Used this approach for Level 1 in December and level II in June - both passes. This is in order so feel free to back track the time to map it to a calendar if you’d like: Read Schweser study notes and do EOC questions from Schweser only – Took about 3.5 Months. — Didn’t want to burn out. Usually read for about 1.5 hours a weeknight and 8 hours on the weekend. I didn’t take any notes as I read Qbank questions and 2 half mock exams – 2 weeks. This builds a solid base of remembering the material and lets you see where you are. Its important to unclick the basic questions in Qbank if you are using it. They are a waste CFAI EOC questions and 2 half mock exams per week - 3 weeks. This gets you a deeper understanding. The mock exams ensure that you are still focusing on all of the material atleast twice a week, while the EOC questions give you a deeper dive into material you need more help with. Schweser videos / QBank / Schweser Flashcards / EOC Questions and Mock Exams - Final 3 weeks. The Schweser videos provide you with a different way to review/hear the material, and importantly a slight break from reading and doing questions so you don’t burnout. The flashcards again provide a different way to review. I found these much more helpful to use after seeing 3-4 examples of an LOS in question review. If I had studied the flash cards earlier I would have spaced out every other card. With the examples of questions in my head, these were fairly easy to concentrate on. I should note that during my 8 weeks of review is the only time I started taking notes. I had a different sheet that I’d post on my wall for each subject. Before taking any mock exam I quickly reviewed the wall. The most important part of my studying by far was reviewing questions that I had gotten wrong, or guessed and gotten correct, and adding that material to the notes. Little by little you chop down the material you don’t know. The Wall of Notes was also important because it helped to show that you are learning more and more each week. I was convinced that if I took 6-7 full mock exams, plus Qbank questions, and added material I didn’t know to my notes, the only step left would be locking down the Wall of Notes. So far 2-2. If you want to save on time, I would cut down the reading part in the beginning. I really believe that the reading section is more to see how hard the review is going to be and what sections you’ll need to spend more time on. By the time you are done reading, you’ll have forgotten 85% of what you read. The review is where you learn. I’d consider my approach the “lazy” approach because with everything I did, I only ended up with about 6 pages of notes instead of a bookfull like some of my friends.
I found Schweser very disappointing for Level II. I read those five books several times and still saw several questions on the exam on material I did not recognize. Guessed at way too many questions. I will not use them again.
I had a comfortable pass (9/10 70%+) using only Schweser + EOC. Looking back, the key for me was working lots of questions, then going back to my notes/flashcards/books and reviewing questions that I missed and weak areas. CFAI books have a lot of filler and are wordy. Schweser is condensed and you need to know it all. You have to realize that the less important Schweser material that they spend less time on is still key material. Without question, Schweser does a better job clarifying formulas which are so important for L2.
I used only Schweser study notes and QBank and passed Level 2 on first try. I studied January to May (but took Feb off). I created a study calendar and by far focused my studies on FRA and Equity. Resist the temptation to over-study quantitative methods just because it’s an early study topic – it has lots to know/understand but isn’t a major part of the exam. I thought Schweser was adequate in that there were no real surprises on the exam, but there was one vignette on FRA that Schweser really didn’t prepare me for. If I had to do Level 2 again, I would study only Schweser again. No regrets.
in short: if you study the schweser notes and the mock exams hard (pretty much master all examples and questions), you will pass the level 2 exam without a doubt.
I used Schweser, Schweser Videos and EOC Questions for my prep. Also created my own handwritten notes, which were very helpful. I agree with some who have said that in certain sections, Schweser is lacking. Here the key is in the EOC questions and identifying what Schweser left out and putting that on your study notes/flash cards. Mocks are critical too.
prophets Wrote: > 1. Watch Schweser Video on a study session > 2. Read Schweser Notes on same study session > 3. Do Schweser questions on the study session - > mark what you didn’t get right for later review > 4. Do CFAI EOC questions on the study session - > mark what you didn’t get right for review > 5. Writedown all relevant notes to this study > session for yourself (create your own separate set > of condensed notes). This was an ongoing process > for me, where I would be watching Schweser Video > in 1 screen and on a second monitor typing out my > own notes. > 6. Writedown a running list of all key formulas > in a separate notes section (key formulas for this > study session). > 7. Create some flash cards (not too many) > covering key concepts. > Completely agree here. This is what I did for L1 & L2, and I passed both. m
Go for schweser!! Just put 1.5 times efforts u gave for L1 and do lot of questions…
All schweser all the time! Passed on my first attempt. Probably put in around 200-250 hours including mock exams from CFAI. Qualifier here is that prep time overlapped w/ MBA studies. Good luck!
All those who passed using schweser, did you purchase the videos? Do they simplify the content? would you say it could be the difference between passing and failing? I used elan for level 1 and i thought the videos were a must. Schweser is way too EXPENSIVE for me (paying for myself while getting minimum wage). THANKS!
Used Schweser books, did all six schweser mocks, did all CFA EOC questions twice, did CFA mocks, and read CFA chapters on a couple spots where I was really stuck. Using 90% Schweser, passed >70% 9/10.
Guys, take a look at a thread called 3/3 on the level 3 Forum: it’s amazing how many of the people who passed all three levels first time used just Schweser (plus CFA for end of chapter questions). That was my approach, and having just got my level 3 pass email I can say it worked for me. And for a lot of the other guys who have gone straight through…
Sorry, forgot to add link in my previous post… http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?13,1294212
Passed using Schweser and CFAI EOC questions.
Passed level 1 and level 2 both first time with the help of Schweser and CFA Curriculum EOC’s. Did almost 2 readings of Schweser material.
Survey results are out. Interesting to see 3rd party prep providers (mainly Schweser) performance between those who passed and those who did not. http://www.cfainstitute.org/Survey/candidate_survey_report_june_2011.pdf
Passed L1 December '10 with Schweser only. Very few EOC questions done. Passed L2 June '11 with Schweser only. Few EOC questions for FRA and Derivatives. Key to success is mastering what you read. If you master Schweser, you can crush the exam.
so doing the L2 exam in the june directly following the december L1 exam is doable! Was it very rough for Level 2? Thanks would appreciate learning from your experience!
I do not see Schweser mentionned! Ethical violation of the code and standars! This is a misrepresentation! 
AMCC Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Survey results are out. Interesting to see 3rd > party prep providers (mainly Schweser) performance > between those who passed and those who did not. > > http://www.cfainstitute.org/Survey/candidate_surve > y_report_june_2011.pdf