I used Kaplan/Schweser’s regular (January start) classes for both Levels I and II. I’ve read that Schweser isn’t as good for Level III, but I like that the class keeps me on a strict study schedule, so I’m planning to do the online class again for III.
I’m considering trying the Oct. “early start” class this time around – both because I have time to start now, and because it sure would be nice not to have to *completely* kill myself with studying in the spring, the way I did for I and II.
But I’m wondering if Oct. is just too early – too early to keep the momentum up, too early to still remember everything in June, and too far from the exam to get that panic-fire under my feet! (Which I need to focus!)
I started my CFA Level III study in January 2019 and passed with the first attempt. I think it really depends on your study style. I read the curriculum thoroughly twice and practiced tons of questions, which took me a lot of time. I still find starting in January gave me a tight timeline because of my study style, and I would start in December 2018. If you find quicker study style, go for it, and you may not need to start so early, as the momentum will dry out the longer you prep the exam.
I prefered the early Oct. Start. It gives you some time to digest the covered material before moving on to the next topic. I am not sure when the late start class ended but the Oct. start wrapped up with plenty of time to work problems etc. before the exam
It all depends on your study style. Retention is an issue for me. So although I’m going to try to start in October as well (only on my second reading so far), I plan on taking handwritten notes. For level 2 this really helped me. I only wrote down the information that I didn’t know (instead of taking notes on everything) and kept that notebook with me almost all the time for the last few months before the exam. I kept reviewing those notes to try to retain what I had read months ago. I also do a lot of flash cards for equations and any lists that I need to memorize. So as long as you know your study strengths and weaknesses and work around those, you should be fine.
Reading twice really does help, so the question is how long does it take you to go through the materials twice. For me I would have to start at October for sure.
Makes sense to me. This will be my first attempt at Level 3 and I would really like to clear it and move on.
I started recently, with the goal of reading all curriculum through Wiley, plus note taking, by the end of the year. Figuring that while not enough to pass alone, this will give me a really good base of knowledge and overview of the curriculum going into 2020.
Then starting in January, continue with CFAI textbooks for all EOCs/BBs and even reading to supplement higher weighted or trouble topics. I should also be in a position to be consistently doing Qbank type questions for the sole purpose of drilling certain concepts to memory while I also do EOCs and gather/experiment with essay questions as well.
If properly executed, I would think this would have me in a great position come March to drive through the last few months
Copied from another post…Everyone has his/her own circumstances and abilities and that should be your guide as to when you start studying. If you have a family or if you’re working ~60+ hour weeks, then I think starting early makes sense. If family/ work gives you the opportunity to tailor your schedule then maybe you want to start later. I am in the former camp so I started in mid-October last year. I got through about 1/3 of the curriculum by Jan 1st without too much trouble/stress. This made the final 2/3 much more manageable. I don’t think it can hurt to study early. If you’re worried about burn-out, then starting early should give you the opportunity to take some time off, which will reduce burn-out.
Start now. Finish material by March. Use March as a review month and April and May as a mock month. Also stick to the CFAI material or use LevelUp. I used Kaplan for I, II, and III and it wasn’t enough for III.
As a compulsive crammer, I admire people who can start things early and keep it up until the exam.
However, I also see some problems with my friends who have started early and failed. The problem is usually overestimating the value of studying early (and longer) but underestimating the value of condensing and refreshing their understanding during the few weeks before the exam. They tend to burnout closer to the exam or neglect to take more concentrated time to synthesize their learnings.
My point is as long as you’re able to remain focused in the last few critical weeks before the exam, you should be fine. Always advise to take at least a week of leave before the exam so you can really focus.
You ain renembering anything you read now by next june!
i started in late December and was done eith all readings by mid January. I peaked out by end of april, having completed about 10 mocks already. I struggled to not regress and had to continue doing mire mocks to stay on top of it. I felt by test date i did lose a little .
I disagree that you won’t remember anything. You definitely need to review it, but you remember it and ultimately I think it’s stickier long-term learning. I was less stressed about trying to memorize concepts, because I started early and really felt like I internalized a lot of the material. Moreover, if I understand your timeline correctly, I don’t think most candidates can read the entire curriculum in roughly three weeks - I certainly could not.
If you are doing the CFA to really learn the content then there is no such thing as “too early.”
You can definitely pass if you start later like many do, but I think slow and steady, while making sure you really internalize the content, will allow you to go into the test with a higher degree of confidence.