From the Schweser LII blog (by Jodi Joachim): “Assume FSA + equity = 60% of the exam weight (I used 85% of the upper limits of the ranges from CFA Institute). If you can score 85% in those areas, that’s over 180 points. Using 70% as guideline for what you need to pass, you only have to score 50% average in all the other areas. That’s very doable. You can run the numbers for yourself, if you can’t stomach the idea of FSA, then run the numbers with your own strengths.” Do you think this would really work? Does anyone know of anyone that passed this way? I was considering a similar strategy except focusing on FSA, equity, and ethics and shooting for an 80%, with a goal of about 50% for the rest of the topics. I wasn’t able to really start studying until March and since then have gone through Schweser vids for 15 of the topics plus the LOS quizzes in Q-bank (avg 75% but I believe the LOS quizzes are only easy/intermediate q’s). I’m planning on averaging 4-6 hours per day from here on out but I don’t know how I’ll master so many topics with only 6 weeks to go. Ideally I’ll try to get those three down first and then get to others if time is left… or am I handicapping myself too much by doing this? Anyone else have a similar strategy?
Seems like a bad idea to me. Those topics are the hardest (to me) so you are giving up “easier” points in other sections by skipping them. I might be biased though since I have been studying everything haha. 85% on Equity and FSA seems optimistic too 
No. This strategy sucks ass. Say as a new student you score 45% in every topic from what you already know from L1 or wherever. To score 70% in a topic takes time. To score 85% in this same topic takes 3 times that time because the additional 15% is very very hard to find. Therefore I think it’s easier to score 70% in every topic which will average out throughout the exam (60 on one, 80 on the other) rather than focusing on trying to score 85% on just these topics.
I think the point of this statement is that FSA and Equity are heavily weighted on the exam and time well spent in these areas (more so than in all other areas) will pay dividends on exam day…
I concur with mcpass - you need to fight for every point with this exam… there are definitely many “easy” questions or straight plug-n-chug - just look at the CFAI books where they include the vignettes and questions from the actual L2 2006 exam. And remember even if you do know certain areas cold, the pressure and overall stress you will feel on exam day might cause you to make stupid mistakes, blank out on things, etc… again, you have to fight for every point. Just try your best and good luck!!
This is a pretty risky strategy. But if it works, you will look like a genious.
This strategy is shit. You sound as if most people don’t try to study each topic to the best of their ability. If it was just a question of “studying more” in order to get 85% in two of the most difficult/most weighted areas of the exam, don’t you think that would be everyone’s simple game plan? I’m going to study my ass off and hopefully I’ll get lucky on a few questions and score around 80% on some topics.
Completely ludacris. It’s also very arbitrary. FSA and Equity are weighted the most because they have the most material. So why not just skip pension fund accounting if you dont like it and study foreign exchange instead? Same logic. Either way you are missing out on studying a potential vignette. The last thing i want to do is look at an entire paragraph on the exam and not even have a clue what it is talking about.
Dapper425 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- The last thing i want to do is look at > an entire paragraph on the exam and not even have > a clue what it is talking about. Holy sh*t. that is my nightmare.
Not to sound like John McCain, but you need to take that blurb in the context of the entire discussion. It was posted when the 16 week class was on derivatives. Many of us (including myself) are getting hung up on valuing currency swaps. To the point that we’re missing the big picture. While I agree it’s a bad strategy it would be a lot worse if she was saying this in January when we’re starting our study strategy. It’s April and if we’ve made it through the entire curriculum we need to focus our efforts somewhere over the next month and FSA and equity are good places to look. PS–But yea the advice does suck ass.