Anyone passed level 1 exam at the age of 24 and below?

tvbtvb1 · January 30, 2011, 8:00pm

Hi guys, im a graduated student which has no experience at all in finance industry, i decide to take level 1 exam in june, from what i read in this forum there are many people who take exams at around late 20s and all have several years of experience, so I wanna ask are there many people who just graduated and study CFA? Is there any limitation in studying because I dont have any advantage and experience at all? Thanks

b_sea93 · January 30, 2011, 8:59pm

I’ve signed up for level 1 exam at 19 and I don’t feel disadvantaged at all (majoring in finance).

tvbtvb1 · January 30, 2011, 9:14pm

wow 19 is quite young rite, i thought at least candidate must study final year in order to register for cfa level 1?

b_sea93 · January 30, 2011, 10:20pm

Yes, you must be in your final year for L1 and you need to have a 4-years degree for L2. In my region (ex-USSR and Eastern Europe) you normally finish your high school at 16-17 and get bachelors degree by 20-21. As to whether you need to have experience in finance in order to pass: you can find quite a few people on this forum, who passed L1 (and, I guess, L2 and L3 as well) without any background in finance (neither professional experience, nor a degree), so there’s really no reason to feel intimidated by lack of experience.

CFAbooked · January 30, 2011, 11:38pm

i just passed level 1, 24 years old…there are plenty of people that pass at all ages…having a degree in finance or accounting is helpful, but i dont think the test is impossible if you don’t have one…it’s all about preparation…set a schedule, stick to it, study hard, and you will pass…don’t take any of the sections lightly, and make sure you UNDERSTAND every concept

BayStreet · January 31, 2011, 2:22am

Passed Level I, first attempt at 22. final year in undergrad.

notic4lyf · January 31, 2011, 9:17am

Passed L1. Definitely not impossible although having an accounting background really helps.

Omar_Adnan · January 31, 2011, 2:10pm

passed 1 week ago when I was 21 - now im 22

kirso · January 31, 2011, 2:26pm

Registered for December level 1 - marketing undergrad, 6 months in PE fund… From my point of view it’s just about studying a bit harder without no finance experience and givin’ it a bit more time… everything is possible with the right attitude - sky is the limit

jdough · January 31, 2011, 3:22pm

I passed level 1 and I’m 23. Get it done when you’re young.

MissYiota · February 4, 2011, 3:16pm

Take a look at the CFAI economic book. The guy on the cover page, is 29 or became CFA at 29…his profile is on the CFA website (the one from Toronto)…. This just gives you an idea about what some people can achieve early in their life.

passme · February 4, 2011, 9:06pm

my friend is 23 sitting for lvl 3 this june. (he passed lvl 2 with 30 days of studying) last week i met someone who is 40ish and finished all 3 levels on 03,04 and 05 respectively. he then tells me he is doing logistics. i say to him “Give me ur charter if u dun plan to use it!!!”

pedpenny · February 4, 2011, 9:32pm

Im 23 sitting for Level 2 in June, I have a degree in Finance though

mdubs85 · February 5, 2011, 1:32am

24 and 2 days for L1. Moved on to L2… hey if work is paying for it–bring on L3 too!

vibhor_deshmukh · February 8, 2011, 12:35pm

Passed @ 24…non finace background…m Engineer(Non IT) working full time in IT sector.

roonpup · February 10, 2011, 7:59am

23 Passed. Undergrad degree in finance and econ though. Only used the cfai books, very possible

BRowe · February 17, 2011, 2:56am

22 to pass level I. Finance and Accounting Major with Econ minor. honestly the less you have in your life to manage and the fresher your studying habits are makes it EASIER but in no way impassable.

sharpy606 · February 17, 2011, 7:01am

i passed when i was 22 also.