Hey!
I just cleared my CFA level 1 this December, and I wanted to know what is everyone using to prepare for the level 2. I was told to stick to the CFA books, but then some people suggested to stay with Schweser, what would you’ll recommend? Also, how long does it take for the CFA books to reach, once the order is placed?
Everybody has their opinion about 3rd party prep providers. If you have time, CFAI books is the way to go. Otherwise, use whatever provider you are comfortable with. Make sure they participate in CFAI’s prep provider guidelines program: http://www.cfainstitute.org/partners/examprep/Pages/cfa_prep_provider_guidelines.aspx
I’m probably going to use Schweser, that’s what i did for level 1 including Q bank and it worked. I will also tackle the problems at the end of the sections in CFAI books as practice.
I know people who passed using just prep guides, just CFA, and both. Personally, I think CFA is the way to go. I failed using just Stalla guides the first time I sat for LII. Thought I did pretty well but failed band 5. Revised my strategy to read the CFA text and a question bank. The CFA text is long but 100x better then the prep guides. Use the ebooks to read when your on the go, sneak in a few chapters at work and you will realize the reading is not too bad. EOC are key. Do them multiple times. Test bank questions are not like the exam but will drill the concepts in your head. I killed level II using this strategy and cleared level III the first time I sat.
Thanks cfa222, perhaps I will change my strategy for L 2. A couple people I know just read the CFA books and passed all 3 Levels 1, 2, 3 the first try so maybe that is the way to go.
i am in the ‘CFA books’ camp, I have Schweser and i think it’s a useful place to start, but doesn’t go into enough detail. one large exception to this is the derivatives material. the CFA textbook on this is terribly written and impossible to understand, i am going through it now and without Schweser i would be sunk.
thanks very much Kiakaha, I will keep that in mind when I get to Derivatives.
Is it possible to sell Schweser books without violating any rule ? I got the 2012 Schweser books (study notes + practices exams). Finally I realized I won’t use them, so I want to sell them. Is it possible ? If yes, anyone in Toronto interested in, let me know.
Of course you can sell books you bought legit. You own it. You have the rights to use it, sell it, burn it in a ritual sacrifice.
Used Scheweser for Level II last year and failed. Retaking again this year using CFAI material. I must say that I feel the information is better explained when reading the CFAI material vs Schweser, although I must give credit to Schweser for helping me pass Level I on it’s own. Also, the QBank is less valuable for Level II. Probably only the Hard difficulty questions stand up to par with the actual exam format. After that, it’s EOC and Practice/Mock exams.
Ok, thanks, then I will put mine on Ebay. Hopefully I can get rid of them and get some needed cash. I read last year here that someone was chased by Shweser’s team because he posted their book for sale on Ebay, that’s why I asked
Two friends of mine failed level 2 last year just using Schweser notes and recommended using CFAI books for Ethics, FR, Equity, and Fixed Income as they feel Schweser did not address these well. So I’m using Schweser on the smaller topics and focusing on the big topics in the CFAI material.