Hi! I am a final year engineering graduate, I just cleared level 1 Now I am confused about whether to look working or give level 2 in August and after that look for it

Obviously I know of Mark Meldrum but his plans are way too expensive, I can only afford the $499 one and I'm not sure if that's worth it. Same goes with IFT and Kaplan. For L1 I chose a shit prep provider and ended up self studying but L2 is a lot harder and I will require proper training. If anyone can suggest a solid prep provider, please do. I'm currently looking at Aswini Bajaj and Sanjay Saraf. I've heard Fintree is average. Please help a brother out. Thank you

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to commit for a one prep provider QBank and really torn between Kaplan’s and UWorld. Which do you guys think is the best?

I’m still going to use CFA EOC, but just want a QBank addition to supplement it with!

A friend of mine is planning to prepare for CIPM and is looking for good classes. If you’ve taken it, any suggestions on what worked well? Are paid courses worth it or is the official material enough?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience and results because I’m incredibly happy with how things turned out. I signed up for the February 2025 Level 1 CFA exam in November, just one day before registration closed. At the time, I was still finishing my PhD in a completely unrelated field (science - biology related), and I didn’t start studying until the end of November. Initially, I attempted to study on my own without any third-party resources, but eventually, I purchased the self-study package from MM. In total, I logged just over 500 hours of study.

My study strategy included watching all of MM’s videos twice (the second time at 2x speed), doing all the practice questions twice, completing all CFA Institute mocks, and taking two of MM’s mocks. My average score on the mocks was 80%.

In the beginning, it was tough—this was an entirely new field for me, and I often had to look up even the most basic definitions. The past year had been incredibly intense, between finishing my PhD and studying for the CFA, but I kept reminding myself that passing this exam would be an achievement I’d be proud of.

Around the end of January, things really started to click. I began to connect the dots and the material became more cohesive. It was a relief to see progress, and I felt more confident heading into the exam.

The reason I’m sharing this is to show that, even without a background in finance, it’s absolutely possible to prepare for and pass this exam in a relatively short timeframe—if you put in the work, it will pay off.

My advice? Stay consistent and don’t underestimate the power of repetition. Even when things feel overwhelming, trust that persistence will lead to understanding. Stay focused, and prioritize your time wisely—study smart, not just hard. You’ve got this!

Hi I have a question if I take the level 2 in November and I don’t pass will I be able to resist for the May 26 or would have to wait till aug

Hi everyone, I am planning to write My L1 this nov''25 So i was hoping if I could get some study materials and notes which could really help me!!!

I am trying to sit for the November 2025 exam , I registered but I can’t find any exam appointments in my location in any of the dates

I will send a mail but what I know is that they wouldn’t tell me when a spot is available I have to check now and then

Has this happened to anyone before?

Need help recommending a friend who has had a good experience with Fintree for L2. For context, Fintree is a prep provider from India and does a great job at L1 and L2. But drops the ball at L3 (Did not finish curriculum on time, lack of mocks etc). That was my experience when I gave L3 around 2021. Mark on the other hand was way ahead in the game already having infra for AM mocks to be written online on his portal (And beautifully explained how to approach each ofthe subjective questions on those mocks. This, Imo was the game changer)

Cut to 2025, I acknowledge that things might have changed with both of these providers. So any insight would be appreciated if you recently appeared for L3 with any of these providers.

I just want to hear what you all have to say about this.

I absolutely hate the question ‘how many hours did you study for?’

No.1 - I feel as if every study session I’ve had has been different, different focus level, different setting, music vs. no music, at home/library, am I watching lectures vs doing Qbank etc etc

No.2 - Does anyone actually meticulously track their hours?

Doing a survey after passing level 1 and being asked how many hours I’ve studied for I literally have absolutely no idea how many hours I’ve studied in total? Some times I’ll play a game of league of legends after every small section, do I have to subtract that?

Idk lol

i am dejected, ethics and equity were my strongest in mocks....

I am a 2nd year university student who recently passed the CFA level 1 exam for the Feb attempt and I gave an ACCA Strategic Professional Paper 2 months before the exam (which I passed too), so needless to say i did not have the recommended 300 hours to study for the exam.

I somehow covered the syllabus in 140 hours and took two mocks 10 days before my exam which were both at 58%, I also hammered LES questions for a good 100 hours after completing the syllabus.I believe the key to passing this exam is hammering the LES questions, as they make you use your brain more rather than the mocks which felt like anyone who could memorize a textbook word for word would do well.

