Writing the CFA exam- no work until June 3

Hi,

Looking to get some color about the best way to spend the last week before the exam.

As of now I've nearly exhumed all difficult/advanced q-bank questions with an average of 78%. Knocked out 2.5 practice exams and plan on doing another two. What are some of the things you guys did during the last week to close in the gap?

I'm thinking:
-excessively write all formulas down by hand
-review flash cards
-skimming schwester notes for sections that're lacking
-swoll regularly and get some great quality sleep

/1 millionth cfa topic of all time

Thanks brohemians.

 
pktkid10:

Take. Not sure where the "write the exam" terminology came from

All the Canadian kids I know say write the exam. But they also say Grade 8 instead of eighth grade, weirdos.

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 

I'm almost exclusively doing QBank. I will have done all questions twice through with 2 spirals' worth of notes on my errors when all is said and done. I hope that will be enough. I've done some Schweser lectures but have found the immediate feedback of QBank more efficient.

 

I should have specified, level one.

Have yet to take the CFA provided mock, I will be doing that on Sunday. Schweser mocks have been solid. Just need to crush the FRA section (the amount of nuisances between GAAP/IFRS is unreal). Appreciate the insight.

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
 
Best Response

Ahh level 1. I miss those days. You're good, just keep doing little qbanks too, you pick up little trivia here and there. Also cruise Analyst Forum if you haven't yet, there are always some little tidbits here and there (but don't listen to everyone because there are some super overly paranoid people with really poor study skills - things like memorizing formulas when the LOS clearly says you don't have to calculate, etc.).

I found last yr the CFAI mocks were waaaay harder than the real L1. I was right around 70 on the mock, but on test day scored 70 plus in all but two areas - I counted my "uncertains" as I was going along on the real exam, and if I had got ALL of those wrong, I'd have had a cumulative 70, so I think I was way over prepared and probably scored a total 78-82 range based on the feel of the exam. The real exam felt like easy to mid level qbank questions, they were mostly straightforward whereas the tougher Qbanks and mocks all had that extra "twist". On test day I finished each section with literally an hour to go, checked all my answers, and left before the half hour "point of no exit."

I think the CFAI makes the mocks way harder so people don't get complacent or have too high of expectations on test day. So don't freak out if you are on the border on the CFAI mocks.

But there's no guarantee - so just plug away and keep the formulas fresh. ***Brush up on ethics too, since that's the decisionmaker if you are on the pass/fail border. And eat well and get sleep so you don't get diarrhea or something (knock on wood).

L2 is waaaay tougher than L1...I seriously place my chance of passing at about 50% right now, having had the L1 experience and even with better test specific study skills under my belt. It's not even really comparable.

if you like it then you shoulda put a banana on it
 

Also in case it hasn't been said before - master ethics and FRA above everything else, they're the heaviest weight and supposedly there's an ethics adjustment so if you do particularly bad on ethics, they'll knock your score down even more, into failing territory.

At this point you could basically just do all the rest of the schweser mocks (3 more it sounds like) plus the CFAI mock, and take the time to completely review all the answer keys.

 

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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

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