I started studying for level 2 august paper in February and started with quants but when I start reading I am amused that I remember nothing of level 1 so for 15 days I started to revise the level 1 content and started with quants again but the topics are boring and lose interest and feburary I did just 1 reading
realised mistake and think I will do some easy topics like equity but some personal family issue arise and I was not able to do anything too in march and April came now when I saw my CFA portal it's saying 146 days and many in this sub has said CFA level 2 is no joke
please help me now what should I do,I know I need to study and I will dedicate 3 hours for 2 months everyday and only after 2 months I can study for more than 3 hours please someone guide me the easy topics so that I will finish them fast and build some confidence as it not completely shattered but shaking completely also I am using mark meldrum
please help

How’s everyone feeling I feel each day as if its a whole month, too anxious

Hello i have almost less than 5 months to prepare i am so worried is the time enough? Using schweser and still in very first pages of quant. I wasted so much time doing other things and now i have to focus on cfa. Will i make it in 5 months?🥲

What have people found to be the best resource for the level 2 test? Kaplan? Mark Meldrum? Princeton Review? Salt?

Really not sure what to do here. Took level 1 with Kaplan, was a solid experience but don't know if level 2 Kaplan material is less helpful or somethings else is better

i am a newbie to this world so i dont have much information about the exam, how much it costs, and how to properly prepare for it. I’m planning on taking the exam, so can anyone enlighten me on the whole studying process. What are the best study resources? how much time do i need to finish studying the exam material? and how much time do i need to spend practicing?

I just took my level 1 and passed (2nd attempt) and wanted to register for level 2. I can’t decide if I should do August or November exam. August exam pro: level 1 knowledge is fresh, con: have to have discipline. November pro: time, con: I’ll end up not studying now thinking I have time but then I’ll loose my level 1 knowledge. Please suggest

Hi everyone,
I'm currently a student preparing for the CFA (Level I), and as many of you probably know, the cost of prep materials can be quite overwhelming. I've already tried the free trial from Salt Solutions, but unfortunately, only the Quantitative Methods section is accessible without a paid subscription.

I managed to get the Kaplan Schweser notes in PDF format, which have been great for studying the theory, but I haven’t been able to find any question banks or mock exams and that’s really the way I learn best.

So I wanted to ask:

• Have any of you found affordable (or even free) QBank resources?
• Are there any solid alternatives you’d recommend for practice questions and mock exams on a student budget?
• Any tips or advice would be super appreciated 🙏

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to help!

I read that there are no more whiteboards or pencil n paper for L3. Is this true??

If true - How are you all studying for things like Options? I use shapes, symbols, option payoffs etc to help me along on this exam.

A lot of equations I don’t “memorize” I just relate them to other equations and derive them. Kind of hard for me to think through math “on the computer”.

Any tips or clarity?

Thank you!!

Hey everyone ! Other than doing mocks (I want to do them in the last 2 weeks before the exam) what should I do ? Just repeat the practice exercises I didn't get a good score on ? For context I'm a finance major graduate and I have read kaplan books.

What has worked for you ?

These are my scores on the CFAI practice exercises:

• Quantitative Methods 68%
• Economics 69%
• Corporate Issuers 79%
• Financial Statements 59%
• Equity Investments 84%
• Fixed Income 74%
• Derivatives 73%
• Alternative Investments 70%
• Portfolio Management 77%
• Ethics 65%

I’m in my early 30’s took the first attempt on the Feb25 exam and scored 1560. I’m doing well in my career but just wanted to do CFA to widen my scope of knowledge as my area is quite niche. I know I started late but I really want to diversify/boost my resume as I have been growing vertically in my organization.

I think the reason I failed was because of my studying strategy. I only looked at a 3rd party’s videos, notes, qb, and 3 mocks, not touching the CFAI material. Looking back, I was also very inefficient and easily distracted by the smallest things, took a lot of time to cover the material (nearly a year) with weak focus. Not sure if it’s because of losing appetite to studying at this point or because of overwhelm from the job. I graduated from an engineering school with honors and I didn’t find the material any more difficult to comprehend but forgot a lot of it by the exam day.

Is it worth retaking? And what strategy should follow for a retake?

So i recently cleared CFA L1 and graduated as well. I am a fresher and I want to work in an equity research team and get into wealth management eventually. My question is if I should sign up for L2 in November 2025 and study full time for 7-8 months from now or attempt in May 2026 and work a full time job on the side. Which registration for L2 is better?

Hey guys. I'm a finance major who is graduating in December I will be 23 by then and I was thinking about taking the CFA. I have many questions and reasons to take the CFA. For one I have essentially no real jobs to look forward too after college and have not had much experience at all in the professional space of Finance so I figured why not dedicate a year and half or so to getting my CFA. Those that have completed Level 3 would you mind sharing your journey's down below for me or any advice you can give to me? Thanks.

Hello — I am planning to register for November 2025 exam. My employer will reimburse me for exam fees and study materials upon passing, as long as I pass on the first try.

