Exam in 2 days (May 18). Scoring 60s in initial mocks but 75%+ on review. Need some last-minute advice/reassurance
Hi everyone,
I am taking my CFA Level 1 exam on May 18th, and the pre-exam anxiety is definitely hitting hard right now. I wanted to share my current standing and get some honest advice or perspective from this community.
I have given 2 official CFAI mocks so far. Here’s how it went:
• Mock 1: Initial score 61%
• Mock 2: Initial score 67%
When I sat down to review my incorrect answers, I realized that a majority of the mistakes were purely silly errors and rushing through the questions without reading them carefully. When I re-attempted those same questions with a calm mind, my scores jumped to approx 83 % on Mock 1 and 88 % on Mock 2.
Current Trouble Areas:
• Quantitative Methods: Simple Linear Regression and Hypothesis Testing are just not clicking for me at all.
• Derivatives: Struggling with the Binomial Model.
• Aside from these specific topics, everything else feels pretty solid and well-prepared.
Note: I am aware that there is a free retake option available, but I absolutely do not want to fail or rely on that. I want to clear this in my first attempt.
Given that I only have about 48 hours left, should I spend time trying to patch up these specific weak areas (Regression, Hypothesis, Binomial), or should I just focus on drilling ethics, formula reviews, and managing my exam pacing so I don't make those silly mistakes?
Any advice on how to handle the anxiety and approach the exam day based on these scores would be highly appreciated.
Wish me luck!