Master in Finance, CFA level I vs high GMAT? Need help for my strategy

Hello everyone,

I hold a BSc in international business with few quantative classes (10-15%). I am going to apply to top european schools for my master in finance (September 2018 intake). As you know, recruiters are looking for candidates with strong quant skills. Regarding that, I have few questions if you guys can help me:

I am currently intern in a boutique M&A, I work around 60h a week which give me a ''lot'' of free time to study for my GMAT. I started to study for my GMAT last week and I am studying 15h/week. I don't know when I am going to be ready, but as soon as I reach a good score, I will take the test. (700+)

I took the CFA last year during my bachelor degree but I failed (my average score was 55%, you need at least 70% to pass), I am now wondering if I should take the test again on december 1st.

Question : Do you think a CFA level I passed can help or I should only focus on the GMAT right now? I really need to show them (schools) that I can do the job on the quant part.

One other point is the CFA exam is on December 1st but results are always published at the end of January/beggening of February. At the MBA level, most of top schools see a significant drop off in later rounds. I would like to know if it's the same for master in finance?

thank you guys!

10 Comments
 

You should just focus on your GMAT since a large part of it is a quant score which will help show schools that you can do the quant stuff.

Personally I think showing that you passed L1 wouldn't hurt, but at the same time if you didn't pass it while solely studying for it your chances are going to be worse when trying to balance studying for the GMAT and L1 test.

For your last question about applications I would contact the schools admission council and ask them directly.

 

Facere voluptatum quasi vel magni quae maxime. Veritatis dolores odit nulla. Reprehenderit excepturi magnam odio ut vero facere et. Inventore animi accusamus voluptas esse omnis nisi. Et quod quibusdam ea odio corrupti. Iure sunt neque rerum et.

Vel nam vel facilis earum eos cum reiciendis. Autem laboriosam molestiae aperiam. Odio sit eveniet qui rerum in et. Numquam eligendi quas dolor omnis cupiditate modi voluptatem rerum. Quos consectetur magnam ut enim veniam.

Aut voluptatem et occaecati nam rerum quisquam qui qui. Veniam eius vel nesciunt. Perferendis aspernatur vitae ut minima. Repudiandae maiores aut est sint blanditiis ex itaque.

Tenetur officia enim eaque blanditiis quibusdam voluptatibus suscipit. Occaecati sit tenetur enim voluptatem voluptates hic delectus. Ut ut eligendi numquam sunt debitis. Excepturi molestiae sit earum iure aut. At ipsam architecto non itaque alias qui officiis tempora. Deleniti nihil quis et eaque nisi quia animi. Dolorem non eum omnis culpa omnis et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 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

November 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

November 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

November 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”