CFA Lvl 1 May, HELP

Hi folks,

I m going to take the CFA Lvl 1 Exams in May. But unfortunately didn’t had the time (due to exams at Uni) to start studying.

Do u guys have any tips re studying structure? Is it to late for me to start studying? (Undergrad and currently in an Internship) Special tips for Lvl 1? Any preferred external resources like schweser etc?

Cheers folks!

13 Comments
 

It doesn’t carry the same weight it used to. Sure, it’s still a solid credential, but in a world where active fund managers consistently underperform index funds, the value of all that technical knowledge is shrinking (ai etc). It might help you land a job at an RIA in Des Moines, but on the street, it’s seen as a nice to have. MBA / MSF is more attractive. Clients care more about cheap beta than some alphabet soup after your name. On the sell side, no one’s flipping through a pitch book looking for CFA. Also convergence of public and private market — alts are where the action is, and the CFA hasn’t adapted to that shift

 
Most Helpful

Offering not much advice but at least a different perspective: Studying for the CFA while working full-time and especially during busy periods is hell. Totally doable, but expect to sacrifice along the way. 

If you're already registered, then take it and study for it. Get it out of the way now so you don't have to worry about it later. 

Echoing what someone said, but the CFA no longer holds the same weight. It's an extra 3 letters next to your name that could lead to incremental and unguaranteed increases in earnings later in life. The program seems to innovate year-over-year so it's better from a learning and real-life application perspective (and worse from a candidate perspective given the extra hours/content lol). I know accomplished people who both have and don't have their CFA. It hasn't attributed to their success but seems like some found value in getting it at some point. Even with an MBA, I think those costs and opportunity costs are increasing.

Ultimately if you hustle, work hard, and move through your professional career with initiative, then you'll do great in whatever you do. But if you're already signed up and the worst you gotta worry about is school, then in my opinion just take it.

 

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