sublimity - how did I make manage to make it to this list (not that I would not love to be there), but damm, I am nowhere close to confident on passing. Please do whatever it takes to take me off this list 
On the other hand - you are a lock for L2, shows from the confidence and calmness of your posts.
I feel pretty good. I am significantly ahead of where I was for Level I at this time and have put in over 300 hours since December results came out. If this was Level I format (240 questions) though, I would feel a lot better. My biggest concern is the random chance that the things I know very well wonāt be tested and all of my weaker areas will get heavily tested. This is why I spent 16 hours this weekend going through derivatives. And am doing it again today and tomorrow.
Not freaking out per se, but I definitely have a huge sense of urgency going into the last weeks here. I donāt think any rational person that has put their time in can ever think that they have this thing in the bag. I was encouraged yesterday when I put up a 75 on the afternoon section of Schweser Exam II, so much so that I was doing a Tiger Woods 50 foot eagle putt fist-pump in Starbucks. Then I remembered that I got a 55 on the AM sectionā¦
Chi Paul Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I feel pretty good. I am significantly ahead of > where I was for Level I at this time and have put > in over 300 hours since December results came > out. > > If this was Level I format (240 questions) though, > I would feel a lot better. My biggest concern is > the random chance that the things I know very well > wonāt be tested and all of my weaker areas will > get heavily tested. This is why I spent 16 hours > this weekend going through derivatives. And am > doing it again today and tomorrow. excellent point. I have also had this concern, but when I talked to my coworker that took it last year, he said that he did NOT feel like he got cheated on the exam even though he failed. He said that the vignette style of the actual exam represented greater variety than the practice exams. Some of the practice exams test you on 3-4 questions a vignette on maybe one study session or subject. He said the actual exams tested more SSās/subjects per vignette. Either way i would have to agree with you that my preference would be for the Level 1 format again.
Assuming Iām not the unluckiest individual in the world and that every question doesnāt randomly test my weakest areas, Iām feeling pretty damn decent that Iām going to pass this sucker. To nycfacacaacacaās point, Iāve worked in HY bonds, ABS/CDOs, private equity, and hedge funds (also was a dual major in real estate), so I feel like thereās really no reason that I shouldnāt blow this test out of the water. Of course, the test could focus on currency exchange, swaps, FRAs, and other such problem areas for me and I could fail, but assuming a reasonable distribution of topics, Iām feeling pretty good. Feeling way better than I did for Level I (hadnāt broken 70 on Schweser practice tests before the exam - scored 68 and 75 on the Exam 1 am and pm sections, respectively).
Iām cool and calm. Why? Not because Iām confident of passing, but because there is hardly any incentive to pass right now. 1) Iām a career changer with no prior experience/ academic background in finance. 2) Job market is currently very crappy. 3) My engg job is more stable than finance job. 4) I would also like to first learn the material CFAI way and then to go beyond CFAI curriculum and read some outside stuff to gain some real world flavour to learning. I could hardly do anything of that in past 3 months of limited time. 5) Iām not going to get the charter unless I have 48 months of relevant experience. Right now its 0/48. Its just going to be exam experience. If I pass, well good. If I fail, no big deal.
FIVE STAR to you, on all the 5 points. I am 0/48 and donāt care much about the 3 letters behind my name.
Iām also in the 0/48 club. Iāve always envied the guys who got their exams paid and time off from work, but I realize that for them, the pressure at work to pass is much higher.
nyccfa2010 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Started in April, so not all last minute crammers > are āfreaking out stupidlyā. I work fulltime as > well. Some people donāt need 6+ months of studying > for this believe it or not. The material is not > hard if you work in the industry. What kind of industry job covers the BREADTH of the material?
Ibanking, accounting , and currently fixed income.
I donāt know jobs in those areas where you donāt have to specialize. You must be lucky.
portfolio management. odds are good you may touch almost any topic on the exam.
skillionaire Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Assuming Iām not the unluckiest individual in the > world and that every question doesnāt randomly > test my weakest areas, Iām feeling pretty damn > decent that Iām going to pass this sucker. > > To nycfacacaacacaās point, Iāve worked in HY > bonds, ABS/CDOs, private equity, and hedge funds > (also was a dual major in real estate), so I feel > like thereās really no reason that I shouldnāt > blow this test out of the water. > > Of course, the test could focus on currency > exchange, swaps, FRAs, and other such problem > areas for me and I could fail, but assuming a > reasonable distribution of topics, Iām feeling > pretty good. > > Feeling way better than I did for Level I (hadnāt > broken 70 on Schweser practice tests before the > exam - scored 68 and 75 on the Exam 1 am and pm > sections, respectively). ānycfacacaacacaāsā - I dont get it. You must be āspecialā
Sorry, didnāt mean anything by it, but had my response somewhat typed out and didnāt remember you full name, except it was nycfa___, so I ad libbed. Sorry if it offended you, didnāt mean anything by it.
Iāve got a longer time series on this - took Level 1 in 2006 when doing a cushy public sector job that enabled me to put the hours in. Have taken level 2 twice since starting work in the private sector, both times with about 150ish hours of study. Both times I knew I was under prepared and was scoring 60ish % in the mocks. I think I was lucky last year (despite failing obviously) because I was in the top 10% of failures. With that in mind, I think anyone clocking the 80%+ with the requisite number of hours should be fine. I havenāt done any mocks but have put in much more time this year so feeling a lot better. Good luck to all either way.
sublimity Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > faith + belief << intelligence + hard work + > passion āPassionā. Now I understand why that first post, which it seems you like to mention, traumatised you. I take back what I said about your passion. I didnāt feel like hurting anyone. But you should try to get a relevant job/internship, though. There is a point after which education/qualifications become much less relevant without experience Trust me. You donāt want to become one of these useless guys that hold many pieces of paper.
Mark my words: Semper Augustus will fail CFA Level 2.