I didn’t touch the CFAI readings. Only read the Scheiweser material and passed level 3. So it’s not necessary to use CFAI texts. On the entirety of the exam there was one part of one question that was unfamiliar to me. If you grasp the material as covered by scheiwser you’ll pass the exam.
I think Schweser is sufficient, but you should do as many mocks as possible (and if you can’t understand what you got wrong with Schweser refer to CFAI text)
3/3 in 18 - never touched the cirriculum for practice questions or reading.
Schweser only for LI & LII. Schweser & IFT videos only for LIII.
I read the Schweser notes 3-4 times front to back for memory wheras I would have been able to read the curriculum once in the same amount of time.
Why pay for something you don’t need.
Curriculum + blue box + EOC + Past exams = Level 3 pass.
The past exams are the best resource we could ever want.
With the answer keys, you know exactly what the markers are looking for. There’s no ambiguity.
Be able to do every question in the last 10-15 years worth of AM exams and you will be able to pass Level 3 handily.
I suppose that’s one way at looking at it. From my perspective I didn’t pay for anything since my company paid. Also working full time with two young children at home I simply didn’t have the time to use the lengthy CFAI material. I don’t think anyone is arguing that the CFAI material isn’t more comprehensive. The question is, is the schweisier material sufficient to pass. And the answer is yes, for me anyway.
Yeah- I am a Schweser supporter but I hated their mock exams for the AM.
Worth noting that the last 10-15 years of exams are a.) not always relevant and b.) not formally available via CFAI
One of my main reasons for Schweser at level 3 was video. There are four parts: 1. Shorter topic videos that follow the text. Commonly about 20-30 minutes. Several of them match with a complete reading. 2. Online classes, once a week for regular schedule starting in January, or every other week starting in October (hope I remember that correctly). You can do these live or watch them later. If live, you can ask questions. 3. Video of solutions to prior year’s actual AM exams. 4. General guidance, like how to approach AM questions, how to study for Level 3. These are great if commuting. Insert disclaimer here about not watching if you are driving.
passed L1 and L2 using schweser + EOC + mocks. felt well prepared
Did same strategy for L3 in 2016…got annihilated with Band 4 and felt woefully unprepared, even after studying 330 hours
2017 focused solely on CFAI material + blue box + EOC + mocks and felt much better going in and thankfully passed. Studied about 310 hours
Level 3 is focused so much on synthesis that there is no substitute for CFAI material. Plus, the material is enjoyable to read so it wasnt that bad
3/3 for CFA and scored very well for all 3 levels. I think Schweser is more than enough. It is concise. After that simply do 10 years of mock exams and you are good to ace it.
CFA materials are too inefficient. Not practical unless you have super alot of time to study.
CFA level III curriculum for 2018 is about 2300 pages (excluding index, glossary and standard intro, but including end-of-chapter questions and answers).
2017 Schweser Notes for level III are about 920 pages (again, including EOC Q&A, but excluding formulas and index). Two more readings are added so ~60 more pages.
Both are surmountable. I plan to read both. Just not sure in which order - currently want to start from Curriculum and then polish with Schweser, but unsure and afraid of dying from boredom around December.
May be start with Schweser and use CFA materials as reference - where Schweser is not sufficient.