How would you study for the next 40 days.....

Ellejay Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > skillionaire - my thoughts exactly. I leave the > whole month of May for practice exams - doing > them, even if I do horrible - is by far the > greatest review tool, at least for me. I leave > plenty of time to go back over the exams I do, > review which readings/study sessions I did poorly > on - and study them over again… That’s exactly what I do - for some idiotic reason I strayed this year and actually opened up the CFAI books, which I’m still regretting. However, in the middle of my first practice exam right now (Schweser 1am), so I’m hoping to get back on track. Not that bad so far, kinda pleasantly surprised (but I’m only through the first hour and haven’t graded it). FWIW, I’d start the exams sooner rather than later - I find that waiting until the last 30 days doesn’t allow me to get in every exam that I want to - for Level II, only got through the first book. This level, doing both books and the three old CFA exams (06-09). If I’ve “mastered” those, reviewed my weak areas, gotten comfortable, and I still have time to kill, I’ll go even further back to old CFA exams. Don’t think having too much time is going to be an issue, though.

Take it like a test. While reviewing Q&A will yield you some benefit, the process of writing out answers (regardless if you get them right or wrong) is good prep to what you’ll be seeing in the morning session. After this weekend the remainder of my time will be questions/practice exams/notecards. Areas that trip me up will trigger further review and adjust notecards if necessary. I figure I’m about 2-3 weeks ahead of where I was last year.

Sponge_Bob_CFA Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Take it like a test. While reviewing Q&A will > yield you some benefit, the process of writing out > answers (regardless if you get them right or > wrong) is good prep to what you’ll be seeing in > the morning session. > > After this weekend the remainder of my time will > be questions/practice exams/notecards. Areas that > trip me up will trigger further review and adjust > notecards if necessary. I figure I’m about 2-3 > weeks ahead of where I was last year. I’m not cheating and looking up answers or anything, but I’m not sitting here in April for three hours straight and banging this out. An hour, break, another hour, another break, then finish it. Time is never an issue for me (was on my couch smoking a bowl before they released people from the afternoon session - left at 3:30), so I’m not too worried about my time management.

Fair enough, I was sensing that they were just going to read the question and then read the answer.

Sponge_Bob_CFA Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Fair enough, I was sensing that they were just > going to read the question and then read the > answer. Not me, even though my study partner wanted to take it “open book” - that doesn’t do anything for me. Most people would be amazed at what they can recall/figure out if they actually put the effort into it - with open book, I’d be so lazy I wouldn’t try to figure anything out.

skillionaire Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sponge_Bob_CFA Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Take it like a test. While reviewing Q&A will > > yield you some benefit, the process of writing > out > > answers (regardless if you get them right or > > wrong) is good prep to what you’ll be seeing in > > the morning session. > > > > After this weekend the remainder of my time > will > > be questions/practice exams/notecards. Areas > that > > trip me up will trigger further review and > adjust > > notecards if necessary. I figure I’m about 2-3 > > weeks ahead of where I was last year. > > I’m not cheating and looking up answers or > anything, but I’m not sitting here in April for > three hours straight and banging this out. > > An hour, break, another hour, another break, then > finish it. > > Time is never an issue for me (was on my couch > smoking a bowl before they released people from > the afternoon session - left at 3:30), so I’m not > too worried about my time management. I have major issue with time management. What is your strategy for saving time? Looks impressive to me.

derswap07 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > skillionaire Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Sponge_Bob_CFA Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > Take it like a test. While reviewing Q&A > will > > > yield you some benefit, the process of > writing > > out > > > answers (regardless if you get them right or > > > wrong) is good prep to what you’ll be seeing > in > > > the morning session. > > > > > > After this weekend the remainder of my time > > will > > > be questions/practice exams/notecards. Areas > > that > > > trip me up will trigger further review and > > adjust > > > notecards if necessary. I figure I’m about > 2-3 > > > weeks ahead of where I was last year. > > > > I’m not cheating and looking up answers or > > anything, but I’m not sitting here in April for > > three hours straight and banging this out. > > > > An hour, break, another hour, another break, > then > > finish it. > > > > Time is never an issue for me (was on my couch > > smoking a bowl before they released people from > > the afternoon session - left at 3:30), so I’m > not > > too worried about my time management. > > I have major issue with time management. What is > your strategy for saving time? Looks impressive to > me. Quick reader, quick thinker, quick test-taker. Not really too many tricks, honestly - if I know ALL of the material (highly unlikely), it’s doubtful it’d take more than an hour to an hour and a half for each section. It’s when you (I) don’t know how to do something and have to “create” a solution that time starts to be a factor. So I guess the best strategy is to know the material really well - sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.

How about calculations?

Also, how do you remember the laundry lists- 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages type of things? Keep reviewing or doing problems?

yes

I just do problems as best I can and review the answers until the concept is ingrained in my head. Like anything else in life, the more you do it, the better (and more quickly) you can do it. As far as the rote memorization, I have a couple hundred notecards (that I’m going to throw away and start from scratch) for formulas and “laundry list” type stuff. And the calculations in this level are a breeze, IMO.

Thanks for the tip. I will also try to do more problems now. Looks like that reviewing the answers is the key.