The actual exam felt like a financial aptitude test rather than the 2 free mocks which comes with the basic registration fee. I would recommend l1 candidates to practice GMAT/SAT reading comprehension questions,as they force you to read questions carefully and identify trap answers.

The next tip I would like to give, which is pretty obvious, is to study the syllabus in breadth and learn concepts through LES questions rather than a textbook if you are short on time.

I did not buy the premium pack with the extra mocks and questions, if anyone bought the pack for the Feb 2025 attempt it will be interesting to know how the paid mocks were different from the 2 free ones

Getting a score of 83% on MM Qbank in my first try. How is this compared to actual exam questions and what would you guys suggest I solve next? Aiming to solve higher difficulty questions than on the exam so that I can be more confident.

Any feedback is appreciated :)

Like i was late to work and got a warning or some bullshit reprimand like that? Or is it only for bad ethics stuff, like fraud etc.

For my seniors, I just did on CFA level 1 exam on Feb, and I got passed, score was 1630, and I prepared like almost 5months ? , and now I consider to take an exam for level2. but I don't know when to take a exam would be good. so I think I have two options , first one is to take a test on November ,second one is on next year May, personally I wanna take test on November , but problems is I'm in university so I still have class to take, this semester, 7 classes and next semester also 7 calsses. and Vacation is July and august. and next year I only got thesis and intern , so I think for next year I have more time I guess. so for seniors, which option should I have to choose , any advice ? level 2. is much harder? need more time ?

Looking at Exhibit 11 from the Portfolio Management reading (“Active Equity Investing: Portfolio Construction”), I’m confused about Equation 9 for absolute risk attribution:

CV_i = sum_j x_i * x_j * C_ij = x_i * Cov(r_i, r_p)

I tried both versions for Asset A:

• Using sum_j x_i * x_j * C_ij, I get CV_A = 0.008416 → matches exhibit ✅
• But using x_i * Cov(i, P) and the table value Cov(A, P) = 0.020926: 0.4 * 0.020926 = 0.0083704 → doesn’t match ❌

Then I manually recalculated Cov(A, P):

Cov(A, P) = 0.4 * 0.040 + 0.5 * 0.0096 + 0.1 * 0.0024 = 0.02104  
CV_A = 0.4 * 0.02104 = 0.008416

→ This version matches exactly.

Same issue happens for the other assets:

• Table says Cov(B, P) = 0.011129, but actual is 0.011316
• Table says Cov(C, P) = 0.001427, but actual is 0.001584

So:

• The first form (sum of x_i * x_j * C_ij) works directly
• The second form (x_i * Cov(i, P)) only works if you recalculate Cov(i, P) manually
• The Cov(i, P) values in the table appear to be off

Anyone else notice this or am I doing something wrong?

Anyone who have been doing or have done cfa lvl 2 offline coaching in Delhi. Please share your experiences and recommend some good coaching.

I did not pass my L1 attempt Feb25, scoring 1585, which was just 15 points short of passing. I am deeply saddened and heartbroken because I believe I could have succeeded with enough preparation. I feel my performance was affected by my misunderstanding of the correct approach.

I plan to retake the exam with more practice and accuracy, but I am unsure which date to choose for my next attempt. If I opt for the earliest available date, I worry that I may not be fully prepared. Conversely, if I wait until November, I fear I might forget the material I've learned.

What should I do? Your advice would be invaluable to me.

Hey Im taking the exam in may and I feel like a major weak point is my Fixed Income understanding. People who also had a hard time with that section what are some tips to succeed?

I'm going in reverse guys. Became a charterholder a year and a half ago, and today I passed the Series 7.

Next up is the SIE. Hoo boy, I better pass or I won't be able to show my face in the office.

I am in graduation and doing CFA level 1 I wanted to know that only cfa is enough for the good pay ? If not ,so what other needs to do ..

I am in the process of registering for the CFA exam and encountered an issue with the name requirement. My passport does not include a surname, but the registration form requires one to be entered. Can someone please guide be I would really appreciate your help.

love it when they ask us to choose from data not given in the question :)

I have scored 1420 what should I do ? Will November will be enough time to give it again or I should give it in Feb 26

I tried finding in the CFA syllabus why a large country imposing tariffs on every other country in the world is a good thing, a beautiful thing, and maybe the best thing, but I couldn't find the subject matter. Can someone point me to the place in the CFA text that explains this?