CFA® Results - 2015

Today is the big day we've been waiting for/dreading since early June, when we peeled out of the testing center parking lots, burned our books, and went off to get drunk with our long lost friends.

Level I & II results will be released via email today after 9:00 A.M ET. Level III candidates have to wait until August 11th at 9:00 A.M. ET. There is nothing worse than the immense tension buildup before the results are released in the morning when you and your co-workers are refreshing your Gmail every five seconds to find out your fate.

How did you guys do?

 

Waiting on L2 and will be doing the same as you. I'll be going out, pass or fail and honestly, at this point, I just want to know the result so I can know where i'll be next June. Tomorrow is going to be a long morning...

Array
 

Good luck chaps!

Oreos, CFA

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

I am waiting for level III results myself.. Coping with the two week extra weight (wait, but originally typed weight so leaving it with this thought, maybe that is a sign of the huge burden these tests have and i just hope I am down...), I will say good luck to you all. Since I don't know that I can post pictures here, here is my crude recreation of the binomial pricing tree for CFA results that I saw last year.. Basically both outcomes yield the same result!

Might not format correctly but you get the idea.. -Pass, Celebrate- - .5 - - - CFA EXAM Get Wasted - - - .5 - Fail; Drown Sorrows

 
Best Response

THANK THE LORD I finally passed Level II - was my third attempt. Fuck yes getting mangled tonight boyssss

"Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true. But many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly—and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence." - Thomas Sowell
 

I took L1 in decemeber, so I didn't start studying until February. However, it didn't really ramp up til March. Most of the heavy lifting was focused in April/May.. This time around I will start earlier, I would have liked to have been throug the material a month or two earlier so that I could start mocks and EOCs.

Don't really have a weekly study schedule, but I try to get at least an hour or two a day early on and then it climbs from there as the test date approaches. They recommend around 300, but I'd guess most people are in the 200-400 range

Array
 

That's a kick in the nuts, but you'll pass next time around. I was on a similar timeline, but was lucky enough to eclipse 300 hours in the last week. Started in February, but didn't really kick it into gear until late March with no fun weekends in April or May. If I could do it again I would start earlier (mid-Jan) and pace myself so I don't burn out at the end.

 
Mr. Skilling:

That's a kick in the nuts, but you'll pass next time around. I was on a similar timeline, but was lucky enough to eclipse 300 hours in the last week. Started in February, but didn't really kick it into gear until late March with no fun weekends in April or May. If I could do it again I would start earlier (mid-Jan) and pace myself so I don't burn out at the end.

Dude I knew a guy last year that spent 1000 hours on level II and failed. He had a gov't job where he could study all day and started in the fall.

I'll be on a 15 hour flight when level III is realeased. Going to be a long flight.

 

First attempt at the exam....will have to try again in December. I ended up changing jobs and moving to Stamford in March...Will try to follow a timeline this time

 

Level I down. Just happy that I don't have to spend the next four months studying again... Somehow hit 70+ in Econ after skipping the readings and just looking at problems/the Secret Sauce. Best of luck to everyone - we're all gonna make it bruhs.

 

Wow, passed level I. I had less than a month to study for the exam, and did not even have time to take a mock. above 70%: corporate finance, Derivatives, Equity Investments, Fixed Income Investments, portfolio management, Quantitative Methods 50% - 70%: Ethical & Professional Standards, Financial Reporting & Analysis below 50%: Alternative Investments, Economics aiming for level II :)

 

Congrats, dude. I used both for both Level I and II, but probably could have passed Level I with just Schweser. I would advise using both for Level II. Schweser does a good job cutting out some fluff, but I always want to do the EOC questions the CFAI provides as well as review a few more sections in depth. Otherwise, just hammer the Schweser Q-bank and take 5+ practice exams. I think I took 7-8 and that made the difference.

 
Street Smart:

Passed L1. On to L2!

Those that passed L2: Did you use CFAI materials or 3rd party? Heard Schweser wasn't as much help as it is for L1....

I used Schweser and took their class. I found both to be quite helpful. The material is generally written well and the class gives you a weekly benchmark. I used the CFAI material for sections I wasn't scoring well in my mock exams. I'd also suggest getting your hands on as many of those as you can and giving yourself most of May to grind through them.
 

Take this for what it's worth - the shops that care about it are willing to pay more for someone with the designation. I'm sure you know the type, on their marketing material literally every analyst has the charter.

Granted, it may not be like this forever. But, if you think about it - it surely can't hurt

I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold. I'll be fine once I get it
 

So glad I got it all behind me. Enjoyed the extra vacation I had this year, as I didn't need to use it as study time.

To all those still at it: KEEP ON TRUCKING! The reception by coworkers and fellow finance professionals once you have the thing is very positive (I'm in Europe). Plus, the Society and Institute events (e.g. global conference) are great networking platforms.

 

Anxiously waiting for August 11th...

I think the more I went through the program, the more I realized how helpful the CFAI material actually was. The practice problems throughout and at the end of each chapter are awesome practice that can be easily overlooked if your head is stuck in the Kaplan material. My strategy throughout is to go through the Kaplan material a few times and then hit CFAI for practice problems. It's worked out so far and, knock on wood fingers crossed, hopefully it'll have gotten me through all 3 levels on the first try.

 

Passed level II as well.

Anyone see any material changes in their prospects after passing level 2 or 3? Need some sort of motivation for the next level...

(and yes I understand its not a golden ticket, supplement for expierence, etc.)

 

If you have half a background in finance, Schweser can get you through 1 and 2.. I only use CFAi for ethics.. Tbh I didn't do the CFAi practice questions or exam any of my 3 tries.. my experience is the test is way easier then CFAi practice Test (I do look at some questions but then just smh and go back to schweser).

Got thru 2 this year after fail last year (my own fault/ethics adjustment downwards most likely)

failed derives, middle in Quant and ethics, aboves 70 the rest On my first level 2 go around, I failed ethics and alternatives, was above 70 in equity, accounting, corp finance and econ but did not get the nod (band 10)

 

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