How do I plan a CFA Level 1 study?
Key Takeaways
- Passing the CFA Level I exam, which has a 42% pass rate over the last decade, requires following a solid study plan.
- Successful Level I candidates spend roughly 300 hours preparing for the exam.
- The best strategy is to leave at least four months (approximately 17 weeks) to finish all the reading material.
How do I create a CFA study plan?
How to Prepare an Effective CFA® Exam Study Plan
- Start early and be consistent.
- Stick to your schedule and don’t fall behind.
- Prepare, Practice, Perform.
- Review regularly.
- Cover all of the material.
- Start and end with ethics.
- Reserve the last month for perform.
- And finally, reward yourself.
What is the best order to study for CFA Level 1?
Recommended Study Plan for CFA Level 1 Topics (2021 and 2022’s Curriculum)
| Level 1 Topic Study Order | 2021’s Curriculum (57 readings in total) |
|---|---|
| 2) Financial Reporting & Analysis (FRA) | Reading 19-30 |
| 3) Fixed Income | Reading 42-47 |
| 4) Equity | Reading 39-41 first, then 36-38 |
| 5) Alternative Investments | Reading 50 |
How many hours should you study for CFA Level 1?
300 hours
CFA Institute recommends you aim to spend at least 300 hours preparing for the Level I exam.
Is 4 Months enough for CFA Level 1?
4 months is just enough time to prepare for CFA L1. I would strongly recommend that you take guidance of an expert person who could make you easily understand all the difficult topics in ten subjet areas of L1 so that you end up putting more of your time in practice questions and revising the syllabus.
Which is the toughest subject in CFA Level 1?
CFA exam candidates who take their level 1 exam usually indicate FI, Derivatives, and FRA* to be the most difficult….So, it seems that the 3 hardest level 1 CFA exam topics are:
- Fixed Income (FI),
- Derivative Investments (DI),
- Financial Reporting and Analysis (FRA)*.
What topics are covered in CFA level1?
As shown above, level 1 CFA exam has 10 subject areas:
- Ethics and Professional Standards.
- Financial Reporting and Analysis.
- Corporate Finance.
- Quantitative methods.
- Economics.
- Portfolio Management.
- Equity Investments.
- Fixed Income.
How to use a study planner to pass CFA exam?
Use the special view of your Study Planner to review your study lessons, rewatch videos, revise formulas, etc. Bart Mankowski has been helping candidates from around the world to pass their CFA exams for 10 years now. He’s the initiator of Soleadea and its CEO.
How many topics are on the CFA level 1 exam?
The CFA Level I exam covers 10 topics, 18 study sessions, and 60 readings. Each subject carries a different weight in the exam.
How long does it take to prepare for CFA level 1?
The key to preparing for the CFA Level 1 exam is to study in a structured way over a period of at least 300 hours. Hopefully, after studying in a structured way for the CFA level 1 exam, you will be ready to ace the exam, and two months after taking the test, you will receive an e-mail from the CFA Institute that starts with
Is there a ‘one-size-fits-all’ CFA study plan?
The ‘problem’ with this question is that each individual should have their own optimal plan that suits their circumstances – there is no one-size-fits-all. As we get these questions all the time, we’ve distilled our learnings and experience into a killer CFA study planner tool.