CFAI vs Schweser pages analysis

CFA Level II
#1

Hi All - I have finally received my CFAI and Schweser books. I have done an analysis of the pages and have come with the below results. For purposes of clarity the number of pages belonging to each book will be as follow: CFAI/Schweser.

FR&A: 331/148

Equity: 453/180

Corporate Finance: 230/113

Derivatives: 287/102

Fixed Income: 168/68

Alternative Investments: 176/88

Portfolio Management: 171/47

Please note that the numbers corresponds to pages that must be read, including blue boxes examples and excluding pages of the summary and EOC. My concern is that Schweser is quite the obvious choice to read if you’re tight on time (I passed December 2015), but can one really pass comfortably by reading Schweser, doing CFAI blue boxes and CFAI EOC?. BTW, if you are asking why I did not included include Econ and Quant, please note that I already read the free trial notes that Schweser gave; I will read Ethics from CFAI during the last month.

So, will Schweser, CFAI blue boxes, and CFAI EOC really be sufficient for Level 2 preparation (not including mock exams)?

DISCLOSURE: I DO NOT ADVERTISE FOR EITHER CFAI OR SCHWESER…IJUST WANT INSIGHT TO INCREASE MY CHANCES OF PASSING THIS EXAM.

Cheers - Lostone

#2

I’m wondering the same thing. It seems like the Schweser examples and questions are way different than the CFAI. I passed the same way you did by using Schweser but I am questioning whether it will work for level 2.

#3

For level 1 I used only schweser along with CFAI EOC (No blue box). It worked very well for me. But after hours and hours of research I have come to the conclusion that curriculum is a better choice for level 2. Got my books today, they are freaking HUGE.

#4

Also came to this conclusion. However, I will:

  1. Read entire Schewser L2 material and solve each BB and EOC in Schweser

  2. Make my own notes from material and parallel make topic test on CFA web on line to determine weak areas (may be only chapter or part of chapter in certain topic, not entire topic)

  3. If necessary ( and I am quite sure will be necessary), re-read weak areas from CFA curriculum

  4. Make additional notes from CFA curriculum (supplement to first notes)

  5. Study and practicing from CFA EOC, CFA on line topic and Mocks

  6. Repeat, repeat and repeat…weak areas through readings and practicing

That’s my tactics, maybe also would help to someone…

#5

Thanks for the detailed plan. Will surely incorporate some aspects of your plan. Cheers.

#6

I am glad to help. You’re welcome and we are all here to mutally share experience and make sinergy.

#7

My process for material thusfar has been:

  1. Read Schweser notes while making flashcards
  2. Watch Schweser video lecture on the reading, completing exercises w/instructor
  3. Complete CFAI EOC questions
  4. On to the next

If you have the time I’m sure it’s great to read the curriculum, but if you have a full schedule it’s just not feasible. I plan on taking my first mock exam in mid/late March, then watching the recorded ~3 hour class sessions on my lower-scoring areas. I completed 3,000+ QBank questions for Level I, but with most QBank questions not in vignette format in the QBank, I’ve stuck with EOC questions almost exclusively.

Good luck.

#8

If Schweser hasn’t done a good enough job helping you understand the CFAI EOCs or blue boxes, then there is obviously a disconnect. In those cases you would likely want to supplement with the CFAI reading, for at least the parts you aren’t understanding. I came across this a handful of times, especially for Derivatives when I took L2 last year.

That’s not to say Kaplan did a poor job on that section, I just found the CFAI approach to be easier to follow in terms of calculating out all the different instruments. And since they are the ones who actually write the exam…

#9

Whatever you do, don’t look at the articles I’ve written for Level II. They’ll only make matters worse.

wink

#10

laughThank you S2000magician! Very helpful, actually!