Don’t want to stick this on the L3 thread where understandably members wait in angst.
Has anyone thought about what sort of approach to take for level 3?
Currently weighing up:
Schweser package
Mark Meldrum videos (+CFA EOC/BB)
IFT videos (+CFA EOC/BB)
Heard great things about Marc’s levelup bootcamps. He sounds very experienced so that’s another option.
I don’t plan to start until October but would like to have a full plan in place sooner then later.
Find a study group with some smart people 
I’m a level 3 guy here and I suggest you work backwards…
first do all prior exams 2017-2011 once with the answer sheet and try to “memorize” those answers… getting a feel for the type of questions and notice then “patterns”"…youll want to do those exams 4-5 times each by exam day.
then do the EOC in order… and read the text with BB examples … the online topic tests are super important and you want to do them each 4+ times each keeping a spreadsheet of your scores trying to bring them all up to 6/6.
In the month before the exam do the Schweser practice exam ls (6) in exam like conditions…
this should cover about 300 hours and should be enough for a pass
Could be a good idea to try FRM level 1 in november before to start CFA L3?
I was just thinking about it…
are the prior exams available online?
I have also read repeatedely that Schweser just doesn’t cut it at Level 3…? - I guess the Level 3 forum is a better place to backup that supposition.
Good study group a must Frankliving 
Thanks Danv for your advice, will defo take that on board.
When the dust settles in the L3 forum I will be interested to see how those folk got on with using schweser as primary source for level 3. Hearing mixed reviews
Ive only used Meldrum’s video for level 1 and 2 but I think Im gonna read the curriculum this time. We still have 10 months to go so I think it’s worth it this time. After my first read, Im probably gonna subscribe to Meldrum’s videos and go over the material a second time.
yes CFA gives access to the real AM exam going back 3-4 years… 2017 paper will be released in December… passing the exam is all about “mastering” the timing and format of AM…
older exams are available online (outside CFA website) but the format has changed a bit in recent years… the recent exams are also much harder compared to pre 2007 for example
Same routine as level 1 and 2. If it aint broke, don’t fix it.
Honestly pretty pumped for level 3 because the course material is 2/3rds as long as level 1 + 2, and I have no problem with short answer/essay questions. I used the CFA text for both levels 1 and 2, so the material being about 1k pages shorter is just music to my ears
Hearing very good things about the bootcamp as well. I have struggled with essays in university, so I really think I need some help and guidance.
Thinking of going to Dubai in April 2018.
You have much to learn young green grasshopper… haha. No but jokes aside, yes L3 is “shorter” but just look up on youtube “A content Analysis of CFA Learning Objective Keywords” by Mark Meldrum and “How to pass the 2017 Level III CFA Exam” by Schweser’s David Hetherington.
Those two videos should give you a decent idea of what’s coming up next. L3 is a bit of a death match, and I assure you everyone at L3 is reasonably bright and capable. Wish us L3 folks the best of fortune in 10 days! Congrats to everyone here who’s made it and my commiserations to those who did not. Chin up and soldier on, persistence is invaluable.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
-Teddy Roosevelt
To be honest, I am sticking to the exact same strategy.
Shweser as core backed up by the official curriculum for areas I do not 100% understand.
Shweser Mocks, CFAI EOC, CFAI Mocks - in order
What really saved me this time was tpo know all of my formula about 3 months before the actual exam.
I did quite well on L2. 5>70 and 5=50-70. The CFAI EOC was the key to me passing in my opinion
Hi Rexyboy
My approach will probably be as follows:
ESSENTIAL + MEMES
Mark Meldrum: “You cannot pass Level 3 using the same strategy you applied at Level 2”
@prospective dreamer that sounds like a solid plan. Sprinkle a few memes inbetween blue box examples for ultimate CBOK retention.
Rex
You don’t think 3 months is enough to write notes?
I think the only change I’ll make is to start a little earlier. I started studying for Level 2 in March, using Kaplan. However, I have heard from some test takers (both on this website and IRL) that Kaplan isn’t really sufficient for Level 3, so I want to give myself the option to read other sources if I find that there’s too many topics I’m missing.
I will also use the CFA website topic tests more. I didn’t start using them until very late in my Level 2 studying (and not at all for Level 1), but I felt like there were probably a good 10 questions on the live exam that I knew how to do just because I had seen similar questions in the topic tests.
Doesn’t know what my strategy was for the previous exams, Says it wont work for level 3
Just lmao at that logic.
I’m going to kill level 3, just like i killed level 1 and 2. Not because I’m smarter than anyone else,but because I start early (august), study hard, and I put in the time needed to guarantee a good score (600hours).
So, yeah. I think i’ll be fine
I used the CFA text too and this just made my year.