WOW great tips guys. I just finished going through the Schweser Notes (reading and EOC questions) and wasn’t sure whether to do CFAI EOC questions, Schweser QBank or just straight into the practice exams. I think for Level 3 practice exams are more important than ever and for level 1 and 2 I only had time for Schweser Volume 1 exams… Also I think the Schweser Secret Sauce is really useful and a great time-saver. I’ve never written notes and instead used the Sauce as my supplement. Leaves much more time for doing questions!

skillionaire Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > green360 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > 3rdtimesacharm? Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > “I am now in the beginning of my first full > > > review, where I TAKE NOTES of every single > page > > > and formulate an answer for EACH LOS, which > an > > > explicit focus on the command words. The > > process > > > is long and tedious but I break it down to > > > components of the curriculum, and go one by > one. > > I > > > don’t jump to sample exams too early, I don’t > > find > > > them useful unless I have a strong foundation > > of > > > knowledge. The only third party material I > use > > is > > > Schweser sample exams (which are worth every > > > penny” > > > > > > > > > I agree witht he above strategy but how long > do > > > you think it will take you to finish these > > > detailed notes? Since I already read through > > the > > > material and highlighted/underlined the > > important > > > parts I am only going to take notes on these. > > > > > > **I don’t jump to sample exams too early, I > > don’t > > > find them useful unless I have a strong > > foundation > > > of knowledge** - This is so true and I think > > was > > > one of my MAJOR downfalls for the first 2 > > > attempts, where I would do the practice exams > > with > > > the answer beside me and treating it like > it’s > > a > > > review. Thats why I believe spending time on > > > notes/review to gain that solid base would > make > > > the sample exam process that much easier to > go > > > through and hence build that needed > confidence. > > I > > > guess I will make it 4 weeks of thorough > review > > > notes, and last 2 weeks ( which includes 5 > days > > > off from work ) hammering practice questions. > > > > > > Totally agree about not jumping to exams until > I > > have a solid foundation…I’d much rather wait 2 > > more wks get through everything thoroughly and > > then do nothing but exams and review the last > > 3wks. And as was experienced w/L2 - there can be > a > > good amount of variance in the topics covered - > so > > practice exams can be kind of misleading > heading > > into the exam. Though I understand having a > > written portion and guaranteed IPS make L3 a > bit > > different… > > > I’ve never nor will I ever do that strategy of > waiting on the exams - I like to get a feel for > the beast I’m dealing with sooner rather than > later, and how in the world can you know that > you’re ready for the exam(s) without taking one? > > I also feel like the last few weeks/month of > taking exams and then reviewing what I got wrong > is BY FAR when I learn/retain the most amount of > material. I kinda rely on Schweser to pick out > the most pertinent/testable topics for me - > without doing that, I feel like I get bogged down > in the minutiae of the CFA curriculum (which I did > for the last two weeks, until today me and my > study partner said “screw this” and decided to > jump into the exams). > > My view is that it’s not humanly possible to > master the entire curriculum, but it’s at least > plausible that you could take the 6 full length > Schweser exams and the three old morning CFA exams > and understand what you got wrong and why you got > it wrong - if you can do that, you pass. > > I’m gonna take my first one today, and frankly > don’t care how I do - wanna see how it’s > presented, how my mind works when I need to > creatively problem solve, and then assess where > I’m at from there. > > Just my $.02. Sure - certainly would want to get to the exams sooner rather than later but unfortunately work is crazy busy and I’m not totally on schedule. I just don’t see the pt of taking an exam now if I know I won’t be able to answer a good portion of it - I’ll just end up getting it wrong, and then reviewing the material, so why not just read it first. That said, I’m compelled to see how I might ‘creatively problem solve’ as you put it…I’ll probably take an exam this wkd no matter what. I only took 2 practice exams for L2 versus 10 for L1 and I felt that was the right move - for me L1 was more about taking a test and L2 was more about knowing the material b/c you didn’t know which topics you would have to focus on. I thought the time I spent re-reading sections in L2 and ingraining it in my head was much more valuable than time spent on a practice exam. But I def think personal preference/learning style factors into this. Clearly, given there’s a written portion on L3, it warrants learning how to ‘take the test’…but ultimately, I feel can learn how to take the test in the last 3wks. I have taken a weekly class which has helped in that regard.

Here is what I did for L2 n will do same for L3 Just planning to add CFA EOC N schweser practice exam vol 1 completely Any suggestion ??? I started preparing with book 0. Completed it in few days. After that book 1 , solved all end of chapter questions from schweser also. Then slowly completed book 2, 3, 4 and 5. Consulted CFA books only for derivative , that too read only few pages. During this study period I read each chapter at least two times. Watched schweser video also simultaneously. I think I completed first round by 30th march. Prepared a notebook of formulae contain all equations of schweser books. only equation no explanation or anything else. After that I studied each book of schweser once more and solved related questions from question bank. I completed this by 1st May. After that revised formulae notebook, secret sauce and quick sheet several time and then took test from schweser practice exam volume 2 topic wise. Revision and test both were topic wise i.e. first for ethics then quant and so on. Read FSA from schweser for 5th time. This I completed by 15th May. After that I practiced exam from CFA mock paper and sample paper and one or two practice exam from schweser practice exam volume 1. Read that ethics book which is in 5th or 6th edition published by CFA Institute. After that on last day revised from all schweser books and then appeared for examination.

bump…stuff not on last year’s exam about half way down the first page

GREAT bump. I remember reading this when it was posted, but it’s more meaningful now. The stuff listed that wasn’t on last year’s exam are most of the topics I would assume would show up, like corner portfolios. Practically every practice exam has corner portfolios on it.