The experience experience, weren

whew1110

This might be premature, but I want to say that I really enjoyed studying for Level 3 and kudos to CFA Institute for coming up with such an exhaustive curriculum in finance/investment management over the three levels. I hope you felt something similar after putting in the effort you did?

I spent a good month and fifteen days studying for L3, and the exam went alright, but the experience has been great. I felt the exam was quite bizzare in a sense, as many of the traditional tested topics weren't tested this time. Questions were asked about concepts and relationships behind the equation, rather than just a plug-and-chug question. Essentially, this means there is no better an exam strategy than to study every possible thing in the curriculum -- you're allowed to be weaker in some aspects, but you can't skip anything. An more important than knowing the formula is knowing the concepts -- after all its a test of analytical skills, and not short-term memorization.

Now, personally speaking, for someone whose a capital markets lawyer, the CFA Program has widened my understanding of my profession to areas I would never have known -- stuff that is never taught in law school. I just hope I don't face a result that will make me rue these sentiments -- but irrespective, I'm happy to say I have learnt quite a lot in the last month or so.

Let's all hope for the best, finger crossed.

Best

Steven



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Monday, June 6, 2011 at 03:08AM by stevenevans.

thommo77

Respect for doing the CFA programme. I don't know many lawyers in this field who have gone down the lawyer then learn finance route. I know a few who were financiers first and then went to law school though. I did smile at the "buddy I know the numbers as well as you do" comment :-)

DoubleDip

Hey malawyer100

Good to know there are other lawyers pursuing the CFA Program -- I've always felt that the law and finance combination works superbly. As a cap-marks lawyer, I write a lot of MD&A and business sections, so knowing the numbers is critical. As you rightly said, in most jurisdictions, they don't teach even basic finance concepts in law school, so the CFA Program gives us just what we are looking for. Its great to sit alongside a banker and say, "buddy, I know the numbers as well as you do".

I am sure you know the advantage of this program on the M&A side -- being on top of all the valuation impacters is heart of M&A -- along side the legal execution.

I hope we turn out to be a more refined breed of lawyers -- who can add much to legal and finance aspects of a deal. Although I find that my colleagues and partners don't seem to know the value of the CFA charter as much.

Best of luck on the result -- and do drop me a line - stevenevans1983@gmail.com

Let's keep in touch

Cheers

Steven



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at Monday, June 6, 2011 at 06:20AM by stevenevans.

mp3bu

Hey, Steven, so there is another lawyer going through this stuff, nice to know ;-)

I've been in M&A for PE clients but after a year or so left to be with a small investor to actually do the deals - which is why I wanted to pass the CFA program so there would be no more "but could you read a balance sheet questions"

I think if you work in capm you will be most asked guy since lawyers are not thought have a good understanding of economic concepts (at least here in frankfurt), so all the best for your practice!

dreampak

Ok, more than a month and fifteen days! Started in February, reading over evenings, but did not put in much effort. Read the curriculum like it was a story book -- perhaps put in 7-10 hours a week. Last month and a half was when I started to really push the accelerator -- read the entire curriculum once again, EOC questions, mocks, samples, question banks -- I hope it all came together on the big day and is enough to get me through.

former

A month and fifteen days?