I just passed level 1.Being graduate student, I am planning either to work part time or to appear in examination. Appearing for examination means giving up 800*4(4 months salary) = 3200$. Should I work or go for CFA-2? (I predict my probability of passing 100% if I don’t work)
I’d figure it this way, and this is largely based on your salary given up. Passing level 2 could open up doors for a better job out of Grad school, depending on when you graduate, and it could be the same time you take/pass level 3. If you get your charter 1 year earlier, the implied increase in income would be alot more than the 3200 you are passing up to take level 2 now. Additonally, would the part time work be useful as experience in finance?..I’d guess no. If you put the additional income that first year after receiving your charter into something earning a conservative 5%, it’s a huge difference 20 years down the line, compared to getting that increase at t+1. Then again, you may have an additional loan to cover expenses if you don’t work part time, so…You should be able to figure out the financial up/downside, and it is all based on the time frame you are looking at, ie. the income a year earlier isn’t much a few years down the road, but 20 yrs down it is a big difference, even at 5%. Regardless, I’d take it now, get it over with, and forget part time work. Hope that makes sense. Good luck