Do I have enough time to/how should I try to pass the CFA® Level I in December?

I am currently going through the Schweser books right now and they are the only study materials that I have. I am also considering buying the QBankPro from Kaplan because it was very helpful when I passed the SIE and the Series 65.

The first question is: do you think I have enough time to study for the Level I CFA® exam? I know it is very hard, but I badly want to pass it and then take the II in June of next year. The problem is that I have no real background in finance and my grasp on math is not great. I have heard that it is possible and others have told me I should wait to take the Level I until next year. I also work full time so I worry about finding the time to study.

Secondly, how should I prepare for the exam? My current plan is to get through the books relatively quickly so that I have at **least ** some exposure to all of the material and have the manuals finished in a couple months. Then, I would review the trouble spots, do sessions with a tutor, and grind on the QBank.

If anyone with CFA®experience can give some advice, it'd be appreciated. If you think there is a more effective way to study for the exam, I would love to hear it. Thanks.

5 Comments
 

Have you already registered? If no, I would do early registration for June to save money and be on the safe side and continue a more relaxed study plan with the materials you already have until January.

Your study plan sounds good - I would focus heavily on practice tests and questions after your first pass of the material. Try to find enough practice tests where you can get one in every couple weeks along with a large number of practice questions, and use your scores to drill your weak points.

Focusing my time on the most heavily weighted sections and running tons of practice tests and questions to help bring up my weaknesses were the sole reason I passed L1, hands down.

 

Modi possimus sapiente est officia fugit tempore porro. Repellat aliquid laboriosam qui velit.

Officia non dolores dolor harum omnis mollitia unde. Veritatis rerum amet autem aspernatur tempora et. Minus commodi ullam laudantium.

Iste in molestias beatae exercitationem dolor quas illo vel. Ut officia corporis natus. Cum et eligendi eos blanditiis quia libero vel. Error quia ut ratione veniam aliquam voluptatem qui.

Minus in doloremque odio. Enim minima voluptas ut rem cupiditate quia. Tempore et eligendi quisquam nihil illum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”