How i got above 70% in all sections of CFAL1 exam?

CFA Level I
#1

First of all i would like to wish you all thebest for the upcoming CFAL1 exams.With just 2 months remaining for the CFAL1 exams,i will be sharing with you all strategies that helped me to pass this exam.

1)I completed all the 5 schweser note books approximately 55 days before the december 2013 exam.

2)If you have noticed,there are around 4000 questions in schweser q bank. 4000/120=33 full syllabus mock exams that you can create from your q bank.Solve atleast 2-3 mocks daily created from q bank.It will take you around 11 to 17 days to complete entire 4000 questions of q bank .

I was scoring around 80% in them during my preparation for the CFAL1 exams.

3)Review the questions that you incorrectly answered while taking the mocks from the q bank.

For me i got approximately 720 questions wrong out of 4000 questions.I carefully reviewed them and created another series of mocks ie 720/120=6 mocks .This 6 mocks were more difficult since i was answering all the questions that i did not answer correctly earlier.

4)The above mentioned 3 activities took around 25 days and now i was left with only 1 month before the exam.After taking around 33 + 6 =40 mocks from the schweser q bank i found that my weak areas were FRA/ETHICS/ECONOMICS.So i decided to read them again from Schweser.It took me 1 week to study FRA/ETHICS/ECO again from the Schweser notes.

5)Now i was left with approximately 3 weeks before the exam.I allocated 1 week each to schweser volume 1 and 2.I had scored 78% average in schweser volume 1 mock exams and 75% on an average in schweser volume 2 mock exams.

6)Now i was left with only 1 week before the exam.My goal was to take 2012 and 2013 mocks from the CFAI in this last week.

I think i scored 77% in 2012 mocks and 74% in 2013 mocks.

7)In the last two days ie (thursday and friday)i reviewed all the questions that i had answered incorrectly while taking 2012/2013 CFAI mocks.

8)I found the actual exam to be on par with questions in schweser q bank.Schweser volume 1 and 2 were more difficult than the actual CFAL1 exam.Many will tell you that CFAI mocks are on par with actual exam questions but as per my experience questions in CFAI mocks were more difficult than the questions in the actual CFAL1 exam.

*I never used CFAI books for CFAL1 although i am using them currently to prepare for CFA L2.I was a full time student when i took the CFA L1 exam so it was much easier for me to maintain a study schedule as compared to some one who has a full time job.

I hope this thread will help you for your CFAL1 exam preparation .

Thanks.

#2

good tips from the evil vagina

#3

Let me give you the Cliff Notes version.

I studied a lot. Then I answered a lot of practice questions. Then I took a lot of practice exams.

#4

I used only CFAI books and >70% in all sections L1. Lots of different ways to go about it.

#5

I understand that CFAI gives a current year Mock exam to all candiates, but where did you obtain previous years mock exams?

#6
#7

Do some google search.You will find plenty of past CFAI mocks.

#8

I never told that my way is the only way to obtain >70%.

#9

"Solve atleast 2-3 mocks daily created from q bank.It will take you around 11 to 17 days to complete entire 4000 questions of q bank "

Are you suggesting completing 240 to 360 questions a day? Surely this is impossible for those working full time?

#10

@Insidiuos Pardon him. We are indians . We love to study and give exams. That’s what we do :smiley:

It’s really impossible to solve 2 mocks every day for working guys. I struggle to complete even one mock . And the next day I just feel like sleeping all day.

#11

I will not say it is impossible if you have 7-8 hr job.How ever it is surely impossible when you have 10-12 hr job.I think at this moment every one should try and study 3-4 hours daily.Most of the questions in q bank are very easy and requires you to do little calculations.So solving 2 mocks from q bank will hardly take 4 hours daily.

#12

“After taking around 33 + 6 =40 mocks from the schweser q bank”

??? 40 mocks

#13

I knew it very well that some one will point at it.I meant approx 40 mocks.There are around 4100 questions in q bank.I assumed 4000 questions in my thread.So actually it was 34.16+6=40.16…happy???

#14
#15

^ overwhelmed!!

#16

I don’ think he’s surprised my the maths, he’s surprised the sheer volume of mocks you’ve done!