I have just been scanning through the CFAi testing policies, and it notes: “The following items are not permitted in the testing room: … Food or drinks …” so in two 3hours exams we are not allowed ANY food or drinks?? Is this enforced? People who have sat one of the exams, please comment! I’m sitting L1 in dec and generally have a water bottle & energy bar,etc on hand for a 3hour exam… don’t think i’ll make it though 3hours with nothing after studying all night!! thanks!!
3 hours is not much
toughen up…its true; eat a strong breakfast of eggs, fruit, some nuts, maybe a little coffee (prescription ADD meds never hurt anyone); and btw, dont study the night before its a big mistake.
They give you free water, and I wouldn’t advise toying with them on the food/drink policy. During the June 08 exam, I saw a kid get up and go into the bathroom. Apparently, he had an energy bar hidden in his pocket, and he went into a stall, opened it, and ate it. When he returned, the proctors had confiscated his exam, and he permanently lost his eligibility for CFA candidacy. Now he has to be a CPA (shudder).
at the end of each session, they will check stool samples to see if you have had anything to eat in the last 3 hours… happen to a friend of mine.
cara_dec08 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have just been scanning through the CFAi testing > policies, and it notes: > > “The following items are not permitted in the > testing room: > … > Food or drinks > …” > > > so in two 3hours exams we are not allowed ANY food > or drinks?? > Is this enforced? > People who have sat one of the exams, please > comment! > I’m sitting L1 in dec and generally have a water > bottle & energy bar,etc on hand for a 3hour > exam… > don’t think i’ll make it though 3hours with > nothing after studying all night!! > > thanks!! This can be flexible if you have diabetes, are pregnant, etc. You will need to contact the CFAI to get a note to have with your exam ticket on your table. Don’t study all night, I attempted cramming late into Saturday morning and now I’m sitting in December again. You get a lunch break once you’re done with the morning session, however don’t plan on eating much as the nerves experienced really curb any appetite you have. There is water available which is helpful.
you can’t go 3 hours without eating? that’s weird unless you have some sort of medical condition. it’s august, if you think you will need to stay up all-night the night before the exam (in December) then I think you really need to re-asses your study plan and/or the CFA curriculum. one night will make no difference, the program is about sustained effort. The night before the exam you should focus on relaxing, clearing your mind, and getting lots of rest.
what happens if you need to use the restroom?
You give you exam to a proctor and go.
I heard they allow McDonald’s in the test room.
MFE Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > at the end of each session, they will check stool > samples to see if you have had anything to eat in > the last 3 hours… happen to a friend of mine. +1
I took it in Atlanta, so it may be different than in other cities. CFAI bought Chick-fil-a for everyone in the test center to eat during the exam plus ice cream cones for when we finished. It may be McDonald’s though- depending on where you live.
cara, the test policy should be the least of your worries, as you progress into the program, you will discover more and more CFAI way of doing things.
cjones65 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I took it in Atlanta, so it may be different than > in other cities. CFAI bought Chick-fil-a for > everyone in the test center to eat during the exam > plus ice cream cones for when we finished. It may > be McDonald’s though- depending on where you live. Are you serious?! If that’s true, then as an Atlanta native who is living elsewhere (for the past 18 years) but dying to get back home (in the words of Lewis Grizzard - if I ever get back to Georgia, I’m gonna nail my feet to the ground)…I am totally changing my exam center. For Level II, I’ll fly home and take it there rather than being among the hordes of people (5000+) (and very little food), where I took Level I. Does Chick-Fil-A also bring the sweet tea to go with it?!! Gawd, being able to have some sweet tea at lunch time in the middle of the exam would bring a bit of heaven to the hell that is the exam…
Better start loading up on food now - only three months till the exam. Real candidates are willing to starve themselves for the charter.
cm98041 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > cjones65 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I took it in Atlanta, so it may be different > than > > in other cities. CFAI bought Chick-fil-a for > > everyone in the test center to eat during the > exam > > plus ice cream cones for when we finished. It > may > > be McDonald’s though- depending on where you > live. > > Are you serious?! If that’s true, then as an > Atlanta native who is living elsewhere (for the > past 18 years) but dying to get back home (in the > words of Lewis Grizzard - if I ever get back to > Georgia, I’m gonna nail my feet to the ground)…I > am totally changing my exam center. For Level > II, I’ll fly home and take it there rather than > being among the hordes of people (5000+) (and very > little food), where I took Level I. > > Does Chick-Fil-A also bring the sweet tea to go > with it?!! Gawd, being able to have some sweet > tea at lunch time in the middle of the exam would > bring a bit of heaven to the hell that is the > exam… Good ole Georgia and Atlanta (my hometown also), I would kill for some sweet tea and chickfila during the test day.
ChuckRox and cm98041: That was this past June, and I can’t say for certain that they’ll continue this tradition into '09. Check your exam tickets for fine print. The ATL tickets read: “Thank you for choosing CFAI as your charter provider. We invite you to enjoy complimentary biscuits in the AM, sandwiches in the PM, and sweet tea all the live-long day.”
to push my body to the limit, i eat a package of Metamucil crackers and down a litre of prune juice before every exam
I do triple short of esspresso before the AM/PM session for maximum energy and reduced urination. If you are in the ATL at the World Congress Center and need to go to the bathroom it is about a 400 yard walk to the nearest restroom. So start timing yourself on the 100 yard dash to minimize time spent walking.
I brought in Halls. They were ok with that.