If you think you nailed level 1 you certainly should start studying for level 2 now. If I started studying after I received level 1 results, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't of had enough time to pass. I started the first week after taking level 1. Many of the people I know that took L2 after receiving a L1 pass in Jan didn't pass. It just isn't enough time unless you really crunch and pump 20 hours a week. Surprisingly, even after studying for as long as I did for L2, things didn't really synthesize until the last week where I was studying 8-10 hours a day for 8 days.
Every time i get burned out or bogged down by studying the curriculum, I always come and and see this video. Thanks for posting this video and being a motivation for all of us.
@@sitemp1 I do not have any degree but I day trade for 2 years. I saw that they only allow someome with a degree or experience in the financial world for years. Am I qualified to take the exams if i study it?
I recently received my pass result for the CFA level 1 exam. I wanted to thank you for putting up videos like the above one because it most definitely helped me in my preparation. Unlike most things on the web, its solid no bull shit: which helped me focus on what's important and ignore the irrelevant. Thanks again, and please keep the videos coming. Much appreciated.
Yeah I think people have a lot of unrealistic expectations of what the CFA Charter will do for them. Will it give you a solid education? Yes. Will it be a magic pill to all of your career ailments? C'mon.
Thanks for this video. I'm 36 mom of two. A bachelor in commerce and have the alphabet soup designation on my CV. I want this not just for the better salary shit but to better my education standing...thanks again
Am a yr older than you, 2 kids (youngest 18 months). Passed Dec'16 L1. You can do it, just focus & cut out a lot of time wasters. Dont be afraid to say NO to people/things cos invariably you are saying YES to CFA; prioritize. Make use of your support structures to help with the kids as its temporary; my mom & sister in-law were invaluable. Decide, commit & prioritise!
Hey Alex, super helpful video, I appreciate the straight talk. I'm retesting for level-1 this June... was completely humbled after taking (and failing) my first attempt. This exam is no joke! -Phil
Hey... I went to UNC too! Graduated '13. Now I'm in PWM looking to take the CFA. Most of my colleagues are going a different route by taking the CFP. But thanks for the motivation.
Alex, can you please share your studying style. How you learned and how you kept the concepts and material in your mind/how you don't forget what you study. Appreciate your reply.
As someone who graduated CT state uni in January 2008, my experience/attitude with the exams was somewhat different: Came in the top 10% of those who failed Level I in December that year. (Everyone figured they made that exam much harder. So should have thought of signing up for the June exam.) Passed the Level I in June 2009. Failed the Level II in June 2010, band 7 (top 31-40% of those who failed), and chose not to continue due to a lack of employer interest at the time. Overall you should want to finish reading the material as soon as possible and not really think of how many hours total you will study for it. (Probably was well over 500 hours I spent reading the material for the first attempt on each.) As I ran short of time the first time around, while I was disappointed that the passing attempt on the Level I I felt like I really didn't do that much to study for it. So you probably won't have as much time as you think. Level II was as much a pain as it was a pleasure to study for. Failing the way I did certainly made the decision not to continue easy enough. (Felt my performance was weak on the morning session. Strong on the afternoon session. Will surely vary year to year.) Times sure were different then: youtube was still thought of as a place for low quality videos, there wasn't much of anything going on with "social media" (fb was about as exciting as LinkedIn), and still be quite a long time before I got a "smart" mobile device. Since then, few times thought of going back to it, more down to my career. Two years ago came close and more casually contemplating it right now. To be sure, I have never stopped learning. :)
Finish the material with at least a month before the test, so you can do practice tests and review. It's not about the sheer hours that you put in. It's about the quality of those hours. This is why I'm against counting hours. The point of "300 hours" is just to illustrate to people that it WILL be a big time commitment and not something like the Series 7 that you cram for in a week. It's not that you watch the clock like a weirdo until you hit your hour count, lol. If you do give it a go, I've got another video on Level 2 specifically!
@@AlexCook I was merely conveying how my experience with the exams went. Would say composing my thoughts there might have helped: Those ideas well funneled their way into a phone interview I had a day or two later, combined with other awesome life experience, which I was informed I will be getting the offer to be an investment support specialist role. :) So soon enough I should be taking the SIE, Series 7 and 63. Let's just say I probably should not mention the sheer number of jobs I applied to in the past decade before this success. As lot of folks would think it too tactical and lacking strategy. Even if it helped polish me into giving the excellent interview which got me the job.. which as well can be said I think it's almost assured I would have been successful at whatever I tried to do with that level of effort. Heck, will be a 1900 mile drive to get to my new job. :D PS So it is possible I will take the Level II again a full decade later.
You never stated how you got into PWM and then suddenly decided to switch. I have decided to enter the CFA program and then finance in order to become a securities regulator. Hope I can get in and get out as well--then go on to a career of prosecuting traders who break the law!
