3 weeks Strategy | Level 1
Hey guys,
Just wanted to share with you my strategy to take the exam, as this strategy may not be adequate to all the people that are sitting for the exam while having a full time job, I think those people who are sitting for the exam while having a lot of free time on the uni or can take PTO, will take advantage of this method.
So first let me give you some context on my background and from where I'm starting. I'm currently serving as Head of Risk Management for one of the most prestigious asset managers in my region (Outside America). And I'm going to take the exam on Monday for the first level.
So while having a full time job, I found extremely difficult to study in a constant rhythm 3 hours per day for 6 months as much of the people say. I just found that to be unproductive and it gets you tired more than it gives you an advantage.
So what I did is take a two week PTO and study for the whole two weeks 12-15 hours per day, you can obviously have spare time, lunch time and all of that. However, you have to target at least 3 full focus study sessions of 4 hours per day to get to a point where you can really understand the whole curriculum.
At first, I used the MM content, I think is good but is too long or too in depth if we compare it against Kaplan. For me Kaplan was the holy grail, the starting package, with the 5 books pdfs and the secret sauce.
Now I'm entering Monday's exam with 75-85% in Q-Banks and my first mock around the same percentage, what I regret is not having an extra week to really get myself going with the extra practice package from both the CFAI, Kaplan and MM.
That's why I think 3 weeks (One additional week to my two weeks PTO) of targeted study is the ideal time to dedicate to the first level, this time allowed me to comprehend the curriculum in depth, to really understand the concepts and not just to memorize something. But I think at the end this is just a multiple selection exam, so you have to know how (or an approximate) you're gonna be tested.
I would recommend to take an additional time in quants, because I think if you really understand the principles from quants you're gonna be applying those in depth in the other modules. FSA is a complete separate way of thinking for the exam and I recommend to concentrate in the other areas with greater weight in the exam, if you're struggling with it.
Also, I think this 3 week sprint (ideal) allows you to not lose your social life or get to out of shape in the long run.
I'm a May candidate so if I do not pass in this window, I will maintain my level of knowledge practicing Qbanks at least one hour per day every day in every theme. Also, I found that Claude is a good tool to support your study on, would highly recommend to include this tool in your study package if you can.
Best of luck to everyone!! Hope this is helpful!!