I am taking the CFA level I exam in December. I’ve yet to sign up or order study materials. What would you all recommend as a good starting point? I was thinking mid August. I prefer to hit the ground running, so didn’t want to start too early. Thanks for your input. mike
September 1, but I bet Joey will say late November 
Milos
Start as early as you can. No harm in it.
Well, it always comes down to your previous education and experience. Milos
I am going to be a senior in college graduating May '09 with a finance degree, so I’ve had a fair amount of exposure to a good amount of the material
Ok, then the second question -> How do you stand when it comes to Financial statements, reporting and overall accounting? Milos
I feel pretty comfortable with the topic, as it is fresh in my mind.
I would not skip it though if thats what youre asking.
Or maybe I would, depending on how basic it is.
You should not skip FSA. This is very important part of the exam that is for many L1 candidates the toughest to grasp. If you feel confident about it, than it will probably be no problem for you. Of course, if you plan to read Schweser notes instead of CFAI books this will also make your life way easier (I personally prefer the hard way, that way I’m learning from CFAI books ) Cheers Milos
Thanks for the input. What would you suggest as a starting point. Sept 1 still? Also, what is the main difference between Schweser and the CFAI books other than CFAI practice questions are more difficult? Sorry for the basic questions. mike
don’t skip FSA. there are too many topics that aren’t covered in a typical undergrad curriculum.
If you want to hit the ground running, start asap. Knowing the CFA Level I curriculum inside out will be solid groundwork for Levels 2 and 3, and that way you’re really hitting the ground running.
Start now, take it from a L2er, it never hurts to start early. At the very least you’ll beat the stress that develops in the final weeks. There’s no such thing as overstudying for LI as it will improve your L2 base, and believe me L2 is not fun.
What are you waiting for? Do it now! Start with the CFA curriculum–that’s the only place test questions are derived from. Add Schweser QBank as you go along.
I’m contemplating taking this thing in December, and although I haven’t gone balls-to-the-wall studying yet, I’m starting to get involved. Mostly taking a look at my Schweser notes and figuring out what I really need to do to get this thing conquered. So although I haven’t signed up officially, I’m starting slowly with the Schweser notes, some flashcards (although I’m debating the usefulness of these) and will get some Qbank action going in the future.