Hi Alex, thanks for the video I just signed up for level I for June 2019, full time employee and dad so needing to be as efficient as possible with my time but also want to get the most out of the course as possible. Your comment around 7:55 mentions your key approach, I just want to confirm if you don't mind. You say you read the chapter, then do the questions and answers going back to the content to essentially fill in the gaps in understanding. This approach sounds really efficient to me as the focus is on the most important stuff, particularly what is being tested. I assume you don't recommend summarizing? Do you just read the chapter so as to get through it as quickly as possible and gain the most understanding in the shortest time? Seems like summarizing will take too long and is not worth it. Thanks a lot
What do you mean by summarizing? Like writing down bullet points from the materials? I mean if it works for you then do it. I'm going over a technique that worked for me and I've seen worked for others. My overall point with the video is: shut up and just do the damn practice questions. Lol. People get bogged down in minutae but if you just do the practice questions, this is what is going to set you up for success.
Thank you so much .. I was so confused which book to follow .. n very limited capital wd me at the moment yo buy anything more that cfa books .. Ur video is really helpfull❤️
ok i was wondering is it possible to go for the CFA right after college? I do understand you need the 4 years of work experience to get the actual CFA designation, but isn't it possible to pass the 3 exams in 18 months before you start working so you would have a lot more time to study?
keyblade134679 As of the time posting this, you can sign up for the Level 1 exam during your senior year. Yes, you do need 4 years of qualifying work experience and the other requisite approvals to become a Charterholder, but you can work your way through the exams during that time. It's common for people during their senior year or right after they graduate to sign up for Level 1, and they usually get the 4 years of work experience at about the same time that they pass Level 3. Source: www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfaprogram/register/Pages/index.aspx I HIGHLY recommend at least 5-6 months of time blocked out for studying prior to an exam. Some people block out even more than that.
Alex, great advice on keeping ones head on straight while studying for the CFA exams. Can you tell me if you took notes while studying the CFA curriculum?
Hello Alex, I really appreciate your idea of training rather than making it into a race. I will be starting level 2 (waiting for level 1 results). I have a clear question, although I understand you did not use third-party material. Could you emphasize the fact that it is actually possible to only pass with CFA textbooks? It's so intimidating to see people grab extra material. It would be great if you could revert.
Does anyone have any advice on the order of the material you should follow? Should you follow the standard order that is provided by the CFA institute/schweser or do you find it more helpful to jump around? Any advice is appreciated thanks in advance
Alex, I am interning this summer and have a light fall semester (No class on MWFs) before graduating in December. I'm sure I can stay self motivated. Do you think this is adequate study time for the December exam? I am referencing where you said "you want to be done with materials by May to start the practice exams"
25Celtics Yes. I was talking about the June exams when I was saying finish all the material with one month to go. If you have two full days during the school week, plus weekends, that gives you four study days per week with 6 months until the test. That should be more than enough time provided that you put it to good use. Keep in mind that people pass these exams while working 80+ hour New York/San Francisco work weeks; if you have a light semester, take it seriously but it should be plenty of time.
Thank you Alex for sharing your experience with us , I just want to ask you : I am in my final year at my college and I intend to get into CFA Level 1 at Dec , my question to you is what after passing through it ? Is it not allowed to me to get into Level 2 directly , Am I gonna to be in the same point until I can get 4 years of Experience ? and 4 years in which filed ? .
Ibraheem Abouzaid You can sign up for the Level 2 exam after successfully passing the Level 1 exam. You can theoretically pass all the exams before getting the 4 years of necessary work experience, in which case your eligibility for the charter would be pending the work experience and other requisite approvals.
while I am studying for the CFA level I exam, can anyone recommend a place to work to get that 48-month experience? I am fresh out of college with an Economics degree
Jake4rmStateFarm How's it going, I got into MBS and real estate valuations got CFA then went into private equity research analyst. I got a finance degree though
One of the best financial sales guys I know only has a high school diploma and his FINRA licenses. Do the CFA Program to get an education and better yourself. If you have the value, the money will come. If you don't, it doesn't matter how many alphabet soup designations you have on your resume.
I attempted my level 1 in December 2014 and didn't pass. It is solely on my lack of time and not studying enough for sure. I was working and just was always too tired to think about studying. I didn't really like the fact that I didn't go through because of my own lack of determination and will. I do want to however try the DEC 2015 one and go at it hard this time. I have a question regarding the work experience part of CFA. Where were you working and how do you show that to the institute to finalize ur CFA designation?
Hello, thank you for knocking some sense to the people who over complicate the CFA program. Anyways, for my question. Do you think an engineering graduate, who got his foot in the financial industry will fair well. Granted, i will be aiming for the December examination.
+Lanxe123456789 If you study hard enough sure. There's a number of people in finance who have engineering backgrounds. Level 1 is really just about bringing everyone to the same level. Sure people who did corporate finance in undergrad will have an easier time since it's remedial for them, but just treat it like you would studying for any other class.
Hi Alex, firstly, congrats on clearing your CFA. I just wanted to know whether you completed all the 3 levels along with your day-job (i.e, 40 hrs/week). Why i ask this is because, i am planning to take up CFA-L1 along with my day job of +40hrs/week. And secondly, how within what duration were you able to start and complete from L1 to L3. Thanks!
