I think the key to the CFA exams is understanding the material and why things are done in a certain way. One cannot expect to pass by reparation or trying to by heart the Stuff.
My strategy was to Read a Chapter, look at the Video and then do the EOC questions. I would not move on till I nailed the concept logically and with total understanding.
Later I hit Qbank and learned how to read the tricks in questions. This year i felt ethics was very straight forward contrary to many on this Forum and my scores proved me right.
Mocks and practice exams are a key in the later stage of preparation. the key to the mocks is again setting the mistakes right and understanding why you made them and not repeat the same.
You think your experience is bad? I did level 1 twice, level 2 three times and just cleared level 3 on my third attempt. There is no limit to how long you should take to pass. You pass when you pass. Lots of people on this forum like to act like clearing all three levels on the first attempt suggests superior intellect (which is an ethics violation by the way)…it doesn’t. So just keep at it and you’ll pass.
Not that I’m of that opinion anyway, but it’s not against Ethics to suggest that clearing the exam first time shows “superior intellect” (whatever that means).
It is against Ethics to suggest that it makes you a better analyst!
Agreed if i’ts just a factual statement and nothing more. If you read a lot of the threads here there are people who give the impression that it suggests something more. In any case my point is that there is no limit to how many times you can try. The only limit is your level of commitment and perseverance.
perhaps take sometype of course where someone can review your written/essay portion? Could be hand writing, or could be just the style etc. I failed on 1st attempt this year as well, and bombed the am section (even though i thought I did okay on am). Never really pratcied much essay question … so thinking, i really need to time it, and write it down. And then try to see if my writing is readable, and whther it is organized to the point or not.