From Band 5 to pass 2010, important, understand, concepts

Makavelim3

My last Dec 2010 result was band 5 fail but I managed to pass this June.

The reason I made the huge jump cos I totally relied on the CFA texts and mock in Dec 2010 and I did not fully understand major concepts.

So, I enrolled for Kaplan, followed Schweser books and worked all the way. Unforturnately as I have to give up my social life, I gained extra 10 kilos weight.

Most important reason is that I learned to love the material as I go along.

If I can do it, so can you. Don't give up if you haven't put enough effort.

Colum

damn, 4th tempts for L1? Is that gonna take you another 8 tempts to pass L2?

PieMan

Stoploss....As per me , you should certainly go for dec'11 exams..you were pretty close both the time and its just unfortunate that you dint get through on both occasions.....also i think you shouldn't be changing you prep provider...stick to scheweser...imagine if scheweser was that bad you wouldnt have scored band 9 or band 10.....some more efforts n u'll be on ur way to level 2.....for me m still not certain if i wuld attempt this dec or take some more time n come back in june 2012.....

meghanjackson

Band 7. This is my 4th attempt. I took several years off to do my MBA in Finance. I am thinking of doing this again in December, but I need to know if I should. Can you provide some guidance?


Q# Topic Max Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70%
- Alternative Investments 8 - - *
- Corporate Finance 20 - * -
- Derivatives 12 * - -
- Economics 24 - * -
- Equity Investments 24 - * -
- Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - *
- Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 * - -
- Fixed Income Investments 28 - * -
- Portfolio Management 12 - - *
- Quantitative Methods 28 - - *

yospaghetti

rocksolid, i dont think you should use schweser anymore. I failed in Dec 2010 with:

Q# Topic Max Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70%
- Alternative Investments 8 - - *
- Corporate Finance 20 - * -
- Derivatives 12 - * -
- Economics 24 - - *
- Equity Investments 24 - - *
- Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - *
- Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 - * -
- Fixed Income Investments 28 - - *
- Portfolio Management 12 - - *
- Quantitative Methods 28 * - -

Band 10

and in June 2011 with:


Q# Topic Max Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70%
- Alternative Investments 8 - - *
- Corporate Finance 20 - * -
- Derivatives 12 * - -
- Economics 24 - * -
- Equity Investments 24 - * -
- Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - *
- Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 - - *
- Fixed Income Investments 28 - * -
- Portfolio Management 12 - - *
- Quantitative Methods 28 - - *

Band 9

I'm not knocking Schweser, many many people pass with them, but for me I don't think it works. I found their questions overly complicated, long-winded and convoluted. I made a pretty major error of not looking at the change in material between Dec and June which may have cost me (or may not have). I do remember about 4 or 5 questions straight in Corp Finance and saying to myself WTF?! I had never even heard of some of the stuff they were asking. 10 questions over the exam is definitely enough to be a difference maker.

Anyway, the exam really isnt that hard (I say having failed it twice haha). It's more of a brain teaser than an exam. You just have to shove a lot of crap into your head and splurge out formulas in the test room. A lot of people go on to fail level 2 because I dont think they have the basics down (so, every cloud...)

I'm thinking of taking it again. Just because I can't stand that I have to tell people I failed. I think I will try Stalla, heard good things.

What areas are you struggling with?
jestersdead88@yahoo.com

Carson

Thanks for the response....your observations are bang on....i get the same feeling when i sit back and wonder how my exams went...still cant believe it that i bombed FSA because on the day of the exam i thot i had cracked it...anyways your response is far more encouraging.....and pushes me to hang on......

