Schweser

Ok, for my second attempt at level 2 I am going to use Schweser (I used stalla succesfully for level 1, unsuccesfully for level 2). Schweser recommends the online version. I was considering the cds. My questions: Option A (For ScweserPro): 1.) If you order the cds, rather than the online version then can you continue to use them after test date (in case I have to take level 2 once again :frowning: 2.) Is there any difference in material between the 3 (online, download or CD) 3.) For the online version: Is the transmission choppy if your internet connection is busy/sucks 4.) What other considerations are there between the 3 and what is your recommendation? Option B 1.) Which one of these should I choose? (e.g. videos with workbook or the recommended weekly online program) Option K 1.) Should I pick kickoff seminar or archived kickoff seminer?

I think my biggest question is whether to do the weekly online program of the videos with workbook. I feel that the videos with workbook should be better because of the workbook, but the online program should be better because it is more personalized. What is the general recommendation?

anybody?

I did the videos for level 1 and they put me to sleep - literally. I did the online class for level 2 and failed. But I still thought the instruction on the live class was better. Maybe it is because Tim Smaby is a good teacher, but it also forces you to ā€œattendā€ class every week. I donā€™t know if Smaby or Andrew T. are the instructors on the videos, but if they are, I am sure they are excellent. FWIW, I signed up again for the online class for reasons of discipline of the live class and some feedback it allows. Hope this helps.

it definitely does, thank you.

If you miss a class, will they be saved to watch at a later date?

I believe all classes are archived, but that eliminates the ability to share IMs with the instructor. Plus, I use attending class as a much needed form of discipline.

lxada269, 1) You cannot use the CD or the online version of schweser past June. They disable your online account, and CD material does not work either after Jun 30th of the year you bought it. 2) All three have the exact same material. 3) If your internet sucks, then the online version is kind a pain. I still got online version so that I could look at the material if I didnā€™t have my laptop on me, and my home internet connection was not too bad, so it worked well. Hope this helps.

this may sound like a dumb question, but since I didnā€™t use either schweser or stalla for L1 (I mean study guide/learning material, however I did use schweser qbank for practice), Iā€™m confused about this online option thatā€™s mentioned here in this threadā€¦ I went to schweserā€™s website and gave them a call, they said they only have study notes in hard copy, nothing electronic, so is this online version strictly the online class/video (on-demand videos)? Iā€™m more interested in electronic copy of the study material, does anyone know if thereā€™s such thing at all?

Unless you get someone to scan their Schweser books for you into adobe or the like, no.

maybe Iā€™ll outsource this to india/china to keep the cost down

lxada, The Schweser video CDs come with a workbook and the online seminar comes with downloadable slides and Q&As. They both cover the CFAI curriculum but the workbook and the slides are not the same (apara561 above stated that they have the exact same materialā€“not true!). With Stalla, however, the online ā€œclassā€ is simply the lectures from the CDs that you watch on a particular dateā€¦here the material IS exactly the same. Stalla has only 2 ā€œstarā€ profs in their materials and Schweser showcases a sizable team of excellent profs in their various products. I tried both providersā€™ materials and to my mind, Schweserā€™s are far superior with more value added. Schweserā€™s weekly online class has a single professor, you choose either Tim Smaby or Andrew Holmes and both are outstanding. All classes are archived and you DO have the opportunity to ask questions by email (contrary to what goestoeleven stated above). There are several different profs on the video CDs and all are really good. If you take a live weekly class, that too has a workbook and it is the same as the online weekly class slides. liaaba, if you choose the Premium Solution package, you will get access to PDFs of the Study Notes (an online equivalent of the Study Notes). SchweserPro (the question bank) does expire at a certain date but I donā€™t think the video CDs expire so they could be used againā€¦but why would you want to do that, when the material changes so much from year to year? I wouldnā€™t waste time and energy using out-of-date notes/CDs, etc. All of the above is explained very clearly on the Schweser website with comparison charts, etc. Hope this helpsā€¦

that was a lot of really useful information go4it, thanks a ton, really appreciate it! ya, I saw the pdf when I was browsing through the different study packages, I thought it was a pretty cheap way of trying to bump up the sales for their premium packageā€¦Iā€™m gonna call them to see if they will offer that as a separate product personally I prefer electronic access, cos you can use it anywhere and carrying books with you all the time is not always feasible anyway, thanks for the excellent information

