Is CFA level 1 in december easier or harder than CFA level 1 in june?

Hello,

Historically, has it been easier or harder to pass CFA level 1 in December compared to in June? I remember that when I was in college it was always easier to get a good grade in one semester ter compared to taking the same course in another semester. Thank you for replies.

3 Comments
 

Depends largely on your lifestyle and studying preferences. If you are taking the exam in June, you’ll probably start studying in mid-January. If you do December, you’d likely start in mid-July. If you’re doing it right, you’ll be studying at least 10 hours per week to start, then ramping up as you approach the exam. Which of these times of year would you prefer to be cooped up studying rather than living your life?

The CFA Institute publishes historic pass rates for the various exam levels, though not sure they break out June vs December for Level I. I doubt they are substantially different. If you majored in Finance & Accounting I’m undergrad then Level I will be largely remedial. None of the Level I curriculum is especially hard, there’s just a lot of it. As long as you put in the necessary effort, it won’t matter when you take it.

 
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If your question is in regards to whether one test date has historically been easier/harder to pass than another or whether the pass rate been meaningfully different between dates, the answer is no, it makes no difference. What you need to consider is the turnaround between level 1 and level 2 assuming that you pass level 1 and plan to continue on with the program. If you take the December exam, you will not find out if you have passed until the end of January and will have little-to-no break between the results day and when you will likely need to start preparing for level 2. Compare this with the June date where you find out pass/fail in August and have almost an entire year to decide when to pick up the material for level 2.

 

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