So People who alreadt started working for level 1 and People who are planning to start. Tell your Background and number of hours you are planning to put in…
It will keep all motivated…
About me : Non finance Background, work full time ( 8 to 6 job )
Number of hours planning to put in : 500 hours
Started Preparing : Yes
Have you decided to take a week off before the exam? I recommend it.
Week off from work …will be diffifult …how many hours u people put in tht week…I assume close to 100
About me : Double major in finance and econ and I work full time
Number of hours planning to put in : around 300, possibly less becuase I am very familiar with all the content
Started Preparing : Yes
About me : Graduated 3 years ago with Majors in Accounting, Finance, and Economics. CPA, series 7 and investment advisory licensed. Working in public accounting & investment advising full time.
Number of hours planning to put in: As many as possible, hopefuly 400-600. I have serious respect for this exam and although I’ve had formal education and experience with the material I know people with PHD’s in finance that failed a section due to lack of preparation.
(gharnish I’m going to call B.S. on you being “very” familiar with all the content. The more you know about a subject the more you realize how little you know. 
Started Preparing: Yes
When i see the # of hours you guys are planning on putting in I m thinking that the CFA has been successful in making the test look like the biggest commitments ever… I tell you that if you put 500hours which i think at least 140 are unecesary depending on your background and i believe actually something around 200 250 is very reasonable for level 1. You guys gonna feel like you gonna wanna put 1000 hours for level 2!
Being from science background, I think 500 hours are good…For some one like finance major 200-250 hour will wrap up every thing.
I’ll tell you from the start. It’s not the hours that you put in, it’s about the topics you have mastered that will pass you through. Spend 250 hours right and you can pass EASILY!
I hate to use the running analogy, but it’s just like training for a marathon. You probably want to build a base of 5 hours a week in the beginning, double it after a month or two and go from there. By the last month you want to be putting 20-25 hours of solid study a week.
In my experience, the quantity didn’t matter as much as the quality. I used to follower Cal Newport’s Blog and applied a lot of his advice to my studies. I don’t know if I passed or not (didn’t study as much as most of the posters here), but I do know that some friends that took it studied way more than I and understood the material way less. Now we may have all failed (find out next month), but they wasted alot of time.
For example, I always studied in the mornig. I realized studying after work was not as effective as me just going to bed earlier and waking up at 3 or 4 a.m. Honestly, I rarely studied on weekends – that is one thing I’d change moving forward. But I found on the weekends, when I studied in large blocks of time I was not as focused, sharp, or effective. So I’d study for an hour, do about 10-15 minutes of cardio exercise, and then either relax a bit or hit it again.
I am a student in the 3rd year in international business and economics
plan to study 400h
starting in august
Did management degree with little finance. Currently workin in an IR role which involves some finance. Planning to start August and put 350hrs+. My employer has been kind enough to give me 10 days holiday. Hope to accomplish a lot during those days.
Background: banking and financial regulator
It will feel like you put in 500 hours but with the right research and study methods you probably only need 350 to 400 hours.
Read the posts on analyst forum and on the web. Understand the exam (240 questions, 360 minutes for the day = 1.5 minute per question). Understand each LOS, make sure you can answer all of the end of chapter questions don’t skip over anything and hope it doesn’t show up on the exam. If you don’t understand a concept or question, ask someone, post a thread.
Be mindful of the topic weights don’t wast time on Alternative investment (3% of the exam) if you don’t know anything about accounting (20% of the exam)
Hey!!
I’ve recently registered for the Level 1 '12 , and now I am figuring out a good study plan. I read through all the posts and everyone has shared their opion on the total number of hours to be devoted to prepare for the exam - 300-400hrs.
Can someone also suggest on how much time should be individualy devoted on each study session/ topic, and suggestions on which topics to cover first, so that a smooth flow can be maintained.
Background: Completed masters in corporate finance
Started : Yes, from today!
hi everyone. pls help… i am plaaning june 2013 level 1 exam…but my background is engineering in cs, and i have no such friend intersted in cfa, i have very confused about preparation and study notes…pls help guys… my maill id is pankajnjain@yahoo.com and this same id is on fb… i want to start prep and i dont have any notes, how should i start?? what notes shuld i buy and from where…? plz guys help me…