So here’s the scoop with my studying: Passed CFA Level 1 - December 2008 Failed CFA Level 2 - June 2009 (Band 9) due to balancing CFA level 2 with having 5 university courses and a 50 hour/week full-time job (had the work experience/last year university) to qualify for level 2. In April while people were finishing their studies on level 2 i was studying for 5 final exams in upper-year accounting/finance courses and working full-time in finance field. Fast Forward to 2010 Currently Starting Study Session 8 - Stalla Passmaster system meaning I watch the 3 hour class video, write notes, ready the study guide notes/and do all questions for passmaster for each class. Have to finish the remaining 10 study sessions 8-18. Goal finish all Study Sessions by May 8th on stalla system. Here’s the catch which i think can come up big: My employer is allowing a 5 week leave of absence from April 30-June7th. 3 weeks unpaid (OUCH) and 2 weeks paid. I’m thinking of grabbing it, reason being im switching departments and they can delay my start date. I think I badly need the full day to study so wondering if i should grab the 5 weeks off, i don’t want to redo level 2 again. I’m thinking with the time off I can do the CFA EOC, and practice exams, the schweser 2 practice exam books, stalla practice exam book, stalla mock exam, Boston Society (BSAS) mock, CFA mock, should i re-read schweser after reading stalla books? I read schweser for level 1 when i passed but using stalla this time around. Strengths on exam - accounting (FSA/FRA) - accounting major with distinction. Work experience in FSA - reading company annual reports all day, writing financial analysis. Medium areas - Ethics, Equity, Port management, Alt. investments, Corp Finance Weak - Econ, Quant, Fixed Income, Derivatives To pass looks like i need to become a beast on Equity, and good enough on Ethics, Fixed Income/Derivatives. I failed last year because i got <50% on fixed income, and 51-70% on equity if i did better on both i would have passed, total score i had was about 65% but lots of lucky guessing probably too helped. Need advice guys, thanks!
Sounds like you will be ready to go. That was a pretty good fail last year considering all you had going on, if you put in the same effort, I think you will pass. If you want to overkill it, take the 5 weeks, [sounds like too much for you] or just take 2-3weeks to be on the far safe side. Your ethics and equity needs to be solid. Good luck, hard work pays off.
if you can afford to go unpaid, why not just do it and call this thing. You study 11 hours a day on those days, you’ll probably kill it…
I wish I was one of those who can study 11 hours a day. I can only study 3-5 hours a day 
5 weeks is overkill brother, just do 1-2 weeks if you were previously a band 9
hey thanks everyone for the advice we’re all in this together, best of luck to everyone; i’m taking the 5 weeks its already done with my HR department so no looking back. i’m gonna try and switch cities/jobs after the test so i need to pass this one.