The worst thing you can do at the exam date is to freeze by seeing the large vignette statements that can take up to 3 pages before the questions and skip to the next vignette and so on. I know it does affect in a way “psychologically” to see the overwhelming information. Here is my tip: read the first question before even reading the vignette. You will know what to look for. Then decorticate the vignette into small digestable blocks. 90% of the time, you can do it. This means you add “/” between paragraphs or sometimes sentences that truly separate each questions. That way, you only carefully examine the text with the answer information. If you have any tip, feel free to share.
i think you mean peel back the onion
Do all the short vignettes first?
do lots and lots of blow if u dont have any im sure someone will be selling in the toilets before the exam and during the lunch break
coffee, clif bar, blow. Read a few questions before the vignette. I like to go in order.
RTFQ. Look out for least likely, most likely, should be, might be, etc… Answer may not always be absolutely correct but it is more correct than the other choices.
Here’s a tip to pass L2: Purchase the hardest book of riddles you can possibly find and see if you can answer more than 70%. Once you’re able to do that, go over the L2 material and sit for the exam.
Write out your thought process when applicable. Helps to keep you progressing through your answer. This helps a lot in the beginning when your anxious. Similarly Calculate all ratios when possible, if you know how. Don’t just follow some stupid chart in Schwesher and assume the CFA made their data to follow schwesers assumptions. When calculating ratios write in a clear organized manner, if you don’t get the correct answer and have to guess, you can come back if you have time and start from your old work.
If the question is too easy, read it again or think how you can mess it up. For example, if there is a consolidation question and ask you to calculate equity. Don’t forget to remove the acquisition cost or stupid things like that. However, there are a few “candies” questions given by the CFAI… So don’t think too hard either. Another tip I have is that morning session part should be alot easier than the afternoon session. From things I read everywhere, the exam overall is alot more qualitative than people think except for the afternoon where usually all the questions like SWAPs, pension funds, starts to show up. I think they are doing this to give us some confidence in the morning… And what separates the men from the boys is definitely the afternoon section. This is where you will find the full Trenor Black style vignettes. Even if they calibrate the curriculum topics the same for both sessions, experience remind the afternoon is usually the hardest. Another tip is to review as much as you can during the 2h break. I have seen sometimes concept that are tested backward in the afternoon. If you didn’t know in the morning, you may lose points again in the afternoon. Those double tested material are however rare by nature… There is only one or two question that are that way from what I remember…
Maybe another tip that I just thinked of doing is creating a sheet with the major CFA Level II curriculum topics with a check box next to it. During the break, I will check everything I remember (I usually have a good memory) that appeared in the morning session. And during the break I will review everything else that was unchecked or didn’t appear… Those material are MOST LIKELY going to show up during the afternoon. I don’t buy the “relax and do nothing” plan during the break, I think there is value added in reviewing specific things.
"Here’s a tip: put a pinch of sage in your boots and all day long a spicy scent is your reward.
Follow a rigorous study schedule and stick to it. If you put in the needed work, everything else will fall into place exam day. “A battle is won before it is ever fought” - Sun Tzu
Bring a jacket. It’s gonna be 90 in LA but i’m still going to bring one. During a previous test i sat right front of a huge AC vent blasting in my face all day. By the end of they day my face was actually tender/raw after 6 hours of that. Jacket didn’t help for my face but i wasn’t cold.
justinkc Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Bring a jacket. It’s gonna be 90 in LA but i’m > still going to bring one. > > During a previous test i sat right front of a huge > AC vent blasting in my face all day. By the end > of they day my face was actually tender/raw after > 6 hours of that. Jacket didn’t help for my face > but i wasn’t cold. The exam center in Atlanta last year was probably 60 degrees. Out of 800 some odd people I think myself and maybe 50 others had jackets.
SkipE99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "Here’s a tip: put a pinch of sage in your boots > and all day long a spicy scent is your reward. haha, brilliant. My tip is if you’re prepared, don’t study much the day before or the day of, outside of maybe 10 minutes of stuff you’ve earmarked for memorization. You want a clear head going into the exam, as you’ll make way more easy mistakes otherwise (at least from experience. If not, sell blow in the bathrooms. There are other ways to get rich than the charter.