Just took the CFA 2 exam and I’m planning on studying for the GMAT this summer, in the meantime, anyone going that route?
I did L1 last year, GMAT last summer and L2 this year. I would advise against it if u are going for a 700+ score. Its gonna be nice to have a study free summer.
I’m doing an MBA at a top Canadian school (don’t laugh 
). Anyway I literally did 2 days prep for the GMAT back in 2005 and got a 680 without a breaking a sweat. I can’t imagine 700+ is to difficult especially compared to a CFA exam so my advise is don’t sweat it. Even if you screw it up you can probably write again the next week. Studying for CFA exams while in a part time MBA program while working full time is another matter all together.
@mathlete, which school? I live in Toronto, work for Waterhouse. Yeah I’m aiming for 700+, thanks for the advice.
The GMAT is basically an iq test, like 80% of one. If it was a pure iq test you wouldn’t be able to study for it. If you are a natural test taker and have a relatively high iq then it shouldn’t take too long to study for a 700 score (Of course it helps a lot to be a native English speaker as well). The GMAT is different for everyone. Some people can improve from a 650 to 750 with a week of studying while it takes others 500 hours for the same result. The CFA and GMAT are not really that comparable. The CFA is a very difficult test, but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist in order to pass. The CFA is about the material whereas the GMAT is more about learning the oddities and tricks of the exam. Luck plays a huge role in both of the exams. Sometimes you get the questions you want and other times you don’t. i.e. A buddy of mine scored a 700, 640, and then 750. He almost didn’t take the GMAT for the third time until I convinced him otherwise. He didn’t study at all between the 640 and 750 and attributes his better score to luck and a sense of “not giving a fu$& anymore”.
people can game the GMAT just like they can game the CFA. I dont believe that its an IQ test or else you would not see people improve their scores substantially by over 100 points.