+ritika punjabi I'd say at least 2. The first one is exposing weaknesses to go back to the material and tighten up on. The second one is a confidence builder and final fine-tuning.
Hi Alex, what would you recommend doing in my case, where I hold a four year BS in Technical Education degree from Ukraine (obtained 9 years ago) and I am pursuing career of a Financial Analyst. Do you think I would still need to acquire certain degree in the US or trying to go for CFA test and to hope for an internship. Please, help me with an advice, whatever it would be. Thanks
+Oleksandr Chuyko "Financial Analyst" is a hugely broad description. That could mean anything from an investment banker to back-office corporate finance. I would suggest first getting more specific on what your career goals are, and then work backwards as far as figuring out what kinds of educational tools would be helpful to get you to your dream job. I would also suggest bouncing your ideas around on WallStreetOasis, which is a forum for peer to peer advice on career development in finance.
Alex Cook Thank you Alex, My main goal is to become a successful investor. So I thought to work for the company where I could get an appropriate knowledge and experience is the best solution. Being a Research Analyst (Financial Analyst) working let say for some Wealth Management company is my goal. I just want to manage investments in the future as a professional and later on end up doing it on my own for my own and others.
+Oleksandr Chuyko Well, going through the program definitely isn't going to hurt. Nothing of course is guaranteed and there's no magic pill to get you your dream job, but at the least, you will get a high quality education on financial markets.
I need help I am starting to study for the level 1 ,, could someone tell me what material would you recomend me ? my prep time will be from sep till dec
I am really interested in the finance domain. I am contemplating getting a CFA to gain a deeper underatanding in this field. I look forward to giving it next june. But the point is it requires a substantial investment. I am from india where a dollar is equal to 64 bucks in our domestic currency (sucks but cant help). I dont wanna do it unless i am entirely sure if i can handle the curriculum. The thing is i am not very good at retaining theorotical stuff (read rot learning) but i am quite good with numbers and their application. Is the curriculum ideally cut out for me? Also i would be pursuing MBA in finance after a couple of years of job experience. Would really appreciate your response since u have already nailed all the three levels. :)
Vaibhav Bhardwaj Ultimately that's a decision you got to make on your own. I would ask the same questions that you'd ask for any kind of continuing education. The way that I look at it, for the cost of less than a semester of grad school at a US university, you could pay for the whole CFA program. It depends though on what your personal goals are and how you want to form your "personal brand."
+Kieran Lafferty If you don't take time to unwind and de-stress, you're not going to perform at 100%. You wouldn't do a 18-20 mile training run the day before a marathon, yet for some reason people think that studying until the night before the test is somehow a good idea.
+Alex Cook (HowToBeAnAnalyst) no i fully agree with you about the unwinding. Just thought that it was particularly funny seeing how often people say they going for one drink and it turns into a big night lol
Hey Alex , ur video is so informative and encouraging , thnx alot . So u mentioned something important abwt getting rid of social network time, im asking about the name of the blogger , u said Mario i guess right? can u show me his channel or videoa plz cuz i waste alot of time in SN. Thnx again
+didiosman4 Mario Tomic. Here is the article specifically that I was referring to: shockingfit.com/managing-your-energy/ His website is oriented more toward physical fitness but a lot of the general principles apply elsewhere. Check it out!
I enjoyed your point on supplicating value, this stuff hold true in a lot of life. I'm a regular american dude, but I learned Japanese, and some people interested in learning will kiss my ass, it's so repulsive. Talking to people like their gods gets old fast and is super unnecessary. thinking of doing CFA, maybe CMT.
Hey Alex,congratulations on passing your exams.I understand why you keep saying not to pay attention to passing scores n all. I'm a level 1 candidate and will be appearing for my exams this June and I was wondering if you could help me find a way to manage and retain the knowledge of the entire curriculum To be a little specific, the thing is because CFA institute do not release past exam question papers there is really no info regarding,in how much detail do they test you.Is it that all you need is a good overall knowledge of everything or u really need to know every single or as many possible names and structures,characteristics,etc)For ex-every single IFRS and USGAAP diff(I know this is a important section,at least I guess so).,or terms as Top Heavy,etc Now this may sound stupid or may be cowardly to you I dont know,but there are lots of stuff all over the level 1 curriculum which I know for sure I wont be able to retain(mostly stray terms and comparisons that are getting muddled up),so if you could tell me what kind of approach you used to keep all the knowledge/information in you by not forgetting them every once in a while and also, if then how you taught yourself to pay more focus on certain areas of every subject coz they seemed like more important. I don't know if I could make myself clear,I'm not trying to find a shortcut here,rather a way to get a good grip on the entire syllabus. I would really appreciate any tip you gotta offer. Thanx man. :)
Thanks for commenting. I would suggest that the curriculum itself will weight you in the appropriate direction for the exams. Secondly, not true about CFA Institute not releasing past exams questions. I don't recall for Level 1, but for Level 3, they did release the past three years worth of short essay questions along with sample answers. Additionally, USE THE END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS in the curriculum! That is a HUGE resource and in my opinion the best prep for the exam that you can do. You are not expected to have CPA/Chartered Accountant level competency with IFRS and USGAAP tiny details about what regulation XYZ123 means. The end of chapter questions will guide in in the right direction. Good luck and keep hustling.
