Book 6 1 am - 65% Book 6 1 pm - 47% I knew that I might not pass my first practice test but I was shocked by these scores. I don’t want to be too negative about it but after this I just don’t know what to do. The saddest part is that I agreed with most posters that said this test seemed to easy relative to what we might expect on the real thing, and I really thought that I was doing ok until I scored my answers. I was basically about 50% in each topic, except that I did a little better in ethics and PM and much worse in derivatives. Any tips on where to go from here? I’ve gone through each topic at least once and on most have reviewed Schweser’s online seminar as well. With only 3.5 weeks to go I’m not sure what to do… I suppose I could re-read the topics again but I’m not sure there’s enough time or if that will be enough… any ideas/suggestions? Last thing I want to do is take another test right now, but I intend do all of the Schweser/CFAI exams eventually before June 7. What is everyone else doing these last few weeks? Edit: Have also done about 1/3 of the concept checkers and 1/3 of q-bank.
Don’t get scattershot and just start studying areas where you can make improvements. If derivatives is very weak, it might be just worth it to bag it as it’s a lot of stuff that some people just aren’t good at. Go through all the problems on the exama you just did and make sure you understand alal of them. Keep studying calmly. Edit: The night before one of my qualifying exams in grad school, I was panicking. I was being totally unproductive and in a glorious moment, got my head together and said to myself that I should just pick out some interesting problem and go through it. I opened a random book and there was a section on the Ehrenfest Urn Model for gaseous diffusion. I spent 3-4 hrs going through the section. The next AM, I opened my exam and problem set #2 of 4 starts “A model of gaseous diffusion is called the Ehrenfest Urn Model…”
and keep your tips up!
- Focus on strengths. You will need these points. 2. Get basics of every subject. I am horrible at derivatives, but on my practice tests I was able to pick up a few points because one or two of the questions were not killer. 3. Keep doing practice problems. 4. Scrambling is never productive. 5. Super I posted a tip called his Magnificent 7 (or something like that) last year which had some great last minute ideas. (not that we are last minute yet - for God’s sake, we have 3 1/2 weeks). Check that out.
I think I did the same thing as you the last two years at level I and then at Level II which I failed. I finished all the readings and then got really discouraged when I couldn’t answer Qbank or practice exam questions right away. Very disheartening and I don’t think it’s an effective way to prepare. This year I’m going through the practice exams and looking up the answer to each quesition right after answering it. I’m using them more as a review for now to see what areas I remember, which I need to refresh, and which I don’t really understand. It takes a lot of time to go through each exam (probably 8-10 hours) but it’s also a review of the material, and you’re reviewing it in the context of answering questions. After going through all of book 6 I’ll take my first practice exam in real time and I’m sure I’ll do fine. If I were to take one now I’d be lucky to score as well as you did. I think you need to change your tactic for the next week or two and you’ll be fine.
joey, if you could go back to that glorious moment and tell me what is going to be on the first 4 vignettes of the exam, that would be great. thanks. if it’s going to be ehrenfest, i can’t even type that correctly, i quit.
Super I’s post from some time ago can be searched with “Last minute cram tip if you’re scoring in the 50’s”. Hope this helps all of you out there. CP
DO NOT FORGET ETHICS It is always pigeoned holed as easy/commen sense, etc. LII Ethics is no where near LI Ethics. Don’t leave it for the last two days before the exam. I am guilty of underestimating Ethics and it has burned me.
sponge, totally agree. what are you doing to bolster that section though? qbank? i feel like i do way better on the qbank questions than on the practice exams. i did well in level 1 ethics, but i can feel that this is going to be a different game on level 2. same material, different game.
cfasf1, aren’t qbank questions supposed to be easier than the practice exams. I look at the qbank as a confidence builder, easy to keep you feeling good, then the hard stuff comes.
thats why I would do Qbanks just to get a ‘feel’ for the material. I would rather spend more time on the actual exam ques and if you still have some time left THEN I would go all out on Qbanks.
yeah, they are easier. but how else do you study ethics? read the material again? If i haven’t run out already, i’ll probably selecet out only the vignette ethics questions from qbank and drill those… i’ve been getting absolutely torched on book 6 and cfa online ethics questions. that is not where i want to be losing points.
Thanks for the tips. The post you referred to gives me hope that its not too late! Fortunately ethics is the one area I do pretty well in. There is a lot of reasoning that to me only became clear to me after doing a lot of questions. Practice exams are the best, but Q-bank is helpful as well. I haven’t actually read the Handbook yet but plan to the day before the exam, just as I did at LI. I just wouldn’t leave it all until the end, there are some parts that take some time to sink in.