I am quietly confident as well, but I had the same feeling last year when I failed band 9.
Difference last year is that I felt like I bombed the AM session and then did really well in the second half. This year I feel like I did really well in the first half, and then a little worse in the second half but not horribly so.
The way I took the exam this year was to do my best areas first, and worst areas last with the exception of ethics (since that topic is a total crapshoot in my opinion). I went ethics, equity, FRA and then the other topics as whatever order they were in. I always easily score over 70% in equity and I think they may have tripped me up here this year. For some reason I wasn’t getting EXACT answers on a lot of questions, and they had more esoteric BS in that topic than I would have expected. I may have gotten a perfect score in FRA though, only way I wouldn’t is if they tricked the piss out of me. I also felt like I may have gotten a perfect in quant. Morning derivatives was easier than PM derivatives. The portfolio management section I guessed on the very last three questions. I had no idea how to answer them but as I thought about one of them last night I realized I forgot a really simple formula that would have gotten me an answer.
So is the consensus that there WEREN’T a lot of tricks? I felt like there weren’t, but it’s tough to know for sure. I had a harder time sleeping last night worrying that I missed some tricks than I did the night before the exam.
Feel you. I did pretty good in the morning considering how well or bad I was prepared. But the afternoon session completely destroyed me. I may have slept 1 more hour or so than you did. Felt freshed in the morning but after lunch I had that weird head feeling even before 2 pm and that went all the way into evening. About 2 sets into the exam my brain seemed not to belong me anymore.
Seeing how well others felt I believe them. Well prepared people who also had rested well the night before should not have problem passing it.
I think I know what you’re referring to as well. I have never seen a practice question on that topic in 5 years of mock exams that I have in my possession, I have never encountered one on the three actual tests I’ve taken, and there were definitely none of those questions in the CFAI text that I can remember. They have to throw that question out in my opinion. Then to top it off half the candidates that don’t check errata probably thought it was optional in the first place since CFAI bungled the printing of the texts and sent out one measly email about it.
There was nothing in derivatives which I haven’t seen or not able to do from following the LOS and curriculum+ EOC etc. Are you sure? I think I might know what you were referring to in the PM derivatives item set. It didn’t specifically have it in the LOS but was definetly an example of it’s use within the text - pretty much all blue boxes + EOC’s could be examined despite what the LOS says, I learnt that the hard way last year and told peopel that here a few months ago. I got shit for it.
I sit next to the toilet and I feel very annoying throughout the exam when there are always people running to the toilet and they really distract me. People rushing like hell I am sure they don’t even wash their hands, even want to change seat since there are so many empty seats in other rows but decided not to because it will cost me lots of time and they may not even approve mid exam
AM session was a breeze. Was done in about 2 hours. PM session - I felt I couldn’t keep my concentration for more than 2-3 questions at a go. Probably because the week before the exam I used to take a nap during the afternoon.
As for that one question, when I saw it, I too was like “no way!”. I purposely did not bother memorizing the formula because the LOS did not specifically state knowing how to calculate. That being said, I was prepared to guess on one question if it did show up. Just a little risk I budgeted to take given the sheer quantity of the material.
Even though they are not exactly the same format as examples in EOC or blue boxes, these questions are doable if we understand the concept, I feel that this area is easier to do if you know how to derive the formula from scratch, if you just rely on the given formuli in the book, of course you cannot find any match
Hey fellow level II peeps, you guys need to take a chill pill, keep in mind the global footprint of the exam, do you really think 60% were really more prepared than you? I doubt it.
I know that one question that everyone is referring about, unfortuantely this question is very clearly shown in the CFAI book and also they make it very simple by giving all the components without any hidden ones
Agree! Some candidates from non English speaking countries will also face language barrier too, everyone should calm down, many lowly prepared candidates do not even visit this forum
I did. It threw me off slightly (although for just a few secs) that I read the next couple of questions and quickly thought they were related to the same concept as well. Haha. Had to come back to that set in the end to answer the other questions.
I thought it was easier as a whole than the 6 or 7 mocks that I took. I struggled with Ethics, though. I’m really hoping that doesn’t end up being the difference between me passing and failing.