Hey Alex , is it permissible to give CFA level on exam in last year of college ? Is it possible to complete corpse in 2 years and then opt for work experience?
Bilal C i will suggest go for professional, i already have plus, was suggested by professor during MBA and never felt that its inadequate. but professional is better & will save few keystrokes in examination room.
Thanks for your video,it will help a lot for many CFA aspirants. I would like to ask you whether CFA charter would help to break-in to investment banks? I've heard that no Investment bank shows interest in a CFA charter holder as he is over-qualified for their job. How far is it true? I'm pursuing Chartered Accountancy in India and besides this I would like to pursue CFA charter. What does the CFA institute expect from a candidate,how far is it difficult? Where could I get the material at lower cost and I also want to know whether the institute's books are too heavier in volume to study which eats up a lot of time for study rather than practice? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Vankayala Kameswara Sarma "I've heard that no Investment bank shows interest in a CFA charter holder as he is over-qualified for their job" That is flat out not true. What role specifically are you looking for? Research, I-Banking, what? I'd suggest Wall Street Oasis as another resource.
I just passed Level III !!
How old are you how many tries it took?
28, passed each level on first attempt. Took it Dec 14/Jun 15/Jun 16
If you think you nailed level 1 you certainly should start studying for level 2 now. If I started studying after I received level 1 results, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't of had enough time to pass. I started the first week after taking level 1. Many of the people I know that took L2 after receiving a L1 pass in Jan didn't pass. It just isn't enough time unless you really crunch and pump 20 hours a week.
Surprisingly, even after studying for as long as I did for L2, things didn't really synthesize until the last week where I was studying 8-10 hours a day for 8 days.
SteinerBombz how many hours a week do you work?
Which study materials did you use? Kaplan or Wiley?
Every time i get burned out or bogged down by studying the curriculum, I always come and and see this video. Thanks for posting this video and being a motivation for all of us.
+Kunal Mathur Glad to help!
same!
I watched your video when i was considering to register for level 1. Became a Charterholder in November 19.
Slow MotionWow, thats incredible. I am 17 and want to take cfa after B.A economics.How many years did it take you to complete it?
@@victornyamu2547 I also have an economics degree it took me 3 years. You will learn a lot!
@@sitemp1 I do not have any degree but I day trade for 2 years. I saw that they only allow someome with a degree or experience in the financial world for years. Am I qualified to take the exams if i study it?
How're you doing, job/career-wise now?
Your mentality is to get a education- well said bro
Hey Alex, I went to UNC too. Your video was honestly the best approach to taking the CFA that I've heard. Congrats.
Just passed my level 1 following what you said. Here again as I'm starting to study for level 2 next week!
That's awesome man, check out my Level 2 video also
What is the best Books to order for level 1?
That's great , can u tell me if it's required an experience for cfa exam
I recently received my pass result for the CFA level 1 exam. I wanted to thank you for putting up videos like the above one because it most definitely helped me in my preparation. Unlike most things on the web, its solid no bull shit: which helped me focus on what's important and ignore the irrelevant. Thanks again, and please keep the videos coming. Much appreciated.
I like your humility. The same applies to Ph.D.
Sounds great till you get it. You wonder how it matters, once you have it.
Yeah I think people have a lot of unrealistic expectations of what the CFA Charter will do for them. Will it give you a solid education? Yes. Will it be a magic pill to all of your career ailments? C'mon.
Studying foLevel 3 and hit a wall for the 50th time. This video kept me motivated again so thank you:)
You have regained my confidence in eventually taking the tests! Thank you so much
Thanks for this video. I'm 36 mom of two. A bachelor in commerce and have the alphabet soup designation on my CV. I want this not just for the better salary shit but to better my education standing...thanks again
Am a yr older than you, 2 kids (youngest 18 months). Passed Dec'16 L1. You can do it, just focus & cut out a lot of time wasters. Dont be afraid to say NO to people/things cos invariably you are saying YES to CFA; prioritize. Make use of your support structures to help with the kids as its temporary; my mom & sister in-law were invaluable. Decide, commit & prioritise!
13:08 is where the motivation begins
Hey Alex, super helpful video, I appreciate the straight talk. I'm retesting for level-1 this June... was completely humbled after taking (and failing) my first attempt. This exam is no joke! -Phil
Phil Coomes
You mean December? You can take Level 1 June or December.
Ah that's what I meant. Retesting this December, failed the June 2012.
I fucking love this dude. He's a legend
Lol. Maybe one day.
couldnt stop myself from liking this video..not only for CFA this tips are helpful for any exams
Soumyadeep Ganguly
Thanks!
