Did not pass L3 in 2019. I scored a 65% in the AM (roughly 80th percentile) and about low 50’s% in the PM (10th percentile).
For the multiple choice studies I did four Kaplan mocks, both CFAI mocks, and the CFAI item sets several times through. My average score on the mocks was 71%. Is there anything else I could be doing to improve my multiple choice studies?
Also, looking back I felt pretty foggy in the afternoon. I may have gotten my sleep/diet/exercise mix wrong during the last month of studying…
I remember feeling good about the AM session. I walked out thinking I had a very good shot at passing. I don’t think I ate much at all. I didn’t really have an appetite. I was felling good about the whole AM. I should’ve forced myself to eat. I kept hearing how PM was usually easy.
25% of the way through I had a massive headache and I was very hungry. Was really hard to concentrate. I finished my first pass with about 40 min left on the clock. But I skipped at least 20-25 questions. About 10 were flat out skips (meaning I would read the question and just skip it immediately knowing it would take too much time and/or the answer didn’t come to my head immediately).
It was a complete mental drain. I had plans to grab a drink and just game/relax after the test. But I was so mentally exhausted that I felt like sleeping.
Right after the exam I felt like I didn’t to well on the PM. I felt it was harder than the 2019 mock they give us. I scored 41/60 on AM mock and 48/60 on PM mock.
I think I got super lucky with my guesses because I ended up with over 90th percentile on item set. I do remember the first 30 or so questions (minus the ethics) felt like they were so straighforward out of the cfai book.
My essay score was about what you scored. I think my item set could’ve gone far worse than it did.
CFAI textbooks only. I cracked open schweser for GIPS (scored very poorly here though) and a couple other readings that I had trouble with on CFAI textbooks.
EOC, blue box, CFAI online TT, CFAI 2019 mock exam.
I took very detailed notes. 240 pages of word document that I read about 10 times.
Kaplan Schweser is a joke for L3. I’ve been, sadly, at this a long time. I failed L1 and L2 TWICE before I passed on the third time for each. Took L3 for the first time last year using Kaplan like I have in the past and I feel like it REALLY under prepared me. I would stick to the CFAI material and use Marc LeFebvre’s LevelUp material.
I used Kaplan Schweser for all levels and scored in the top 10 percent each time. I felt well prepared throughout. There probably isn’t a prep provider that is right for everyone - just use what you feel comfortable with.
I used the K-S practice exams (pm m/c) and CFAI topic tests and mocks to prep for the multiple choice, as well as the old essay questions (from Marc’s awesome binder) which could be restructured as m/c questions (and did all twice). Although we do need to prepare extensively for the morning essay, I wouldn’t neglect the multiple choice since it obviously counts as half. I started early and used Level Up videos and then attended the boot camp, along with all of Marc’s materials (which focus on the CFAI curriculum) and followed his advice. That’s what worked for me.
The bottom line is you’re really close and though I’m sure it’s miserable right now, you should have no trouble passing next year.
Also, as you mentioned, I would also focus on the sleep/diet/exercise routine for the weeks/months leading up to the exam. Make sure you sleep well the Wednesday and Thursday nights before the exam since sleeping the night before is iffy for all of us.
This was ME last year! Exactly same and I couldn’t understand how I scored below 10th percentile in the afternoon and afternoon exam felt easy! Signed up for retabulation but basically a waste of money, score wasn’t changed. This year studied with Marc at LevelUp (the man is seriously a genius!) and I saw what I did wrong, schweser missed so mang points and really can’t rely on it. Marc showed me where I did wrong and this year I passed!! Somehow my essay score was still way higher than afternoon but who cares, I passed!
Well, you shouldn’t feel bad about that am score. I did poorly on the test (high 40s am, mid/high 50s pm). I did not take this level for granted, at all. I’m most surprised about the afternoon score, which was probably my worst afternoon score except for the first one or two mocks I worked. I generally breezed through the first half of the PM and then somehow got tired & distracted by some noise going on at the hotel.
I did 4 Kaplan mocks, 4 MM mocks, 1 live Kaplan mock, 1 CFA mock, reviewed/worked old CFA exams, TT’s. Went through tables and blue boxes almost exclusively for the remaining 4 days. Bummer. Still reeling a bit. Not sure how to proceed yet.
I feel you. It’s a huge bummer after all of that time studying and sacrificing. Another year feels daunting, but to quit now would ruin all the years of work.
The consensus after talking to another friend of mine is that studying must come entirely from the CFAI material. Kaplan Schweser alone is just not good enough for L3. I was pretty close, but to really clear the hurdle the CFAI material is where it’s at.