Topic Tests Won't All Have 6 Problems Anymore?!?!?!?

Anyone else see the email this morning from the CFA stating problem sets may have more or less than 6 problems each? The total number of MC questions will be the same. It’s a little bit of a curve ball but I wish they had decided this earlier so prep providers could have made the right kind of practice exams. Also, I think all of the CFAI topic tests have 6 questions too, which isn’t the right preparation.

I think this is a way for the CFA to squeeze in more topics rather than have one off questions within other vignettes. Thoughts?

Totally agree. But why now?!

Because they now dont have force quant 5% or 10% in level 2, for example … now they can do one item set for 9 points!

I don’t see how this changes anything. Same number of questions, same difficulty. Whether the questions come in batches of 6 or not doesn’t really change a thing

It should make no difference. You overestimate what prep providers need to do. Just be thorough no matter what is the exact exam layout - this is the right attitude.

This bollixes my practice exams, which all have 6-question item sets.

Grrr.

This seems like a pretty major change to make with less than 4 months to go to the exam. Anyone think it may be an error? I could understand it being for 2020 but not 2019

Correct, and what this also means (probably) a topic with exam weight between 5% and 10% can have 7,5% with a total of 9 questions, instead of simply 6 or 12.

What this also means is, they can ask more than 12 questions in ethics. Jeez gotta quadruple efforts now.

Study up.

We’ll have to read more vignettes to answers the same number of questions… not a slight change we won’t get to see till exam day.

Am I the only one that thinks this isn’t a big deal? The topic weights on the exam didn’t change, did they? So what’s the concern?

It’s so ironic. They introduced the 6 question item set in Level 2 and Level 3 and made it sound like it is supposed to be higher difficulty than Level 1 stand alone questions, but it’s not.

The items sets are much easier because they are basically stand alone questions with the information all grouped together and in order. The item sets gets your mind into the frame of the item sets.

The stand alone questions are much harder because they can test you on a lot more material.

pepper your angus

I don’t think it’s an issue.

Some of the practice problems in the CFA text comes in item sets containing 7-8 questions. You almost don’t even notice it has more than 6 questions. Go see for yourself.

It won’t be more more than 6 questions. They say there will be more item sets, same number of total questions. Meaning less per item set, and more reading and analyzing cases.

It will be different on exam day than what any re-taker is used to. Unless they shorten the vignettes relative to the number of questions, time will mess with people.

Also, level 1 question style is a joke compared to vignettes, I don’t know how anyone can say one off questions is harder than cases.

Kaplan sent an email that CFAI specified there will be 8 items sets with 6 questions each and 3 shorter item sets with 4 questions each.