Hey... I went to UNC too! Graduated '13. Now I'm in PWM looking to take the CFA. Most of my colleagues are going a different route by taking the CFP. But thanks for the motivation.
+HERbeauty If you like PWM, you will like Level 3. Very relevant to what you're doing.
Bottom line is just study till you understand the material properly and you have to make time for that.
Thanks a lot, Alex. Excellent video!!! Could you please let me know what practice tests you used in your preparation other than the CFA Institute one?
Hi Alex, I passed all level three and FRM all level 2, wondering how can I get my dream job which is related to CFA knowledge?
Alex, can you please share your studying style. How you learned and how you kept the concepts and material in your mind/how you don't forget what you study. Appreciate your reply.
As someone who graduated CT state uni in January 2008, my experience/attitude with the exams was somewhat different: Came in the top 10% of those who failed Level I in December that year. (Everyone figured they made that exam much harder. So should have thought of signing up for the June exam.) Passed the Level I in June 2009. Failed the Level II in June 2010, band 7 (top 31-40% of those who failed), and chose not to continue due to a lack of employer interest at the time.
Overall you should want to finish reading the material as soon as possible and not really think of how many hours total you will study for it. (Probably was well over 500 hours I spent reading the material for the first attempt on each.) As I ran short of time the first time around, while I was disappointed that the passing attempt on the Level I I felt like I really didn't do that much to study for it. So you probably won't have as much time as you think. Level II was as much a pain as it was a pleasure to study for. Failing the way I did certainly made the decision not to continue easy enough. (Felt my performance was weak on the morning session. Strong on the afternoon session. Will surely vary year to year.)
Times sure were different then: youtube was still thought of as a place for low quality videos, there wasn't much of anything going on with "social media" (fb was about as exciting as LinkedIn), and still be quite a long time before I got a "smart" mobile device.
Since then, few times thought of going back to it, more down to my career. Two years ago came close and more casually contemplating it right now. To be sure, I have never stopped learning. :)
Finish the material with at least a month before the test, so you can do practice tests and review. It's not about the sheer hours that you put in. It's about the quality of those hours. This is why I'm against counting hours. The point of "300 hours" is just to illustrate to people that it WILL be a big time commitment and not something like the Series 7 that you cram for in a week. It's not that you watch the clock like a weirdo until you hit your hour count, lol. If you do give it a go, I've got another video on Level 2 specifically!
@@AlexCook I was merely conveying how my experience with the exams went. Would say composing my thoughts there might have helped: Those ideas well funneled their way into a phone interview I had a day or two later, combined with other awesome life experience, which I was informed I will be getting the offer to be an investment support specialist role. :)
So soon enough I should be taking the SIE, Series 7 and 63. Let's just say I probably should not mention the sheer number of jobs I applied to in the past decade before this success. As lot of folks would think it too tactical and lacking strategy. Even if it helped polish me into giving the excellent interview which got me the job.. which as well can be said I think it's almost assured I would have been successful at whatever I tried to do with that level of effort. Heck, will be a 1900 mile drive to get to my new job. :D
PS So it is possible I will take the Level II again a full decade later.
Great vid Alex
+nicbarrow
Thanks!
Very helpful Alex, thank you!
Awesome Talk. I can't agree more on keeping the ego in check.
Good advice Alex
You never stated how you got into PWM and then suddenly decided to switch. I have decided to enter the CFA program and then finance in order to become a securities regulator. Hope I can get in and get out as well--then go on to a career of prosecuting traders who break the law!
Hi Alex, thanks for the video
I just signed up for level I for June 2019, full time employee and dad so needing to be as efficient as possible with my time but also want to get the most out of the course as possible.
Your comment around 7:55 mentions your key approach, I just want to confirm if you don't mind. You say you read the chapter, then do the questions and answers going back to the content to essentially fill in the gaps in understanding.
This approach sounds really efficient to me as the focus is on the most important stuff, particularly what is being tested. I assume you don't recommend summarizing? Do you just read the chapter so as to get through it as quickly as possible and gain the most understanding in the shortest time? Seems like summarizing will take too long and is not worth it.
Thanks a lot
What do you mean by summarizing? Like writing down bullet points from the materials? I mean if it works for you then do it. I'm going over a technique that worked for me and I've seen worked for others. My overall point with the video is: shut up and just do the damn practice questions. Lol. People get bogged down in minutae but if you just do the practice questions, this is what is going to set you up for success.
@@AlexCook Thats the response I was look for thanks!
Bring back the sideburns! This is the stuff of legends
Thank you so much .. I was so confused which book to follow .. n very limited capital wd me at the moment yo buy anything more that cfa books ..
Ur video is really helpfull❤️
I am very confused about wat to buy means which material is good or which is not. Could you Please help me
Hey just wanted to know what kind of resources di you use
As in did you purchase resources from any 3rd party providers?
ok i was wondering is it possible to go for the CFA right after college? I do understand you need the 4 years of work experience to get the actual CFA designation, but isn't it possible to pass the 3 exams in 18 months before you start working so you would have a lot more time to study?
keyblade134679
As of the time posting this, you can sign up for the Level 1 exam during your senior year. Yes, you do need 4 years of qualifying work experience and the other requisite approvals to become a Charterholder, but you can work your way through the exams during that time. It's common for people during their senior year or right after they graduate to sign up for Level 1, and they usually get the 4 years of work experience at about the same time that they pass Level 3.
