This is incorrect. The pass rate is based solely on people who have showed up to the exam and completed both AM and PM sessions. No shows are not included in those pass rate statistics
this is a pass… there’s just no way ~52% of candidates did (better) than you
I’d agree that if you did last 5 years of mocks, and could rewrite them at 85-100%, 80% of the AM paper would be a breeze. I would say that only about 20% of the AM paper was under tested in the mocks and would be somewhat challenging. So using this strategy you would get let’s say 80% on 80% and about 50% on 20% = 74%.
Interesting views on AM vs PM.
A recap, my experience with the examinations throughout the years has been interesting. I was not so confident about L1, was very upset last year with my performance in L2, but results came out way better than expected. On both counts, I knew I had done good all round prep.
With L3, my studying approach was identical to prior years. I had learnt the concepts in a lot more depth and was feeling much better with my understanding of the curriculum. I gave the Schweser Mock 6 hr exam 2 weeks prior and time management was only a slight issue. BUT on exam day in the morning, I got completely derailed. First one hour was smooth but realised my pace was too slow, the next 2 hours was in survival mode struggling to put pen to paper, brain almost switched off and despite me knowing my stuff, just couldn’t perform. I left out 15-20% of the paper and definitely will be getting zero’s for 10-15% of the questions. Worst case looks like 40% and best case 55%.
I had already shut off by the time it was 12. Not even dejected anymore, had literally given up. And then AFTERNOON happened. Probably the easiest 3 hours of my CFA journey. I was getting answers without even looking at the choices. They were that straight forward (obviously I chose the topics I thought I would do well in first). Finished 50% of the paper in the first hour, till i stumbled into slightly harder topics that took some time and thought. But they were still manageable. Only 3 outright guesses in the second half, but there were many where I had to take an educated guess between 2 possible answers.
So, what an experience! A survival-for-life first half and breezy second half. No idea what to make of it. Have I done enough to get a 60+ overall average? Will that even be enough? Will i get penalised for stuffing up the morning? Was PM really that easy? How strict are the markers going to be for the AM Section?
Who knows. I know, like L1 and L2, I understand most of the curriculum, studied well and gave it my best. Rest, is up to the Institute.
I trust their verdict.
Good for you!
On this boat for sure. Studied 675 hours and 10 AM mocks and that AM wasn’t like previous exams in my opinion. Maybe nerves and wording messed with me. Felt like it focused more on the crumbs rather than the cake. Still finished with 10 min but I know I made a few calc errors and got a few wrong I thought were right when I walked out of there.
The PM was easier for me than AM and I’m 90% certain a question didn’t have the right answer as a choice.
retaker here ( band 10 2016 , band 9 2015 , band 10 2011)
AM : i think it was fair with my expectation ( note: i have done 2011-2016 am actual with re-do on 2014-2015-2016 with around 85-90 %) .attempted every questions , few surprises but I think if you use CFAI books ( which i managed to have a last week review on each of them) then , you are fine.
PM: the wording appears less complicated than mock but i think the concept being tested is fair with my expectation as well ( again, It is totally understandable why the CFAI would test you on the concept explained in their curriculums not from the test-prep. providers ) . All in , i find this year test are in -line with my expectation and in-line with what you have from the mocks /past actual AM exams.
Seems like only a handful did not finish the AM paper…I had around 25-30 marks blank…am not a fast exam taker
and did not manage the time well. I took only 1 mock AM paper for 2016 and got ard 65%, based on my own marking…that’s like a score of 117/180 (also did not complete within time, left 30-35 marks blank).
PM session didn’t feel difficult…but looks like the odds are stacked against me. sigh…
Anyone else like me…??
I was reading carefully each AM question until the moment I had realized that no way to finish in this manner so since about the middle of AM I continued with quickly reading and responded by first instance without diligence. The good thing for me the last part was not so detail intensive. The bad consequence, I probably screwed some questions but finished 15 minutes before end and revised 2 questions of those from second half. Hopefully at least 60 % on AM. If so I have a significant chance.
Iam not sure how you feel about this but for me there is no way you can nail AM and get through the bottom of it AT THE SAME TIME. it s either you do c.80% of the exam (of which you are 90-100% sure) and then time lapses, or it is going to be you do the whole exam and finish it, and then pretty sure you ve written lots of worthless ****.
For me AM and PM were fair (retaker here) although 100% relying on PM to tip the balance for AM…
dont worry. have faith.
Hey guys,
AM: felt OK, definitely within the program but not always core core part of it. Regretting not working more on some parts but overall hoping for a 60s to L70s. No real time management issue, although some questions I had to re-write at start. 2h45 and re-read through first 7 questions. Used pencil hope that will be alright.
PM: felt OK as well, loads people telling me they thought it was easy. Exam is relative, that’s key, yes we all thought some questions were ok, but they were for all. Your mind can deceive you, you forget those you hesitate on after seeing 3 or 4 in a row you can ace. I reckon 70 is achievable though.
Interesting exam overall, quite different from the mocks in the spirit imo. Hope good news comes out of it.
Yes! some1 got it!
how did all those classes you attended work out?
I walked out feeling okay on both AM and PM. Struggled with 1 question in the middle of AM (and could not do it right eventually) and left a couple points scattered across the test due to insufficient answering, but overall I could handle most questions.
PM calculation-wise went very fine, but some uncommon (deceptively easy looking) qualitative questions and the second item-set are making me uncomfortable now. I already found 2 errors to relatively easy PM questions and it brings me down. I hope the analyst forum is strongly biased upwards but I somehow doubt 60% cuts it this time.
Agreed with this.
During my preparation, I took 6 timed Schweser mocks, and overall did well. When I got to the AM exam though, it was a bit of a shock. It did not feel easy, perhaps average to high difficulty to what I tried so far. Or perhaps just the length of it and the stress made it worse. It is a shame because with a bit more time, was well possible to score high there. I almost thought I could not finish, but then I managed to stick some answers everywhere anyway.
In the PM I was cruising. I knew most of them, with the few I did not I could work out an answer anyway. PM ranked on par with the easiest Schweser mocks, those that I scored 80%+ on it.
But I guess this is the way it is supposed to be. You get hit in the AM, but recover nicely in the PM.
As a comparison, I thought last year L2 was overall easier than the Schweser mocks, that sometimes were borderline impossible. With L3, I did not feel the same confidence in the morning (and I finished some mocks in 2.30 hours).
What is the MPS? 65%?
Found the AM part ok, struggled with the first question but than ran through the material and get it done 15minutes before the end. Nevertheless I knew I had a mistake in one question, but time was not sufficient to correct it. Hard to grade yourself, but I think, depending on correction, I will come in between 65 and 75% on the AM section.
Found some of the item sets in the PM part horrible. Had some 50:50 decisions. In conclusion I would say, that I was confident in 30 questions, 10 questions 70% sure, 7 questions 50:50 and 3 questions random guess.
Hope that this will be enough to walk the last mile. So long waiting till August 
I feel exactly the same as you on every point. My preparation was the same, and yet the AM did not feel as the breeze it was supposed to feel. Somehow it feels like the AM was comparable to the most difficult AM mock I took, while the PM was comparable to the easiest PM I took. If that is so, it’s 54%+85% = 69.5%. I really hope AM did not go so bad though - at least I did not leave blanks.
Found both sessions fair, overall have a good feeling about it…went and checked some of my concerns and they turned out to be the way i selected them. it was like God was telling me to correct them and guess what Ask and You shall receive !
all aside, i am confident that i did well, and you guys all should be, all your efforts are rewarded, the only difference some would receive a lion’s portion of it and some will have to come next year for that…
Well said.