CFAI sample exams (not mock) are a rip-off

CFA Level II
#1

just an FYI, if you run out of time you don’t get to at least continue onto the rest of the questions, or even see them for that matter to see if you knew them. absolute BS if you ask me.

I had to leave my computer for a bit and take care of some business and I thought I paused the exam. pressed pause, said I have 8 days to continue blah blah and when I resume I find the time still ticked. I only didnt get to 3 questions but I think its absolute BS that this is supposed to be practice, yet you immediately get graded if time runs out.

are you kidding me? then it says you can’t leave the page or you have to repay to finish? absolute BS

/rant

ps. the sample exams are actually quite useful and I found them comparable to the mock exam. Im just mad. I also cant stand seeing the guy on the cover of the shweser books anymore…

#2

I hear you brother. Can you please help me find my way to the samples? I’ve found and download the mock, but I can’t seem to get to where I can pay and do the samples. The CFA website is so confusing. Thanks

#3

to get to the samples:

CFAI website, sign in, CFA program (CFA exams), sample and mock exams (blue box on right), sample exam details, then hit the blue box - available upon registration. the rest is self explanatory.

and I warn you make sure you have no distractions because the pause feature is sketchy.

#4

Agreed. I don’t recommed it, either.

Not just the pause feature (which luckily I didn’t have to use), but the way it is given out electronically. Such a pain for L2 item-set type questions where you’d like to go between questions (NOT ALLOWED), or highlight info in the vignette (NOT ALLOWED).

The questions are not that representative of the curriculum… Topic areas weighting is not correct, i.e. unrealistic. This doesn’t emulate the real exam AT ALL!

They could’ve just saved the time and effort by giving out a second MOCK exam (which you can print etc. etc.). That’d be way more helpful.

#5

It depends on each candidate’s marginal utility of $40.

#6

[original post removed]

#7

us folks with old fashioned PCs will have to print screen every page…

#8

Heh who said PC’s are left out. They had it before Macs - http://www.camstudio.org. Just use that.

#9

this is obviously a violation of the CFA code. encouraging other to violate is a violation to. Analyst forum is monitored by the cfa…

have fun

#10

it’s not a violation if we’re not distributing it. no one said anything about distributing the screenshots… we’re keeping them for our own records since we paid for the questions we should be allowed to reference them at our leisure.

#11

you’re funny, just before login in, you have a a big sentence written in BOLD and you have to CLICK I ACCEPT and it says:

IT’S A VIOLATION OF THE CFA INSTITUTE STD. FOR A CANDIDATE TO COPY, TAKE A SCREEN SHOT, PRINTM OR THERWISE MAKE A COPIES OF THE SAMPLE AND/OR MOCK EXAMS BY ANY OTHER MEANS

you agree, then you take a screen shot, then you tell you’re friend how to copy it. I think you’re right, you did not violate anything.

#12

glad we could agree on that.

#13

lol gl hf

#14

i think we can all agree that the idea that taking a screenshot of a test you’ve paid for is a violation, is a joke.

#15

well it’s like recording a movie with your cellphone in a movie theater saying that you paid for it so you wanna watch it again for free.

#16

yeah, a 40$ movie

#17

well it’s a 2 hours movie with editor’s cut after each scene.

#18

and they give you an automated comment if you fail saying that your a idiot.

#19

that’s not the point. I paid for that exam. I paid 40bucks for the right to take those questions. no where in the info did it say when time runs out I will not be able to access the questions. no where did it say time still goes when I’m reading my answer grades. I should be allowed to view my grades and view the questions that I purchased.

what use is the answer summary pdf they provide without the actual questions? its crap. I cant be bothered to download a movie maker or take screenshots, but it’s just a pissoff that for 40bucks that’s the service we get. if they would have made this clear I wouldn’t have purchased the materials. and I think it’s pretty obvious everyone using a computer knows how to take a screenshot or make a movie. no one is uncovering anything new by saying to do so…

#20

BayStreet, it’s obvious you’re annoyed, and it’s understandable. But if summerside is right about that warning on CFAI’s on website, then you would be in violation