CFAI Study Planner

I am trying to take information from the CFAI Study Planner which is apparently weighted based both on # of pages in the curriculum, and exam topic weight (http://www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfaprogram/candidate/Pages/study_planner.aspx). I am trying to align the below topics against the actual CFAI topics, namely:

  • Ethical and Professional Standards
  • Economics
  • Equity Investments
  • Fixed Income
  • Derivatives
  • Alternative Investments
  • Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning
    However, I am having difficulty clearly matching the below topic areas to the above topics. Certain ones are easy to match up (eg. Ethics, Derivatives, etc.) but others less so. Any pointers? Topic / Remaining Study Time
  • Ethical and Professional Standards 28 Days
  • Behavioral Finance 16 Days
  • Individual Investors 26 Days
  • Institutional Investor 13 Days
  • Capital Market Expectations 16 Days
  • Market Valuation 8 Days
  • Asset Allocation 23 Days
  • Fixed Income Portfolio Management 21 Days
  • Equity Portfolio Management 13 Days
  • Alternative Investments 16 Days
  • Risk Management 10 Days
  • Application of Derivatives 23 Days
  • Portfolio: Execution, Evaluation, and Attribution 21 Days
  • Global Investment Performance Standards 13 Days
  • Review 13 Days

Much appreciated in advance!

Thats a study planner as of today till exam day… and there is couple of factors which changes with the days (Topic Weights and number of pages each study session)…

I would say do 18-20 weeks study plan should be OK…

Ethics pretty much half of it same as the previous two levels so 28 days its alot… I would give it two weeks… 14 days

Behavioral Finance is (3 readings) mostly long-readings i would say at least a WEEK minimum to 10 days… 16 days is quiet alot (given its long readings CFAI helps you to take longer on those readings)

Individual Investors and Institutional is the chunck of Level III Portfolio Managment… I would give it at least 3 WEEKS… 21 days… but if you break-down study sessions… you need only TWO WEEKS… 14 days I would spend some time on those study session so i would say 21 days for both…

CME and Market Valuation are part of Economics… so you need at least a WEEK…

Asset Allocation… TWO WEEKS + (2 new readings, Currency and Indexing)

Fixed Income: I would give it at least TWO WEEKS to 3 weeks (MAX)… Heavily weighted

Equity: 1 reading… 1 WEEK

ALTS: 1 reading… 1 WEEK

Risk Managment: 1 reading (pretty new concept and memorization) a WEEK to 10 days is good

Derivatives: 3 readings (2 WEEKS)

Portfolio: Execution, Evaluation, and Attribution: 3 readings 2 WEEKS

GIPS: 2 WEEKS/ 1- week taking notes/self-study and 1 WEEK review

Given my study planner you need 19-20 WEEKS… First attempt!!!.. You need at least to go to the material twice at least in the 2nd attempt will take you less (9-10 weeks)

Good Luck

Thank you Rogue Trader for your advice and insight. Just to clarify - are these the components that make up Portfolio Management, which is weighted 40-55%?

Behavioral Finance Individual Investors Institutional Investor Asset Allocation Risk Management Portfolio: Execution, Evaluation, and Attribution

Yes… and in Asset Allocoation there is new study session also ( Market Indexing and Currency Managment) those will probably fall in Portfolio Managment. Also GIPS falls under Portfolio managment, you could say 9-10 SS falls under PM the rest will be Asset Class ( Fixed Income, Equities, Alts Investment, Derivatives) and Ethics.

All the best