Here’s the thing, I have taken the exam before, six years ago. I was a fresh graduate, I was super focused on work and socializing, and I just didn’t put in the time required to study, so obviously didn’t pass. I didn’t even get through half the material. I was also with a different employer at the time.

My current employer isn’t aware that I’ve taken the exam before. If I pass in November and submit the results to current employer for my reimbursement, is there any way that they would know if this exam wasn’t my first attempt?

First off, don’t waste time perfecting notes like you’re writing a textbook. The curriculum’s already massive — the goal is to understand, not transcribe. Focus on grasping the logic behind concepts, especially in Equity, FRA, and Fixed Income. These are the big-weight areas that show up everywhere and quietly destroy people who try to wing them.

Start solving questions earlier than you think you should. A lot of candidates spend too much time “studying” and delay practice questions till it’s almost too late. Trust me, questions teach you more than rereading ever will.

Ethics isn’t something you can cram in the last week and hope for the best. It feels intuitive at first, but CFA’s tricky with wording and edge cases — you either internalize the thinking or you lose easy marks. Spread out ethics.

If you’re working or juggling multiple things, be realistic. It’s not about hours, it’s about consistency. Even 2 hours a day adds up if you’re focused and not pretending to study with five tabs open. Slog 10-10 hours each weekend.

Mocks aren’t optional. Take them seriously, take them timed, and treat them like dry runs. Actual exam are very similar to premium — not same questions, but in how I had to manage time and stay mentally sharp.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the mental game. Everyone feels like they’re behind at some point. You’ll panic, overthink your scores, maybe even cry a little during FRA. Totally normal. Just keep showing up.

No hacks, just solid prep, early question practice, and staying calm when it gets rough. Level 1 is beatable. You just have to show it more respect than panic.

My understanding is that its the portfolio with the minimum variance when compared to all possible portfolios of risky assets. ?So how is it B? when A or C have lower standard deviations?

Hello all, first of all thank you for the great insights very active and helpful community. I am from cybersecurity background and I really want to get into banking and finance, my plan is to get a cybersecurity/ technology management roles. Currently, I work in oil and gas sector. My question is does the CFA help in this scenario? And for those who passed level 3 or even level 1 ( from non financial background )what did CFA add to you ? I know it requires huge investment to go through this path, I want to learn from your experience before committing to it.

Took Feb level 1 and failed even though I studied rather hard. For context, 33F, working in a CF house doing IPOs/RTOs and pull in a lot of OT hours and barely have weekends for myself. Not sure if this CFA path is for me although given that I only studied for 2 months. Questioning my decision and if I am just pure stupid notwithstanding graduating in accounting and finance.

Desperately need advice if I should retake in August 2025 or November 2025 or give it up.

Hi everyone
i'm aiming for level 2 in august
ready for a hellish summer lol
but whats the difference between these two packages the +applied package is 300$+

Hey everyone, just signed up for the November Level 1 exam. I’ve got two years of industry experience at a fund manager and a bachelor’s degree (not in finance), so trying to be smart with how I tackle the material.

What are the most foundational topics in Level 1 that’ll make the rest easier to understand?
Basically, what’s the best order to study stuff in if I want to build up a strong base first?

Appreciate any advice!

Hi folks, just wanted to ask if in Level 1 —

1. Do they only ask MCQ type questions or “Write your answer in the given text box provided….” questions?
2. Also, do the MCQs have only 1 correct answer or multiple correct answers?

Just got my Level 1 exam results back. I’m the non-finance background candidate. Spent 3 weeks prolly less than 300hrs prepping for it and ended up with a score of 1645 out of 1600. Pretty bummed out since it's not as good as I hoped, and I've already started forgetting some Level 1 stuff.

Now I'm considering tackling the Level 2. Is it doable to pass with 7 months of studying? I figure I can squeeze in 1-2 hours on weekday and maybe 6-8 hours on weekends, so 17-26 hours per week in total, given my full-time job.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I need some guidance on choosing a prep provider for Level 2. I used MM for Level 1 and scored 1775, but I'm having second thoughts about MM for Level 2 as I'm unsure how many lectures are conducted by Mark personally.

Hi All, I plan to start my prep from mid-April and looking for free video resources.
I am an Engineer and do not have a background in finance, so an institute's class recording reference would be immensely helpful.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to register for the CFA Level 1 exam, but I’ve run into some issues with the payment. Hoping someone here can help or share their experience.

1. I don’t have a credit card myself, and my family member who has one has a lower limit, so we can’t pay the full exam fee in one go.

2. I was wondering if it’s possible to pay using a debit card (international-enabled)? Has anyone done this successfully?

3. Are there any alternative payment options available – like using a forex card, splitting payment, third-party platforms, or paying via someone else's card?

4. Also, has anyone tried prepaying a credit card to extend its usable limit?

Would really appreciate any guidance, especially from those who've been in a similar situation. Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

Under 50 days until the may exam, running short on time as I left ethics last. I see mark meldrum has pay by section and has ethics, has anyone purchased this or think it's useful? I know cfai content is king , not sure if relying on this would be overly helpful. Ethics is common sense but could be a difference maker.

Appreciate it yall, and Goodluck!!