I know the passing score is determined after the test, but historically, what constitutes a passing score? I heard minimum 70% in ethics at least and then 70% for the whole test.
This is why there is a search function
yo homie, they do not release this info.
This is why we have a forum to discuss these things. If you have nothing to contribute, GTFO.
I don’t think anyone knows for sure, but I heard somewhere that if you get 70+% you WILL pass guaranteed. don’t quote me on that
my guess would be 67%+ is passing, but no one does know. no one that has scored 70% has failed the exam. you heard wrong about the ethics portion.
Having passed 12/09 in the highest score bands in all sections but alternative investments, I can tell you with reasonable certainty that NOBODY really knows the raw passing score. In economics, fixed income and quantitative methods, I totally punted and I still scored well. Go figure. Try to score >70% on timed practice exams, especially the CFAI mock, and do your best to score evenly across all (or most) sections.
So its raw score total and not that you have to hit quota scores for each section…
Robert A Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Having passed 12/09 in the highest score bands in > all sections but alternative investments, I can > tell you with reasonable certainty that NOBODY > really knows the raw passing score. In economics, > fixed income and quantitative methods, I totally > punted and I still scored well. Go figure. > > Try to score >70% on timed practice exams, > especially the CFAI mock, and do your best to > score evenly across all (or most) sections. robert - how did you do on the practice exams? schweser and mock?
In the final month, I did all 6 Schweser exams from Book 1. The first two were untimed, the last four were timed. Counting the timed exams only, I think my aggregate scores for each 3 hour test were low to mid 70s. I hit one or two in the 80s, but that wasn’t the norm. I also took the CFAI mock, and I think I eked out a 72 or something like that. I also did the Boston Society mock (highly recommended) and scored 68. The only waste of time and energy was the online sample exams. They give you a feeling for the real deal, but the system is sucky.
thanks robert, i checked out the Boston Society site, how do you get access to their mock exam? its hard to find good exams out there. i have the 6 schweser practice exams, plan to take the CFAI mock in mid may, aside from that there is nothing. thats a total of 7 exams, i dont know if anymore is even necessary. i am having a lot more trouble with ethics than i first thought - picked up the Standards and Practices handbook from CFAI hopefully that will help. im right around where you were at, but i only took 2 exams from schweser. cant wait to get this over with!
It costs $150. A bit rich, but it was included at n/c in the CFALA review program. The next best thing to the mock. There’s a scarcity of good practice exams out there. No matter how hard you study ethics, you’ll never truly master it. There will be questions on the real exam that will totally throw you (as it did me). Most ppl say to study ethics really hard in the final 4-6 weeks, and I tend to agree. The questions are very nuanced. Schweser practice questions are pretty wide of the mark, in this area.
Robert A Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In the final month, I did all 6 Schweser exams > from Book 1. The first two were untimed, the last > four were timed. Counting the timed exams only, I > think my aggregate scores for each 3 hour test > were low to mid 70s. I hit one or two in the 80s, > but that wasn’t the norm. > > I also took the CFAI mock, and I think I eked out > a 72 or something like that. I also did the > Boston Society mock (highly recommended) and > scored 68. > > The only waste of time and energy was the online > sample exams. They give you a feeling for the > real deal, but the system is sucky. How was the schweser samples in comparison to the real deal?
Check out my posts on this thread http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?11,1090074,1091611#msg-1091611
They’re not the same. Schweser questions are longer, and some say, more difficult. However the actual exam is more subtle and nuanced. The ethics questions, in particular, are trickier on the actual exam. If you do all the Schweser practice exams, you will be well prepared. However, you also need to do the CFAI mock. Get all this crap under your belt in the last four weeks, re-study the areas you test-out weakly on, and you’ll arrive at the exam reasonably well prepared. homie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > How was the schweser samples in comparison to the > real deal?
starbuk Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > my guess would be 67%+ is passing, but no one does > know. no one that has scored 70% has failed the > exam. > > you heard wrong about the ethics portion. I would definitely agree with this. I finished in band 10 last June and I was above 70 in Ethics, Equity, Fixed Income, and Corporate Finance. All of the others I finished between 50 and 70, so just do a little bit better than that and you should pass. As far as Schweser tests go, I think they are ok for everything except Ethics. The questions on the exam were a lot different in my opinion. For instance, a lot of the Schweser questions ask “is this legal or not and why.” On the actual exam most of the questions pretty much tell you “it’s illegal” and then ask you which particular standards the rule violates.
this is really useful especially when its time to review and do problems. Thanks Guys. After reading the replies it seems CFAI Mock Exam and Kaplan Vol1, Vol2 are on the top. Considering there are so many sample/mock tests from different sources its really hard to narrow them down to which one is best. Since people are saying Kaplan VOL1, VOL2 are not ideal for Ethics, I just wanted to ask if QBANK is good for ethics and even for other topics. How about CFA problems from end of chapter ? So far my main concern is ethics since my scores from Qbank are not good, maybe because I have taken it lightly. All in all what would be the best or closest of all for ethics ? I see many ethics examples in CFA book as well maybe its time to spend more time on them.
The mock is just like the real thing and the end of chapter questions are by far better than Schweser. The qbank and vol1 and 2 are good, but Schweser questions in general are longer and more computational than the actual thing, volume 2 in particular. If you want to send me an email than I have a couple of docs I made for review that should help you out. Do you have a mock exam? alext2014@yahoo.com
Listen, you’re going to get some tricky-ass ethics questions on exam. None of the 3rd party preparation materials (Qbank, Schweser exams, etc.) can really prepare you. As someone above said, you’ll get a fact pattern on the exam that you think may be a violation, and you’ve got to decide which standard it is. Read and study (memorize if possible) the whole text in CFAI. Sorry, but that’s the only way. thegames Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > this is really useful especially when its time to > review and do problems. Thanks Guys. > > After reading the replies it seems CFAI Mock Exam > and Kaplan Vol1, Vol2 are on the top. > Considering there are so many sample/mock tests > from different sources its really hard to narrow > them down to which one is best. > > Since people are saying Kaplan VOL1, VOL2 are not > ideal for Ethics, I just wanted to ask if QBANK is > good for ethics and even for other topics. How > about CFA problems from end of chapter ? > > So far my main concern is ethics since my scores > from Qbank are not good, maybe because I have > taken it lightly. All in all what would be the > best or closest of all for ethics ? I see many > ethics examples in CFA book as well maybe its time > to spend more time on them.
buy the CFAI Standards and Practices book and read it for good ethics studying