brainsX

rocksolid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for ur response....Well....I did studied
> but had limitations both the times as I had a
> fulltime job n family to support..so couple of
> hours each day during the weekdays and then the
> weeknds......Moreover I just took a week off
> before the June exams....Mayb lack of practice
> exam or mock exams... is wot did me in....M just
> wondering is it like just cracking another 25-30
> questions in the next exam to clear it and move
> from a band 5 to passing..Mayb i should be good to
> go with some more practice the next time....the
> stories I hear is that people bounce back from a
> band 2 to passing mayb with additional time n
> efforts..also that a few have struggled in level 1
> but have cleared level 2 in one attempt....I just
> dont feel like giving up at the moment as
> somewhere i do know that i haven't put in enough
> efforts both the times....for obvious reasons that
> i have failed in both attempts....Below are my
> june scores.....Any suggestionss.....
>
>
> The three columns on the right are marked with
> asterisks to indicate your performance on each
> topic area.
>
> Topic Max
> Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70%
> - Alternative Investments 8 * -
> -
> - Corporate Finance 20 - *
> -
> - Derivatives 12 -
> * -
> - Economics 24 - *
> -
> - Equity Investments 24 - -
> *
> - Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - -
> *
> - Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 * -
> -
> - Fixed Income Investments 28 - *
> -
> - Portfolio Management 12 * -
> -
> - Quantitative Methods 28 - *
> -
> We have divided the full group of candidates who
> did not pass into 10 approximately equal score
> bands. Your score band below shows how your
> overall score on the exam compares with all other
> failed candidates.
>
> Your score band: 5

Looking at your scorecard, I can assure you that you are not very far away. Few positives from your score: Ethics was one of the hardest section this year and you have more 70% on that, so I assume you are a pretty smart guy. Second, Quants is pretty good too. Third and most important, I guess you are not covering all areas of the exam and probably as you said not enough practice either. Try to attempt as many mocks you can this December.

Guess what? The only reason you failed in this exam is because of FSA. I think you bombed FSA big time. I have seen worse score report than this, but those people still passed.

comp_sci_kid

I don't know, you need a lot of work still, do you feel like you can really master the material? And if time preparation will continue to be a stumbling block how will you prepare for the tougher levels in the future? I just received band 10 (non-finance background, my weak categories were corp. finance and FRA), but I knew it would be close either way...if I ended up band 2 then band 5 on level 1, I would walk away.

thommo77

Thanks for ur response....Well....I did studied but had limitations both the times as I had a fulltime job n family to support..so couple of hours each day during the weekdays and then the weeknds......Moreover I just took a week off before the June exams....Mayb lack of practice exam or mock exams... is wot did me in....M just wondering is it like just cracking another 25-30 questions in the next exam to clear it and move from a band 5 to passing..Mayb i should be good to go with some more practice the next time....the stories I hear is that people bounce back from a band 2 to passing mayb with additional time n efforts..also that a few have struggled in level 1 but have cleared level 2 in one attempt....I just dont feel like giving up at the moment as somewhere i do know that i haven't put in enough efforts both the times....for obvious reasons that i have failed in both attempts....Below are my june scores.....Any suggestionss.....


The three columns on the right are marked with asterisks to indicate your performance on each topic area.

Topic Max Pts <=50% 51%-70% >70%
- Alternative Investments 8 * - -
- Corporate Finance 20 - * -
- Derivatives 12 - * -
- Economics 24 - * -
- Equity Investments 24 - - *
- Ethical & Professional Standards 36 - - *
- Financial Reporting & Analysis 48 * - -
- Fixed Income Investments 28 - * -
- Portfolio Management 12 * - -
- Quantitative Methods 28 - * -
We have divided the full group of candidates who did not pass into 10 approximately equal score bands. Your score band below shows how your overall score on the exam compares with all other failed candidates.

Your score band: 5



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12:57PM by rocksolid.

cv4cfa

rocksolid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> M a Band 5 this June....Followed Schweser
> books...just wondering how far a band 5 is from
> clearing the exams ( in terms of marks or correct
> answers ).Also this was my second attempt. last
> time it was band 2...are any more attempt worth
> it?????or m just not a fit for this exam....are
> there people who took more than 2 attempts to
> clear level 1

The test is about the curve. band 5 doesn't mean anything except you were ranked at the middle of everyone who failed. It's still a ways to go to passing.