johnnyBuz

I had been marking anything that I was unsure about in almost of all the practice exams and was generally getting 70% + on all of the practice stuff I did (Volume 1 of Schweser, all CFA samples, CFA mock, and 2.5 tests of Schweser Volume 2).

So I took the same approach on the actual exam and made small dots next to the answers that I wasn't totally sure about in order to keep track of my percentage correct. The first half I estimate that I was pretty close to 70%. The second half it didn't really work because I was so time constrained that I just stopped worrying about putting the dots because I wasn't sure I'd have enough time to erase them.

But anyway, I estimate that I missed 50 questions or so on the second half of the exam. So I went back to look at my old practice exams in order to see how the percentages stacked up. I typically only missed half of the questions that I marked on the exam, but I typically was getting 15% wrong that I didn't mark at all. So when I applied those percentages to my own estimates I come to a number slightly less than 70%. I'm worried.

Mechanic

I did the exact same thing KSTHANE. I found that I get 60% of my unsure questions and 90-95% of the ones I know I got right. I used 50% and 85% to be conservative and that gave me an expected score in the low 70's.

Daniel1985

That means you should pass icemaker

evolsteevol

I looked up the historical passing rates for CFA Level 1 and found something interesting...

Since 2003, there are 2 pass rates for each year i.e. they started offerring the exam twice a year.

If you look at the pass rates they are almost the same for both exams in each year. For example in 2008, the pass rates were both 35%.

Here's the good news...the pass rate was 46% in June 2010. Therefore, I think there may be a high probability that the pass rate will be around this number for the december exam.

So all of us that think we may be in the 70-80% range of correct answers should pass!

kd26gioi

do you know if AM and PM have the same weightage?

orang3eph

I think your sample size is too small for an effective conclusion

RobertA

I had calculated about 60 wrong in total in June... I failed with band 7. Speaking from experience unless you're absolutely sure DON'T assume you passed, it's always nicer to be suprised with good news than be heart broken with bad.

jim8z3

badem..you are right about staying pessimistic. It is the prudent way to go. Somebody at work asked me if Im going to pass, and I said 'I think I will' and i immediately pictured myself on 27th Jan 2010, finding out i bombed the test.

cchang

From reading Into Our 5th decade PDF by the CFA I got an impression that each question was kinda weighted and the scores can be weighted average and the CFA committee decides what the minimum passing score should be for each exam.
I just need more clarity abt. the methodology. Are there weights for a question?

MythosHF

No weights for each question. The minimum passing score is indeed set by the CFA committee.

There is an ethics adjustment. If you are borderline, the adjustment can take you over or bring you under.