Source: www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfaprogram/register/Pages/index.aspx
I HIGHLY recommend at least 5-6 months of time blocked out for studying prior to an exam. Some people block out even more than that.
Alex, great advice on keeping ones head on straight while studying for the CFA exams. Can you tell me if you took notes while studying the CFA curriculum?
Hi, Alex. Great content, do you , by any chance, have the link where you bought your books from?
Hello Alex, I really appreciate your idea of training rather than making it into a race. I will be starting level 2 (waiting for level 1 results). I have a clear question, although I understand you did not use third-party material.
Could you emphasize the fact that it is actually possible to only pass with CFA textbooks? It's so intimidating to see people grab extra material. It would be great if you could revert.
I passed entirely with CFA Institute textbooks. If you want to get Kaplan, go ahead, but I personally didn't.
Thank you man, for this video.
Thanks, i will try Level II again 😎😎
Like what you said it what you do with this charter holder matters. will fight for that.
Does anyone have any advice on the order of the material you should follow? Should you follow the standard order that is provided by the CFA institute/schweser or do you find it more helpful to jump around? Any advice is appreciated thanks in advance
+realmadridkaka123
I recommend following the order as written, since topics can build on each other.
which books to prefer?
Alex,
I am interning this summer and have a light fall semester (No class on MWFs) before graduating in December. I'm sure I can stay self motivated. Do you think this is adequate study time for the December exam? I am referencing where you said "you want to be done with materials by May to start the practice exams"
25Celtics
Yes. I was talking about the June exams when I was saying finish all the material with one month to go. If you have two full days during the school week, plus weekends, that gives you four study days per week with 6 months until the test. That should be more than enough time provided that you put it to good use. Keep in mind that people pass these exams while working 80+ hour New York/San Francisco work weeks; if you have a light semester, take it seriously but it should be plenty of time.
Thank you Alex for sharing your experience with us , I just want to ask you : I am in my final year at my college and I intend to get into CFA Level 1 at Dec , my question to you is what after passing through it ? Is it not allowed to me to get into Level 2 directly , Am I gonna to be in the same point until I can get 4 years of Experience ? and 4 years in which filed ? .
Ibraheem Abouzaid
You can sign up for the Level 2 exam after successfully passing the Level 1 exam. You can theoretically pass all the exams before getting the 4 years of necessary work experience, in which case your eligibility for the charter would be pending the work experience and other requisite approvals.
Hello Alex, I am Deepti from India. I want to become a CFA. Which books and notes would you suggest fro CFA Level 1?
while I am studying for the CFA level I exam, can anyone recommend a place to work to get that 48-month experience? I am fresh out of college with an Economics degree
Jake4rmStateFarm How's it going, I got into MBS and real estate valuations got CFA then went into private equity research analyst. I got a finance degree though
Great video. Is it possible to get a decent job with just a level 1 or is it pretty much necessary to do all 3 levels before applying for jobs ?
It's highly possible.
One of the best financial sales guys I know only has a high school diploma and his FINRA licenses. Do the CFA Program to get an education and better yourself. If you have the value, the money will come. If you don't, it doesn't matter how many alphabet soup designations you have on your resume.
So did you pass all from the first trial or did you fail one and had to retake it?
I attempted my level 1 in December 2014 and didn't pass. It is solely on my lack of time and not studying enough for sure. I was working and just was always too tired to think about studying. I didn't really like the fact that I didn't go through because of my own lack of determination and will. I do want to however try the DEC 2015 one and go at it hard this time.
I have a question regarding the work experience part of CFA. Where were you working and how do you show that to the institute to finalize ur CFA designation?
Zainab Rizvi
CFA Institute's website has instructions on how to report work experience.
Hello, thank you for knocking some sense to the people who over complicate the CFA program. Anyways, for my question. Do you think an engineering graduate, who got his foot in the financial industry will fair well. Granted, i will be aiming for the December examination.
+Lanxe123456789
If you study hard enough sure. There's a number of people in finance who have engineering backgrounds. Level 1 is really just about bringing everyone to the same level. Sure people who did corporate finance in undergrad will have an easier time since it's remedial for them, but just treat it like you would studying for any other class.
nice information , may i get the materials of CFA level 1 ?
Mohammed Ashraf whatever you have cfa materials share with me
Mohammed Ashraf thanks
I search it alot but in vain thank you so much dear ashraf
Your welcome..
And you can search in fb about groups like CFA2017
Hi Alex, firstly, congrats on clearing your CFA.
I just wanted to know whether you completed all the 3 levels along with your day-job (i.e, 40 hrs/week). Why i ask this is because, i am planning to take up CFA-L1 along with my day job of +40hrs/week. And secondly, how within what duration were you able to start and complete from L1 to L3. Thanks!
