Past CFA exams?

CFA Level III
#1

The CFA website says that past exams are not a good study resource. I’ve never used them in the past (Schwesher, CFAI text questions), but am considering it this year. Do people think they are a useful thing to add to the mix? Any opinions are appreciated. Thanks

#2

They are a MUST

#3

I would love to see where CFAI says this. If so they want you to fail.

#4

From the website: Actual past exams are rarely a good resource for exam preparation. Current candidates should remember that: The curriculum has changed Exam style and formatting convention improvements have been made Accounting rules and the financial environment have changed

#5

bigbadaboom Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > From the website: > Actual past exams are rarely a good resource for > exam preparation. Current candidates should > remember that: > > The curriculum has changed > Exam style and formatting convention improvements > have been made > Accounting rules and the financial environment > have changed This is a revenue ploy to get you to buy more sample and mock exams. The 2010 CBOK is almost indentical to 2009. IPS, which is a huge part of the AM section, has been around forever. I would take as many exams as you can including the samples and mocks.

#6

I definitely think CFA past exams are good study resource myself for level III essay along with the Schwezer practice exams. I would suggest to do the 07-09 old CFA essays which are available on their website. Schwezer essay exams are necessary practising tools but they are more straightforward. Just do an actual 3 hr. exam-practice on the 09 old exam (don’t look at the answer first), you would see how ambiguous on some of the questions. I think it will get you better prepared in the real exam that you possess the ability to move on and complete the task efficiently through frustration and ambiguity. I hope I didn’t over-exaggerate. Any comment?

#7

Thanks for the input. Thats basically what I figured. Variety can’t hurt. 6 Schwesher exams. 3 past CFA exams. The samples and the free mock. Seems like a rounded out post-reading schedule. Now all I have to do is finish the reading…