I have been away from the CFA program for the last 3 years and I am planning to get back in. So I was hoping to get some advice from the members on forum. I completed my Level 01 in Dec 2006 and couldn’t get through Level 2 exam in June 2007. Graduated from masters program in June 2007 and had to take a career path in IT, so far I have no complaints. I stayed away from CFA program, because of new career path and also personal reasons. Now that I am settled in both professionally and personally, I want to take the Level 2 exam in June 2011. Looks like I can’t get the Study notes or CFA curriculum till beginning/end of the August. Is there anything else that I should in the next few months to get a head start? As far as I can remember, in level 2, my weak areas were Fixed Income, Derivatives and not to mention Ethics. Any advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks
You can buy the prior years CFA curriculum used on Amazon. I don’ t think the cirriculum changes that much from year to year…especially in the core areas like FRA and Equity.
I personally would just wait to sign up. Anything u read now you’re prob going to forget anyway. It’s very difficult to maintain all the info for an extended period of time. Usually starting early is a good thing but I don’t reallly think starting too early is the way to go with this exam. I started early and the past month I really felt burned out. I was trying really hard to not forget the stuff rather then trying to learn new material. Like I said, difficult to maintain. That’s my opinion tho…
I don’t think you can start too early at all, provided you’re planning on legitimately keeping it up. repetition will make perfect. If you were planning on putting in a total of 300 hours, obviously that being done in the 3 months leading up to the exam will make you retain better than spreading it over 10 months, but if you put in 400 hours total in 5 months, and then another 300 in the 3 months prior to the exam, that will serve you well, especially in formula memorization, and in memorizing how to do all the various types of problems.
The first study session in L2 is the code of ethics & standards, exactly the same as L1 and follows us through L3. Added to that are Soft Dollar Standards and Research Objectivity Standards, two documents that are just packed with the kind of language that makes ethics such an adored topic among candidates. not. If you’re eager to start, you could get a very good ethics base and all are available online… And enjoy your Summer! Free time will soon disappear : ) https://www.cfainstitute.org/ethics/codes/ethics/Pages/index.aspx
Thanks all for your valuable advice. I think I will start reading Ethics. That’s atleast an easy read and also it will help me in getting back to my old study habits…that I have left a few years back. I am worred if I can sit at one place and concentrate on study material for few hours…without listening to music, TV in the background, my wife talking…
Get out of the house!
home might be fine for ethics & quant, but once the currency stuff starts flying around in Eco and FR&A you will definitely need a quiet spot. and gallons of coffee. somewhere secluded where people won’t notice you pulling your hair out and talking to yourself. that place will be home. you’re excited aren’t you?
Definitely excited. Hope I can keep this upto June 2011.
Lets just watch Soccer Soccer Soccer…then peddle to the CFA floor in October…Go Brazil go