Is anyone using flash cards to study for Level 2 or used them for Level 1? Is there a benefit to get them or would Secret Sauce suffice? I think of using them at times when carrying a book is not an option. The price is not an issue, my firm would cover the cost if necessary, but I don’t want to get something I wouldn’t be using. I would appreciate any views. Thanks.
They stopped the Self Created Ones (freebies) so I ordered the Pre-Done ones ($150 I think). Benefit would be the same as you used for Level 1 but is based on personal choice (works for some, doesnt for others). As I am covering some sessions using CFAI, I usually keep the flashcards in front of me as I go through the CFAI curriculum to focus on what is required and add points I feel arent listed on the Flashcards. For me, for Level 1, the flashcards really came into play towards the last two months and the last week for Ethics and Quant for the formulae. But you got to keep putting some of your own notes on them since they seem to be very high level on some LOSs. I preferred the Self Created ones to be frank.
Don’t waste your money. A lot of the flash cards are ridiculously ambiguous.
I used a combination of home made and pre made flash cards for Lvl1. They’re great for the train, a stoplight, waiting for food, etc. If you had to purchase them with your own money I would say no, they are not worth the $100. Since I did use them they definitely did have some value - it just isn’t $100. Since you can get something of value but you don’t have to pay for it, I say why not. I actually only used maybe a quarter of the pre made cards (some of them are really basic and not worth your time…).
To me, a third the value of the flash cards is the process of identifying what you should put onto the cards, researching what you put on, and then actually writing it.
Some good points there, guys. So from what I understand, these pre-filled cards tend to be ambiguous. I considered filling out blank cards for level 1, but couldn’t see myself going through the whole pile.
I just ordered them yesterday (both flashcards & secret sauce)… I was thinking, why not, since my company pays for them anyways. I’m saving them a lot more since I normally don’t buy the Schweser packages.
Of all the materials I ordered from Schweser, the pre-filled flash cards gathered the most dust on my shelf. That is, the most dust after the blank flash cards… Secret Sauce was ESSENTIAL. The vids were key as well, esp. watching ALL of FSA again the week before the exam. Also listened to all of the audio mp3’s at the beginning as a great way to wrap my head around the subject material, get an idea for the length and scope of the curriculum, etc. Excellent way to squeeze in extra study time if you have a decent commute each day. Hardly cracked the CFAI books…though that might not be such a wise move with Level 2…
In my personal opinion, the flashcards are too time consuming to make and even more of a pain to study with. I filled out about 3/4 of the cards (Level I) just to see them going straight to the bin. There was just no time left to use them in the end. But I wrote a 30 page summary and that was great to prep. I won’t use the cards again…
Schweser Flash cards are a waste of time and money. I bought them for level 2 and still have about 5 sections wrapped in plastic. The secret sauce should be enough. It might also be a good idea to make your own flash cards
I am making my own flash cards. It helps me study the materials by figuring out what to write on them. I thought of buying the pre-made but I might have tendency just to skim through them.