CFA Level 1 December - only using CFA books?

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urbanlegend179

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So I’ve got about 15 weeks until Level 1 exam in December 2015.
I don’t have the financial resources to purchase 3rd party material such as Schweser notes.
Is it realistic to go through the CFA books in 12 weeks (leaving 3 weeks for review/mock exams)???
I am not working at the moment so I can afford to put in 6 hours per day (I can do 8 hours a day but I want to minimize risk of burnout).
6 hours a day for 12 weeks straight puts me at 504 hours (Keep in mind I have no background in Finance/Accounting at all).
Is it possible to cover the CFA books in 500 hours?
 
I think it is possible! But study time is individual and it really depends on many factors like which curriculum you take (in this case CFAI materials) what else do yo do (like end of chapter problems, how much practice problems from qBank do you solve, Mock exams, etc) and study speed (unique for each candidate).
I used TimePrep for iPhone where I selected all the study preferences and study elements I used and it gave me feedback how much per week I need to study. Then I selected time slots in a usual week when I would study. When I missed the schedule I would either adjust my study plan and preferences or rechedule the single study session.
 
Given the daily commitment you’re willing to make, yes you can absolutely do it. Don’t get bogged down in any 1 section even if your comprehension is < 100%. And no/few “zero” days. If you’ve had no stats, no econ, no finance, no accounting it’ll be much harder, but still do-able.
also , save ethics for the end
 
It is certainly possible. If you’re not working, I think you should go for it.
 
If you use CFAI materials for Level I, you put yourself in disadvantage versus those who use less ugly third-party notes
 
Disagree with Velazquez. CFAI materials have everything you need.
Agree with Wekko. TimePrep was a pretty good tool for me for Level I.
Also, spend a few more hours looking for a job.
 
6 hours a day with no job is completely doable from what I hear.
As people have mentioned, studying is primarily and individual thing but 500 hours on average is excessive given the recommended minimum is 250-300 hours (Note: excessive does not mean unnecessary as no amount of studying seems to be too much).
I hear the 3-day Kaplan review courses are good so think about signing up for one of those and devote a good month to just practice questions and review and you should be set.
 
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