From my interaction with people that have done the 3 exams the general opinion is that it is definitley just as difficult as any other professional …i.e CA/CPA / ACA … I have yet to met a Charter holder with below average intelligence however i have certianly met a few not so bright CA’s … I believe the only exams that would be harder would be the Actuary exams …
Does anyone here get study time allocated to their work week like a lot of actuaries do?
Anybody here complete both the CA(CPA) and all 3 exams of the CFA? is so, how is the difficulty of the materials between the 2?
I agree with the poster that said people make it out to be more difficult than it is. Let’s face it: only about 10-20% of the material is intellectually challenging. There is a decent amount of content, but you could read all the Schweser books in a week if you had to, so there isn’t that much. The challenge is really just doing it alongside a demanding, full-time job. If I didn’t have to earn a living, I’d call it easy and leave it at that.
the real challenge is 1. the volume and 2. becoming fast enough to deal with any Qs at an instant. Etienne, reading schweser in a week is not the smartest thing to do. Have you sat for CFA exams having read your books for a week ? Honestly…
2x2equals4 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > the real challenge is 1. the volume and 2. > becoming fast enough to deal with any Qs at an > instant. > Etienne, reading schweser in a week is not the > smartest thing to do. Have you sat for CFA exams > having read your books for a week ? Honestly… Sure… my point is that if you can read it in a week, it’s not *that* much material. I think the people that take the exam as full-time students - even if they are taking another degree course - are corrupting the system. The CFA should be about grinding out a result when normal people are enjoying life.
I agree that people exaggerate when it comes to the level of difficulty of the cfa, but its still difficult none the less. In all honesty though Etienne, you could probably read all Schweser books in a week, but that would just be reading without retaining much. And to be honest, you probably wouldn’t pass any of the exams after reading for just a week, so don’t flatter yourself buddy!
CFA is not rocket science thats for sure. I think the difficulty lies in the volume and the lack of exposure to financials. If we were taught these things as kids then it wouldn’t be so intimidating. I think Quantum Physics is a far more difficult subject.
ancientmtk Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > CFA is not rocket science thats for sure. I think > the difficulty lies in the volume and the lack of > exposure to financials. If we were taught these > things as kids then it wouldn’t be so > intimidating. I think Quantum Physics is a far > more difficult subject. Yeah like that missle shooting the satellite down…I’d like to be able to the math on that!!!
CFA_Halifax Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ancientmtk Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > CFA is not rocket science thats for sure. I > think > > the difficulty lies in the volume and the lack > of > > exposure to financials. If we were taught > these > > things as kids then it wouldn’t be so > > intimidating. I think Quantum Physics is a far > > more difficult subject. > > > Yeah like that missle shooting the satellite > down…I’d like to be able to the math on > that!!! It was heat seeking…
homie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > CFA_Halifax Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > ancientmtk Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > CFA is not rocket science thats for sure. I > > think > > > the difficulty lies in the volume and the > lack > > of > > > exposure to financials. If we were taught > > these > > > things as kids then it wouldn’t be so > > > intimidating. I think Quantum Physics is a > far > > > more difficult subject. > > > > > > Yeah like that missle shooting the satellite > > down…I’d like to be able to the math on > > that!!! > > > > It was heat seeking… Yeah I know it was…
homie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Yeah like that missle shooting the satellite > > down…I’d like to be able to the math on > > that!!! > > > > It was heat seeking… OH, heat seeking? Nevermind then… that’s easy.
I have only taken level 1, but I can say one thing for sure…I had heard how tough it is and I think that led me to study what turned out to be way more than I needed. That and the fact that I didnt want to spend so much time studying only to fail…so I would study more…
U can take the CRS, certified rocket scientists exams.
sad but true - home again on a sat night. my friends very skeptically ask me - are you SURE you cant just start studying in march/april - you’re not going to remember anything you study now! lol. then, they look at me like i must be an idiot to study for a test for six months, but are too polite to say anything more about it. hahaha…
choti, i feel you! saturday night at home. I don’t feel guilty since I feel i’ve been productive the last several hours. I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet though 
ancientmtk Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- I think Quantum Physics is a far > more difficult subject. Thanks for that nugget of wisdom. Look, this isn’t impossible material, but most things aren’t. Few things are so complex that you can’t learn them without trying.
apcarlso Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > homie Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > > > > Yeah like that missle shooting the satellite > > > down…I’d like to be able to the math on > > > that!!! > > > > > > > > It was heat seeking… > > > OH, heat seeking? Nevermind then… that’s easy. Why tip someone for a job I’m capable of doing myself? I can deliver food. I can drive a taxi. I can, and do, cut my own hair. I did however, tip my urologist, because I am unable to pulverize my own kidney stones.
Its true the CFA isn’t that hard…250 hours is only 5 weeks of 50 hours (3 tests = 750 hours). An MBA requires 50 hours of work per week for generally 12-16 months (i.e. 52 weeks or more = 2600 hours at least). The good news is that a some jobs consider a MBA, a CPA, CFA at the same level.
CFAMaven Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Its true the CFA isn’t that hard…250 hours is > only 5 weeks of 50 hours (3 tests = 750 hours). An > MBA requires 50 hours of work per week for > generally 12-16 months (i.e. 52 weeks or more = > 2600 hours at least). > > The good news is that a some jobs consider a MBA, > a CPA, CFA at the same level. The MBA vs CFA pissing contest has long since run it’s course. I think the general conclusion is for working in the investment indsutry (IB, ER, PM, HF, PE, VC etc.) that outside a Top 10 or 20 school MBA, a CFA is likely more recognzied and respected. However for a less concentrated career focusing on a wider array of business disciplines, an MBA is likely the way to go.