- Do more mock and review
- Re-do mock and review
- Read notes/flashcard
- Read curriculum
- Memorize key formula
- Review mistakes in mock
- Study group discussion
- Golf
How do you plan your time these days?
Co-sign but I am done reading curriculum except for ethics.
Relax and get into game mode. Hard work is done.
I spent the last two weeks reviewing in order SS1 to SS17. Going to look at notes, flash cards, chapter summaries, and some questions for each study session on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday I hope to just drill my massive amount of flash cards. Somewhere in there I hope to read the GIPs standards. Luckily I am off from work.
Reviewing previous mocks/exam papers which I’ve done previously. I think I will be doing two more papers (1 am 1 pm) before Sat.
Running out of time…
From your list, #1, #5 and #6.
- Read notes/flashcard
- Memorize key formula
- Review mistakes in mock
(on this order)
Re-read GIPS today.
Do a few examples of macro and global performance attribution (I seem to easily retain micro attribution).
Review option payoffs and practice doing the diagrams and writing out which options are bought and sold.
Go through my flash cards on the Friday and a quick review of the Schweser Quick Sheet
Get plenty of sleep all this week to avoid any lingering fatigue on exam day
Relax a bit
Write the exam - destroy the exam - get my life back.
getting good night sleep is key these next few nights.
I can attest to this. When I failed level 2 sleep deprivation was definately a contributor. I pulled an all nighter during the last week before the exam…not a good idea!
Seconded!
Going through taxes/estate. Will review Black-Litterman, pension beta, and macro attribution. Then review my notes. Then look over GIPS and ethics again. That’s all I’ve got planned so far. I’m just reviewing what I know and looking to improve on areas that I feel weak on.
And I’m pretty much expecting to get no sleep the night before the exam… like lvl 1 and 2. And I’ll probably catch a cold and the guy next to me will be a distracting crazy person. The gods will throw everything they have to stop me. Just preparing extra amounts to overcome these things. I honestly don’t understand how I passed lvl 2. My cognitive ability was at best 10% of normal. I was barely conscious.
My plan for the next three days:
Take and Review 2012 AM
Take and Review 2011 AM
Take and Review 2010 AM
Take and Review 2009 AM
Take 2013 Mock
Review notecards, formulas, mistakes, etc…
Flip through GIPS handbook (I am so F#@ed if this shows in the AM, but everyone else probably would be too)
It’s a lofty goal, but I am off from work this week and have nothing but time. L3 is all about peaking at the right time.
I used to try and go through each topic making sure I covered everything, but there will always be a couple of weak areas (just not enough time). Last few days I would be spending 1/2 a day on each volume (ie going through notes), doing examples and focussing on weakness. By the last day it is just going through your notes making sure you know the key points and the formulas.
The problem with the exams is that you are not going to pass them just knowing and understanding the fundamentals. You have to know the obscure detail, which makes revising for them very difficult. I am certain that you can have two people who both have an equivalent understanding of the course, but know different things, and one will pass and another will fail, and who will pass or fail in any one year is a matter of chance. But you have to know your stuff to play the ball as it comes.
Most important thing in these exams is to be able to recover from a bad period. Level II I was certain I had totalled it in the morning section, yet I kept my focus and did a really good afternoon. If I had given up after the morning I would have failed. Same with level III - I made a mess of the first question in the morning session, but held my nerve and kept on even though I did not have time to complete the last question. I pushed on in the afternoon session and though many of the questions were tough, I kept my focus and hept working.
Do not lose your head, keep fighting the whole way through no matter how desperate you think the situtation is.
If you have done the work you are already determined and you need to be determined to pass these exams!
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