After 4 years of study (did Level II 2 times), it will end here. After years of neglecting my children, work and girlfriend, this level 3 exam was the first and last time I did it. If I pass, good, if I fail, bad luck.
The journey was great, I learned a lot (being a PhD in physics), but the road was heavy and asked a lot from me. Real life cached me and other priorities are in my life are more important now.
All the best to all of you.Hope you all pass since this forum helped me a lot (being a rather passive follower over the last years).
Congratulations on your release from CFA penitentiary. I just told my wife that i now know what it like to do time in prison and lose your freedom. For me, the last 2 years felt like lost time. Now I feel free, want to enjoy my time left here lol.
Best of luck fstevens! In the event that you don’t pass then a year or two off would be some good catch up time with others. The CFA crew will take you on board if you decide to join again in the future.
That said, I hope you pass and can join all of us over at the water cooler!
I’m 100% going the distance. I did not sacrifice all of this to not finish. It’ll only get easier too. Because I already feel like I have a fine grasp on the material.
I don’t t think I would redo it either. I think retaking is not a linear relationship: the more time you put in the better you get. It’s probably more concave. a. you have to deal with new material and the potential revamping of the curriculum so you really cant go in thinking you have some sort of advantage over first timers. b. you are suffering from fatigue c. you might be myopic in some ways and suffer from some cognitive biases that are working against you the second time around. I wonder if retaking is like being married the second time. First time 50% chance of failure but second remarriage time 65% chance of failure. I would love to know pass rate for re-takers.
Totally feel what you say. Since I’ve heard of the potential major revamp of the material, I may not continue either.
Although I am doing the CFA preparation very much scattered (L1 in 2014, L2 in 2017 and L3 now) but once you have family studying such a lot is too much time taking away from them and/or reason for constant conflicts and underperformance in either the exam preparation or some other part of our lives.
I hope you pass though.
And I hope for all of us they won’t change the material more than usual.
CFA is such an addiction that it would be very difficult for anyone to keep away for long especially when you guys are so close. I know many candidates are depressed and tired at the moment and telling themselves to screw CFA if they dont pass but mark my words only very few of you will actually quit. Let the time pass and you feel better. Then result will come and some of you will cherish and some will go in depression again for some time till they overcome from their down state again and register for next year exam. So all of you are passing through a natural mood cycle which will reverse soon.
Good luck to you - you have made it really far and should be proud of what you’ve accomplished in the CFA program, regardless of the outcome. I completely feel the same way as you - had twins in Feb. (plus have a three year old) and the time spent away from my kids and wife was incredibly difficult this time around. My prep/performance definitely suffered, so we’ll see what happens, but I can say with 100% certainty that I won’t be retaking next year (either because of passing or because I need a breather before maybe attempting again). This program requires a lot from candidates and once you add family and kids to the equation, it becomes more and more difficult to balance the time needed to successfully complete it while staying tethered to what matters most in life (family).
All the Best to you!! At one point we all have to take such decision and need to compare the gains against the losses. CFA especially asks for lot of sacrifices from candidates and sometimes it is not really worth. Several of my friends quit the journey after level 1 or level 2, but surprisingly all of them joined back and received their charter. I hope you will clear the level 3 exam this attempt or come back to finish the incomplete journey (especially when only 33% remaining)
i find it incomprehensible to walk the walk up to L2 ( an achievement in its own right but still something no one gives 2 fuuuucks about) and then just calling it a day if you fail. Quitting at L3 is a decision you need to live with for the rest of your life, while giving it another shot takes just another spring.
I agree. There is no way I’m going to quit. Failing would SUCK but so would quitting. Also, all of my co-workers know that I’m pursuing the charter and there are some who are either Charterholders or also pursuing their charter like me. Can’t be the one who quits halfway through!