Ok, now Iā€™m down to deciding between study notes + qbank, which would cost 509, or their essential package, which is 579 from what I can see, the extra stuff you get from the essential package (compared to study notes + qbank) are practice exam 2 and these, Schweser Library (on-demand videos) - partialaccess Exam-tips Blog (tips, strategies, and motivation) Instructor-led Office Hours (weekly chats) Searchable FAQs (answers to your questions) Instructor Email Access Free Do-It-Yourself LOS Cards as far as Iā€™m concerned, this forum is superior to all of these extra addons/blogs/videos, so the question probably comes down to whether practice exam 2 is worth the extra 70 bucksā€¦since I didnā€™t use any of these for L1, Iā€™m not entirely certain how useful practice exam 2 (Iā€™m assuming this is what people refer to as book 7), but from what I read from the L1 forum, it seemed like schweserā€™s book 6 and 7 were not a very good representation of the questions on the actual exam (Id rather do all the CFA onliners), is this true for L2 as well? would really appreciate it if someone can give me some insights.

I found the Instructor-led office hours to be useful for questions that AF participants disagreed on. Canā€™t speak to the Exam book 2 (book 7). I didnā€™t use book 7 for level I either.

I bought Book 7 for Level 1 and never used it because the questions were way too difficult. Sure itā€™s good to have challenging questions, but they were over-the-top difficult and I didnā€™t feel that they were the best use of my time.

liaaba, I apologize for reading the question incorrectly. I thought you were asking fro SchweserPro, and for that the online, download and CD are the same, and they expire end of June. go4it is right about the video options.

I would certainly do all of the CFAI on-line exams or at least as many as you can. Schweserā€™s practice exams 1 & 2 are online & they come with both the essential and the premium solution. The contents are NOT the same as the 3 full sample exams in ā€œBk 6ā€ nor as the 3 practice exams that some call ā€œBk 7.ā€ Bks 6 & 7 come with the Study Notes. Your background and how early youā€™ve started studying will determine how much time youā€™ll have to do those oh-so-crucial practice exams at the end and whether youā€™ll even be able to get to more than all the CFAI exams + the 6 full exams you already receive with the Study Notes. As much as I value the info you can glean from the Analyst forum, I donā€™t think it is comparable to the ā€œInstructor-led office hours, FAQs, Instructor Email Accessā€ from Schweser. They know the material and this exam inside & out and & can provide an almost immediate, focused, thorough response. Be aware that you will get the direct, 24/7 instructor email access only with the premium solution. If you canā€™t go for the premium package (with weekly on-line course), the essential package offers more value than trying to buy individual products. And in the long-term scheme of things, you might find that $70 is not that significant, especially if the added-value helps you pass the exam!

agreed, whats 70 bucks in the grand scheme of things, great advice guys, really appreciate it!

go4it, thanks for all your advice on this issue. its great to know that Schweser has its staff monitoring this forum and giving sales pitches. however, it seems somewhat disingenous to not identify yourself as some may believe youā€™re offering unbiased first hand advice. so hereā€™s the truth on the subject from someone without an agenda. as a Schweser Premium customer, let me preface this by saying Schweser is a life-saver and without it I would not have passed. However, its greatest strength lies in the notes themselves. Their videos, while helpful, are uneven in terms of quality of instruction. Meanwhile, this is where Stallaā€™s Peter Olinto shines. In terms of the Instructor Office Hours, these are helpful on the whole, but too often I felt like the instructors were quick to dimsiss the possibility of errata in the Schweser material (which there are plenty by the way.) Schweserā€™s Q Bank - buy it. Great way to do focussed review in the final weeks before the exam. The bottom line: Schweser Premium Package is worth its weight in gold. BUT, it is not infallible as some others may lead you to believe.