I’ve looked into doing this, made some progress with the June results but ultimately lost steam. This test seems to have been more difficult than in the past, but if we had enough scores from December we could narrow it down. Plus, being the guy who is the Band 9 fail above, I can guarantee that the two sections I failed were not completely devoid of correct answers, which narrows the possible range even more. The most recently posted band 10 was the same as my band 9 but with a one notch improvement in derivatives, getting us even closer to the minimum passing score.
Band 9 fail.If MPS is 70% think I would be wrong to infer I was 5-15 questions out of the money? I spent about 15 minutes today on the way to work pretty f’ing depressed. I had crazy dreams about failing then being told I passed and vice versa last night. I kept waking up all stressed out. Sucks. I’m suprised I was that poor on quant tbh. FRA and QM were what held me back. Considering two weeks before I got 40% on the Schweser mock exam I think I improved quite a bit. My errors in studying seemed to come from trying to really understand the material academically instead of practically. I spent waaaay too much time trying to conceptualize how everything was tied together and understanding how to derive the formulas. When I first started studying I didn’t know assets = liabilities + equity, so I feel like I’ve come along ways. Seriously wanted to pass though. I had an interview lined up in ER conditional if I passed. Looks like now I’m stuck in a rut for the next 7 months (two months to mark lvl 1 in June) 
Multiple Choice Q# Topic Max Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70% - Alternative Investments 8 * - - - Corporate Finance 20 * - - - Derivatives 12 - * - - Economics 24 - * - - Equity Investments 24 - * - - Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - * - Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 - * - - Fixed Income Investments 28 - - * - Portfolio Management 12 - * - - Quantitative Methods 28 - * - Looking at Mania’s score makes me think I was razor close to band 10.
If you want to be in Finance and are truly dedicated to the cause, go for it… third time’s the charm. In the end, it is a matter of personal choice between the time/energy you will be giving up and the next best alternative. As far as the material goes, June 2012 should be easier because of the condensed Econ.
^ That’s assuming they don’t downward adjust the MPS to compensate for it. judging by the way they are running things… the goal is to let everyone and their pet dog pass L1, and then bring down the hammer at L2 and L3 to prevent dilution
Passed Dec11: All over the map. >70% on 4 sections, <50% on 3 sections. - Alternative Investments 8 * - - - Corporate Finance 20 - * - - Derivatives 12 - - * - Economics 24 * - - - Equity Investments 24 - - * - Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - * - Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 - * - - Fixed Income Investments 28 - * - - Portfolio Management 12 * - - - Quantitative Methods 28 - - * Failed June11 band 5 without studying (too busy at work), and actually did better on Econ and Alt Inv than on Dec11, which seemed much harder, running out of time both sessions. I read CFAI books and used Schweser practice tests, and one CFA society test.
Nice!!! 38% pass rate and you think that everyone and their pet dog is passing.
If people who have already passed Level 1, or even already have their charter, are concerned about lower performance numbers passing the test, think of it this way: The same percentage of test takers are passing. In order for this to hold while performance dips, either the entire body of test takers has become noticeably worse (yet the CFA isn’t noticing and continues to pass people at their normal rate), or the test is just getting harder. You didn’t need a 70%+ to pass in December, because getting ~60% proved on the more difficult test that you have a strong understanding of the required knowledge. I didn’t take it in June, but most of the people I’ve talked to who did said December was noticeably more difficult. Maybe that’s just the direction they’re trending.
So *-- is less than 50% and --* is above 70%?
LMAO can’t believe I passed, for sure thought I would fail. Only studied for a month and was getting 60% on the mock exams which I took a few days before the actual exam. Failed Fixed income and portfolio management. - Alternative Investments 8 - - * - Corporate Finance 20 - - * - Derivatives 12 - - * - Economics 24 - - * - Equity Investments 24 - * - - Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - * - Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 - - * - Fixed Income Investments 28 * - - - Portfolio Management 12 * - - - Quantitative Methods 28 - * -
Might request a retabulation. # Topic Max Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70% - Alternative Investments 8 - - * - Corporate Finance 20 - - * - Derivatives 12 - - * - Economics 24 - * - - Equity Investments 24 - - * - Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - * - Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 - - * - Fixed Income Investments 28 - - * - Portfolio Management 12 - - * - Quantitative Methods 28 - - *
Is it a pass or a fail? Are you joking? It is impossible that this is a fail record given many here who posted much more challenged score compared to yours! And seems that this score is more than 70%, so the MPS is > 70%?!??! Seriously I am now feeling quite shameful with my “pass” score :((
If this isn’t a joke you should defin pay for the retab
All subject > 70%, except Portfolio Management 12 - * -
I don’t know, man. I just think a lot of your posts, for the lack of terms, are pretty demotivating, thick, and undiscerning. Especially when it comes to rubbing your shoes into the faces of people who just had a hard time. Again, someone already pointed out above - 38% (down from the 39% in June 2011), and you still think everyone’s father, mother, brother, and sister is passing the exam?!? If you have an open mind, you’ll actually take this as constructive criticism rather than as a personal attack. Steve Jobs used to say… “The most important invention of life is death.” In these situations, I have my own spin on it… “The most important invention of life is failure because every failure teaches you how to live and lead your life.” Do you think if people like Steve Jobs listened to you, they would have created the Apples of the world? The man failed multiple times before he struck gold. Ditto for Warren Buffet, Einhorn, Lloyd Blankfein, and many others. There are thousands of Charterholders out there who retook exams… doesn’t make them clueless by any means. Quit being such a Guido when you know you aren’t one.
i don’t buy this. this breakdown is a pass. even with only 71% in all sections (which is impossible given the fractions) and a 51% in econ, this is a pass. you must have fudged the numbers.
Nothing I said here was bad at all, it’s very much the truth. If these two sentences got your feelings all hurt, prepare to get ripped apart in the real world. DIdn’t have to read your whole post to know you obviously have no clue what a hard core job is like, and clearly are a level 1 candidate. Didn’t want to be harsh man, just giving you a taste of reality.
Passed! I checked an email after lunch. It took a long time. Will get a good sleep.
Couldn’t have said it better…if you don’t have something positive to say to encourage, don’t say it at all IMHO. It’s bad enough that people are admitting they failed the exam.
Note to Invic: give it another go, you’ll probably get >70 on most sections next time. Try reading some textbooks in your weak areas to shore up your understanding and get another perspective on the subjects. (e.g. Brealey-Myers http://tinyurl.com/6qokqpl ). Contrary to what people like iteracom say, the CFA is not rocket-science, it’s a one-shot deal on a broad set of materials, not conceptually difficult, and can be mastered by brute-force with average intelligence.
passed… wasn’t going to take the test as I felt woefully unprepared, thanks for those on the board that suggested taking it anywy