Hi all, Brief intro: I’m 28. I passed Level I in 2008 and Level II in 2009, each on first attempt. This will be my first attempt at Level III (on June 1st, 2013). — Start date: April 18th, 2013 End date: May 31st, 2013 Total days: 44 — Curriculum period: April 18th - May 15th (28 days). At 300 pages of FinQuiz, this translates to roughly 10 pages of notes to be covered per day. It also translates to approx 1.5 readings per day. Practice period: May 16th - May 31st (16 days) — Daily Schedule: Every day; 8+ hours per day, except 6 hours on Sunday — Reading Materials: - FinQuiz notes - My flashcards based on the above — Practice Materials: - CFAI EOC and some blue-box - Selected FinQuiz EOC - Sample exams — Tackling the Curriculum My Method: The Reading-Wise Checklist 1. Read the Intro to the Reading. This will provide perspective of how this chapter fits into the bigger picture and to some extent how it pertains to real life portfolio management and/or investing activities. As a right brain dominant person, I find it invaluable to know, even if a little bit, how a small piece fits into the bigger puzzle. This way, before starting the reading (in my case, the notes on the reading), I know that this reading is not some arbitrary creation by people living in a bunker in the wilderness. Rather, it’s relevant and connected to the investment community and in some way or form to the human experience. 2. Read the Summary of the Reading. This will provide a condensed taste of the key skills & knowledge we should have upon completing the 3. Carefully read the LOS checklist for the reading. Circle the command words, underline names of concepts, highlight key phrases. Really let it sink in. 4. Read the FinQuiz notes. Use two different colored pens, a highlighter. Really rape the notes in terms of underlining, circling, highlighting, etc in a way that will be easier for me to recall during the exam. I stress this because I am a highly visual learner, especially when it comes to memorizing stuff. 5. Make flashcards while reading. 6. Glance at LOS checklist while reading… helps me know when I’ve hit a paragraph or section within the reading that addresses a specific LOS. This in turns helps me revisit this material if I have a problem mastering that particular LOS. 7. Again read the Summary of Reading. 8. Attempt the CFAI EOC questions. 9. Re-visit the LOS checklist. One by one, ensure that I can deliver on each LOS. Check them off. 10. Before sleeping at night, re-visit the flash cards from today and all previous days. — Non - Study Activities to Help Passing 1. One hour of TV every night 2. Two exercise sessions every day. A 30 min walk & 30 min stretch in the mornings (around 7:30 - 8:30 am). A 60 minute cardio or strength session in the evenings (around 6:30-7:30 pm). 3. Meet friends every Saturday night. Try to party hard. 4. Massage for 90 min every Sunday. 5. Pray (meditate) twice a day for 15 min each. — I hope to share my progress, as well as hear from others who did not start off that early… If you started April 1st or later, I definitely want to hear from you and know what your approach is. Good luck to us all!
It sounds fine BUT for a serious deficiency. If your’’ practice period’ is to cover only the listed 'practice material it may besomewhat ok for level 1 but not for Level 3, which you are trying to pass at first attempt.
You HAVE to do the past papers (the essay parts specially) as provided in CFAI site , that too for at least 2010 onward under full real examination conditions and the Mocks of CFAI for this year (will be on site in May) as well as the mock of 2012 at the minimum. This only will give you the confidence and (i) get the real measure of your strength and weakness ; (ii) reinforce your learned concepts and (iii) ensure you know what and how to write the answers to fit the requirements of CFAI. No amount of studies and other practice material will allow you to skip these essential elements for real exam practice.
As you plan to do sample papers and all EOCs , these past papers will reveal to you actually what needs to be revised again and what is the gap between your and CFAI’s expectations in terms of ‘correct’ and 'scoring ’ answers (and believe me there will be many!).
And another point (nothing much to get anxious about though) that may hamper your smooth preparation is the changes between 2009 and 2013 standards of examination , though not much on surface but is quite appreciable if you go deeper into contents in view of the 4 years gap of your last successful attempt. Still it is very much doable. Best of luck.
Thank you for helping me with your words of wisdom, especially presented so cogently. I will do at least five papers and three mocks. I aim to do these over the last approx 10 days. I hope that will also be doable. Thank you again.
If you are unemployed, 45 days full time can probably be done
Dumb question, but I’m just getting to this point now and haven’t seriously looked beforehand. Where on the CFAI site are those old “papers” located?