Rahul Mamtora
Yes. Although it was more like 60-70 hours per week at times. Not sure I understand the second part of your question.
Alex Cook I think he meant....did you do them back to back....year by year? Or was it longer?
Hello.
How CFA changed/effect your career ?
great video bro..Thank you very much
Hey Alex , how many full portion mock tests do you suggest giving ?
+ritika punjabi I'd say at least 2. The first one is exposing weaknesses to go back to the material and tighten up on. The second one is a confidence builder and final fine-tuning.
Where did you take practice test( I mean mock test)?
hi! where can i get the books that are needed to get the whole knowledge?
Hi. Please suggest which calculator shall i use, plus or professional. I am a level 1 candidate
where do you get the books?
CFA Institute issues them to you when you sign up for the exam. You can opt for e-books, paperback, or both.
Is there any scope to write CFA exam for an engineer ? Scope in terms of jobs and the salary
Has it improved your income and gotten you into a more analytical role?
Hi Alex, what would you recommend doing in my case, where I hold a four year BS in Technical Education degree from Ukraine (obtained 9 years ago) and I am pursuing career of a Financial Analyst. Do you think I would still need to acquire certain degree in the US or trying to go for CFA test and to hope for an internship. Please, help me with an advice, whatever it would be.
Thanks
+Oleksandr Chuyko
"Financial Analyst" is a hugely broad description. That could mean anything from an investment banker to back-office corporate finance. I would suggest first getting more specific on what your career goals are, and then work backwards as far as figuring out what kinds of educational tools would be helpful to get you to your dream job. I would also suggest bouncing your ideas around on WallStreetOasis, which is a forum for peer to peer advice on career development in finance.
Alex Cook
Thank you Alex,
My main goal is to become a successful investor. So I thought to work for the company where I could get an appropriate knowledge and experience is the best solution. Being a Research Analyst (Financial Analyst) working let say for some Wealth Management company is my goal. I just want to manage investments in the future as a professional and later on end up doing it on my own for my own and others.
+Oleksandr Chuyko
Well, going through the program definitely isn't going to hurt. Nothing of course is guaranteed and there's no magic pill to get you your dream job, but at the least, you will get a high quality education on financial markets.
Thank you Alex
Hi
I have some queries with respect to CFA how may I contact you?
Are the online learning program for cfa good..?? do they provide quality Teaching? Is it a good decision to learn through online program..???
Will working in a share brokerage firm qualify as work experience for a CFA charter? Also, can you suggest the firms where working will qualify?
great video
Hi.I am 22 years old I am very nervous about my exam in CFA 1 December 2016
Isn't there a graduate and work experience requirement for CFA?
Mussa Kaleem are you asking because of age? A lot of people have their degrees at 22 and work experience.
THANKS ALEX
I need help I am starting to study for the level 1 ,, could someone tell me what material would you recomend me ? my prep time will be from sep till dec
i am taking cfa 1 test next week lol
I am really interested in the finance domain. I am contemplating getting a CFA to gain a deeper underatanding in this field. I look forward to giving it next june. But the point is it requires a substantial investment. I am from india where a dollar is equal to 64 bucks in our domestic currency (sucks but cant help). I dont wanna do it unless i am entirely sure if i can handle the curriculum. The thing is i am not very good at retaining theorotical stuff (read rot learning) but i am quite good with numbers and their application. Is the curriculum ideally cut out for me? Also i would be pursuing MBA in finance after a couple of years of job experience. Would really appreciate your response since u have already nailed all the three levels. :)
Vaibhav Bhardwaj
Ultimately that's a decision you got to make on your own. I would ask the same questions that you'd ask for any kind of continuing education. The way that I look at it, for the cost of less than a semester of grad school at a US university, you could pay for the whole CFA program. It depends though on what your personal goals are and how you want to form your "personal brand."
" go have a few beers with some buddies the night before" lol
+Kieran Lafferty
If you don't take time to unwind and de-stress, you're not going to perform at 100%. You wouldn't do a 18-20 mile training run the day before a marathon, yet for some reason people think that studying until the night before the test is somehow a good idea.
+Alex Cook (HowToBeAnAnalyst) no i fully agree with you about the unwinding. Just thought that it was particularly funny seeing how often people say they going for one drink and it turns into a big night lol
Btw thanks for the reply and the video. Very insightful
Good Job !!!
which calculator is preferred..texas or the hp one?
Doesn't matter. Whichever one you are comfortable with using. I personally used the HP 12C
good vid! agree with all points
I wonder if this guy's ear is ticklish. 🥰
is it possible to do Level 2 after a year of passing Level 1?
could u plz tell me what practice exam did u do?
Hey Alex , ur video is so informative and encouraging , thnx alot . So u mentioned something important abwt getting rid of social network time, im asking about the name of the blogger , u said Mario i guess right? can u show me his channel or videoa plz cuz i waste alot of time in SN. Thnx again
+didiosman4
Mario Tomic. Here is the article specifically that I was referring to: shockingfit.com/managing-your-energy/
His website is oriented more toward physical fitness but a lot of the general principles apply elsewhere. Check it out!
