Is anyone just going with Schweser notes and CFAI questions?

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me where they’re going with just schweser notes coupled with skimming through the CFAI cirriculum to do end of chapter questions and nothing more.

I don’t have the ability to enroll for a class and haven’t decided yet if I want to purchase any online videos.

I guess the more apporpriate question would be: Has anyone who passed Level II taken this approach as well, by just using Schweser and CFAI questions? I’d be interested to know…

Thanks guys

Yes, I’m reading Schweser and doing CFAI EOC questions. No one on this planet can retain the CFAI material well enough to not have to go through it again; and going through it again would be a waste of time when practice tests and questions are really what matter…

I am doing something similar. I have the 2014 Schweser material coupled with the 2015 CFAI material & EOC questions. IMO, the CFAI questions tend to be more difficult than what I see in Schweser. Hopefully this extra time spent on the CFAI questions will pay off.

doing the same thing… course study from schweser…

gonna practice from curriculum … see if any topic is missed out in schweser in that case will do it from curriculum …

How are you guys structuring your studies? Are you taking detailed notes after every chapter? I started with this strategy but have since abandoned. It takes a tremendous amount of time to review the material a second time for notes that may not even be usefl. Are you going to complete all readings before beginning problems? Maybe only complete Schweser EOC and save the CFAI EOC for the final review

Well for me, although note taking is time consuming, but i found it really useful for the level 1, though i am yet to see the result. My point is, so far, i have been taking notes for the level 2, and it is time consuming as always, but i have found it a reasonable tools, and it will help me in revision of the corriculum, as i wont have to go through the whole thing all over again.

So i am using the Schweser note, and by the time am done, will do revision with my notes, and then move to CFAI End of note questions and Mock coupled with Schweser End of note questions and Mock.

A lot of us seem to be on the same boat, that’s good to hear.

Regarding note taking, I generally will read through the chapters first and attempt to get a good basis for understanding the concepts. I then complete the end of section quiz in Scheweser. Eventually I’ll re-read Schewser to take notes and I’ll do the CFAI EOC questions. I’m saving those for last because there in abduence and will allow me to review a bit more.

Seemed to work for me on Level 1, lets hope the same is true for Level 2

Yes, my plan is to get through Schweser materials, including questions, by mid Feb. I’m saving CFAI EOCs for after the readings as my review of what we’re expected to know in the LOSs. Then testing and formula memorization until test day…

I also used this approach for Level 1, that is, understand concepts first and foremost in 1st read without any notes. Sole focus is grasping everything, and retention is pretty impossible here. Then I went through everything a 2nd time through and took notes when doing that. The notes were great for reviewing b/c I would obviously try to pluck the most important concepts and scale everything down into much less text for reviewing purposes.

That being said, it definitely is tedious and it takes a lot of time commitment.

What order are you guys reading the material? Heaviest weighted to smallest or just following the natural order?

i was thinking of going heaviest to smallest but not include ethics as I want to read that from CFAI and as close as possible to the test

Any thoughts?

It will depend on your preference and your area of strength. I started with my area of weakness FRA, then move into my area of strength which is the other subject areas in the order that suits me.

So you just have to fashion it out the way that suits you best, and not follow another person’s style, as it may not be suitable for you.

Same boat as you mate, and I think this is the right strategy - I started off for a few days with topics I’m comfortable with and I got lazy. Switched to harder ones and boom!

Of course, for this to be of any use I must get a pass on tue. fingers crossed.

It was my strategy last year, a good thing it doesn’t require much time, I have spent about 200 hours. But got band 10.

Though this year will do curriculum.

I’m using Schweser notes for reading and CFAI EOC questions to test my knowledge…as long as you can answer the CFAI questions it shouldn’t matter how you learn the material. That theory worked well for Level 1 but I can’t say for sure how it will hold up for Level 2…ask me again in July!

Is there any other (realistic) option OP? Schweser + CFAI Summaries + CFAI EOCS + 6 mocks is my way to go.

Some others could be taking actual classes or maybe they’ve purchased videos through the variety of mediums that offer them. Just was seeing what everyone else had as an approach.

Most of us seem to be on the same page and that seems to be good

My approach is very similar … I use the Schweser OnDemand Videos and the Schweser Notes for recap. For deeper understanding or parts that are hard to understand with Schweser only i sometimes use the curriculum! For practicing purposes after every reading i use both the EOC Problems and the Schweser questions.

This Approach works for me in Level I, so never change a winning team :wink:

I took the most risky strategy… In November '14, I purchased Level II whilst I was still doing Level I. So I have been going through the books and I’ve covered about 75% so far… I plan to start mocks a bit early around mid March…

i hope the dream plan works!!

My plan was (is) go through the Schweser material with EOCs, finish mid Feb. Review the material again, at twice the pace (1 reading a day) and taking notes, then solving the CFAI EOCs. Finish by first of May. Solve practice exams and Mocks for a month.

Profit?

I’m reading CFAI for FRA and Equity , and will be reading the Kaplan notes for the other topic areas. Of course will do all CFAI EOC questions.

both of those sections are the largest in terms of weight, and actually apply to my current job. If I wasn’t as interested in FRA and Equity, I probably would stick to the Kaplan notes.