Start with the way you are planning and keep doing lots of tests. My tip is if you are struck some where, search in the AF first rather than wasting time to find the solution.
If you’ve studied finance before, you’re going to get a sizable fraction of the test correct off the bat. Sh!t your pants, jump in, and swim!
Why did you wait so long to start studying?
still have time to prepare but IMHO focus on FSA. Then deal with ethics, equities, fixed income economics, derivatives, AI etc. As proposed above, take your time and take one sample test to get an idea where you stand. It is important is to cover everything. You may not understand all of the material perfectly but when you take a lot of sample tests, most of the things will get clarified. Besides, some sections are a source of easy points such as PM and AI. In 2-3 days you can master them and it’s worth the effort. Take these sections seriously and don’t simply waste your score by not reading few pages. The same applies to ethics. Read the standards of practice handbook 1 time (you won’t have time for more reading) then focus on schweser’s review of ethics. Nailing down FSA and ethics takes you very close to a pass.
thanks 2x2! so FI and derivatives should be last priority? - those will be the hardest bits for me, i am sure… there’s no point in taking tests until i’ve at least made SOME headway, because a lot of the material will be new and unfamiliar to me. it seems to me that the ratios require the most memorization, compared to other parts of the exam? is that correct?
> “I am very motivated " Except not as motivated as everyone else who started months ago >“and ready to do whatever needs to be done.” Well, unless that involved hard work like studying for some reasonable number of hours to learn a body of material. >“I have Schweser and CFAI materials,” Good start >” but I need an action plan! " I guess you waited this long for an action plan. How can you need someone else to tell you how to study some books sitting in front of you? You just pick them up and start going however works best for you. I really like helping people earn their CFA charters. I really hate reading stuff like this.
FI is 12% of the test. definitely not a last priority. FSA 20 Ethics 15 Quant 12 FixedI 12 Equity 10 Econ 10 CorpF 8 Port M 5 Deriv 5 Alt Inv 3 If you really want to study based on what the test is worth. Start from the top of that list and work down. I wish you luck. Personally i’ve felt like i’ve been putting in way too much effort for what i’ve learnt. But honestly i’m not the smartest guy here (far from it). another note FSA + Ethic is ONLY 35% … that can only get you so far. When people say FSA and Ethics, they mean that assuming you remember stuff from your undergrad.
Joey, this is a support and advice forum, not a place to knock people down. Everyone is out here trying to do the best job he can and pass these exams. That is a given. Perhaps you feel you can hide under the cloak of anonymity and treat people in an online forum in ways you wouldn’t dare attempt with your colleagues or family members. If you read my post, you will see that I am just as committed to taking this exam as all the other folks out here, and that I was soliciting support and targeted advice from the forum. I certainly do not have to apologize for that. I am also sure that any advice I get will be extremely helpful to others who read the posts. Moreover, one does not just “pick up the books,” as you say. Everyone needs a plan of attack, and those who have taken the exam are probably the best sources of such a strategy.
xck2000, where did you get that breakdown. It’s different that what i’ve seen to date.
You are without a clue and your comment couldn’t be more wrong. I suggest that before you comment again, you use the search feature to see if perhaps I might somehow be a little more involved in support and advice than you might think.
While I wish you luck with the exam. I think it’s a stretch to say you are as committed as anyone who has already put in +200 hours prep time. That being said look at the breakdown of the sections, read the big one first. Obviously Ethics and FSA are the priority, but other sections shouldn’t be ignored. Open books, read, Up down and left to right. Take many many sample questions.
Joey, your comments which I cite infra are unmitigatedly negative, sarcastic, insulting, and unhelpful. They are teeming with baseless assumptions about someone you don’t even know. I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you are of the “stick” mentality when it comes to supporting others. (I myself am a firm believer in carrot, as you might have guessed by now.)In return, I ask that you please take my points above into consideration. We are all here to help others to do well and to do well ourselves on the exam. We are not here to make others feel poorly. If a person puts a post up with the word “desperate,” I should expect that you would not knock him down further. PERIOD. > "I am very motivated " Except not as motivated as everyone else who started months ago >“and ready to do whatever needs to be done.” Well, unless that involved hard work like studying for some reasonable number of hours to learn a body of material.
Relentless, How many posts have I made on AF?
And all of them have been negative, sarcastic, insulting, and unhelpful Joey… BAD JOEY BAD… Now relentless I suggest you turn off the computer, open your books and start reading. After reading all the Schweser study notes, go for end-of chapter questions and then go for mock exams. Then if you have time after that before June 7th, get back here to discuss problems you have encountered and help others. You may notice that some of the negative, sarcastic, insulting and unhelpful people here may be extremely useful in getting you a PASS score when the results come out in July. Good luck.
I find that hammering the QBank for hours helps retention. LOS Quizes are key for tough topics.
mcpass Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And all of them have been negative, sarcastic, > insulting, and unhelpful Joey… BAD JOEY BAD… > C’mon - out of those 10,000 I must have said something helpful.
Mcpass, KJH, thanks. I have generally found this forum to be a very informative and helpful bunch of people.