Thanx alot ;)
I enjoyed your point on supplicating value, this stuff hold true in a lot of life. I'm a regular american dude, but I learned Japanese, and some people interested in learning will kiss my ass, it's so repulsive.
Talking to people like their gods gets old fast and is super unnecessary.
thinking of doing CFA, maybe CMT.
umm i am 17 years old and my goal is to achieve cfa charterholder so it will be very helpfull if you have any share any experience or advise please
I work in real estate private equity so CAIA was more useful
Yes, it depends in your industry and time constraints. I think CAIA is a great certification for sure!
respect
Do you get job after CFA?
did you get an analyst job after you passed?
thanks sir.
Who will believe me if i say that now alex works in army of US
It's true
Hey Alex,congratulations on passing your exams.I understand why you keep saying not to pay attention to passing scores n all.
I'm a level 1 candidate and will be appearing for my exams this June and I was wondering if you could help me find a way to manage and retain the knowledge of the entire curriculum
To be a little specific, the thing is because CFA institute do not release past exam question papers there is really no info regarding,in how much detail do they test you.Is it that all you need is a good overall knowledge of everything or u really need to know every single or as many possible names and structures,characteristics,etc)For ex-every single IFRS and USGAAP diff(I know this is a important section,at least I guess so).,or terms as Top Heavy,etc
Now this may sound stupid or may be cowardly to you I dont know,but there are lots of stuff all over the level 1 curriculum which I know for sure I wont be able to retain(mostly stray terms and comparisons that are getting muddled up),so if you could tell me what kind of approach you used to keep all the knowledge/information in you by not forgetting them every once in a while and also, if then how you taught yourself to pay more focus on certain areas of every subject coz they seemed like more important.
I don't know if I could make myself clear,I'm not trying to find a shortcut here,rather a way to get a good grip on the entire syllabus.
I would really appreciate any tip you gotta offer.
Thanx man.
:)
Thanks for commenting. I would suggest that the curriculum itself will weight you in the appropriate direction for the exams.
Secondly, not true about CFA Institute not releasing past exams questions. I don't recall for Level 1, but for Level 3, they did release the past three years worth of short essay questions along with sample answers. Additionally, USE THE END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS in the curriculum! That is a HUGE resource and in my opinion the best prep for the exam that you can do.
You are not expected to have CPA/Chartered Accountant level competency with IFRS and USGAAP tiny details about what regulation XYZ123 means. The end of chapter questions will guide in in the right direction.
Good luck and keep hustling.
Hey thanx for ur reply man.I really apprciate it:)
Hey Alex , is it permissible to give CFA level on exam in last year of college ?
Is it possible to complete corpse in 2 years and then opt for work experience?
Thanks 🙏🏼
Which calculator did you use?
Bilal C I use BA 2nd plus of texas instrument. Its pretty good actually.
Zoozoo Mall did you pass the cfa yet?
Bilal C Cleared level 2 in july. Positive for 3rd level :)
Awesome! Good luck! Do I need the professional or am I fine with the plus?
Bilal C i will suggest go for professional, i already have plus, was suggested by professor during MBA and never felt that its inadequate. but professional is better & will save few keystrokes in examination room.
Counting hours is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. There's even a website called 300 hours. Good video and advice Alex.
If more people had your mindset...more people would pass. Just do the damn work.
Nice
good vid
Hello Eden Hazard...
+Sekgabo Segatlepbs
LOL I kind of see it...
Should I pass all the subject of CFA part 1 to move forward to part 2 (e.g. ethics,fra, economics etc )
I don't understand the question. You either pass CFA Level 1 or you don't. There's no such thing as passing only a section of it.
非常好的视频，转载了
+luoli li 謝謝
hey alex how old where you when you achieved the cfa charterholder
+39 SB
5:18 please notice me senpai!
Thanks for your video,it will help a lot for many CFA aspirants.
I would like to ask you whether CFA charter would help to break-in to investment banks?
I've heard that no Investment bank shows interest in a CFA charter holder as he is over-qualified for their job. How far is it true?
I'm pursuing Chartered Accountancy in India and besides this I would like to pursue CFA charter. What does the CFA institute expect from a candidate,how far is it difficult?
Where could I get the material at lower cost and I also want to know whether the institute's books are too heavier in volume to study which eats up a lot of time for study rather than practice?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Vankayala Kameswara Sarma
"I've heard that no Investment bank shows interest in a CFA charter holder as he is over-qualified for their job"
That is flat out not true. What role specifically are you looking for? Research, I-Banking, what? I'd suggest Wall Street Oasis as another resource.
Alex Cook I'm looking for I-banking analyst role.
Good stuff man. wrong about ethics though, they certainly overweighted that shitz. Hindsight bias is strong my dude
I thought you were fighting to get your idea out, for this reason I’m out with a thumb down 👎