Study Plan previous, recommend, material, through, job

prav_Cfa7

I plan on sitting for the Dec 09 Lev I exam. I've got the Schweser books ready to go. Can anyone recommend a solid study plan on how to get through all this material. I've got a few weeks before I start a job that'll be 60-70 hours per week.

Are there any previous posts that might help me find the best way to tackle this beast?

Thanks

mnieman

Thanks everyone.

I am going to sit for the December 09 exam because as much work as it takes I know I'm willing to buckle down and do it. I think I'll use the Schweser for a great majority of my readings and just use the CFAI material for problem areas.

In taking all of your advice I think I am going to do the following..

-Finish up Econ as I've already started it and get it out of the way as it doesn't seem
bad at all
-I'll follow that up with Ethics so that I can get this down and keep reviewing this as a go
along in my study and hit it one last time a week before the exam
-Then keep chugging along doing the Quant, FSA, etc.
-I should have enough time to do plenty of mocks and other questions with atleast 6
weeks to go

I'm a little confused on what I should be doing at the end of each SS and after every 2-3 SS? Could someone clear that up for me? Which questions are the most difficult? And which questions will best represent what I will see on the exam?

Thanks again to everyone who replied with there two-cents.

farrukhsadiq

I sort of agree with UWS, but i still think Econ should be taking seriously enough. The concepts are not too bad, and some are hard to grasp, but I think it's worth reading and understanding everything... even though is 10%, it could be that % that will make you pass or fail

invic

First, I wouldn't use the Schweser study guides as a replacement for the CFAI texts.

Second, the 250 hours of study per an 18 week duration is a recommended minimum amount of study time.

Third, I believe you're starting too late for the December exam.

Fourth, I would recommend getting the CFA texts as soon as there available in August for the following June exam....you want as much buffer in your study schedule as you can get so you do not come up short with initial study time or review time. It's not in the front of the CFA texts....but on the CFA website they recommend taking 6 months to study for the exam if you work full time. My recommendation is from 26 to 30 weeks of study through the CFA texts with a 4 to 6 week review period....using the Schweser products as a supplement to your studies. The Schweser Qbank Software is excellent.

Warren....

dontknow1987

Schweser end of reading problems are easier than CFAI ones.

Ionutzakis

I have another post elsewhere in this forum - but here is a summary: I would do stuff in the following general order:

In 14-16 weeks finish Ethics, Quant and PM (related), FSA, Equity Inv, Fixed Income, Derivatives, AI etc. Along the way, I would say, read the Schweser Econ guide on the subway, at the airport etc - 10 pages a day. (Why in a second). After each section do the PassMaster/Qbank questions and after every 2-3 SSs do a cumulative test including Ethics- just to keep the Ethics minuatiae, and other topics' definitions, formulas fresh in your mind. Last four weeks, do only mocks - and as many mocks as you can. Stop doing mocks on Mon/Tues before the exam - Wed, Thurs read Ethics again. Take Fri before the exam off - do not study.

L1 Econ is 10% weight for hundreds of pages of reading - the best way to handle it (for me personally) was to break it down like reading a novel - the material is not intellectually stimulating - so it takes some effort - though some parts - including Macro - and very topical and relevant.

Take notes (everything but Econ), create a core formula sheet, spend time mastering FSA and Equity Investments - huge weight in L1 AND seem to be all over L2.

Good luck!

leadcfa

Just start with Quant, and do 10 hours a week for a month or so. It's not a whole lot to start, but remember, the CFA is a marathon, not a sprint. Getting burned out two months before the exam will screw your chances.

JoeyDVivre

Kmart...

If you use the search function in this forum you will find useful material on study plans. I am basically using the recommended CFAI plan. So far no complaints....

Good luck!