Desperation setting in - advice?

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Hyperlooper

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My PM mock exams on Kaplan range from 60-70%. CFA AM Mock was 73%.
My Kaplan AM mocks have ranged from 50-55% within the last couple of weeks.
I’ve probably spent the same amount of time studying for this as I did for Level 2, but I started earlier here and I’ve forgotten a lot along the way. Desperate for some advice on my best course of action. Had twins at the beginning of this year and just got laid off from my job so I need this to help find a new job and with the these boys now my chances of passing would probably be lower next year holding study time constant. I have most of this week to cram - no regrets but my brain is spent. I’m sure everyone’s is at this point, but I feel extra drained compared to where I was last year.
I need someone to tell me a game plan.
Focus on past AM CFA exams? Then, drill some formulas for questions I’ve gotten incorrect? Flash read (slower version of skimming) the Ethics section?
 
How many past CFAI AM exams have you done? Make sure you do at least 4 and more, if possible.
Identify your weak areas and focus on them - turn them around to strength!
Don’t overwrite (see a recent topic I posted based on a Wiley video - it seems VERY short answers are perfectly fine).
After doing the AM mocks, if you have time, read through a condensed version of the curriculum, i.e. Gostudy.io or maybe Schweser 11th hour.
 
You are in a good positiion .
Knowing the equations well will save you a lot of points and it wont take much time .
 
Prosper0 wrote:
How many past CFAI AM exams have you done? Make sure you do at least 4 and more, if possible.
Identify your weak areas and focus on them - turn them around to strength!
Don’t overwrite (see a recent topic I posted based on a Wiley video - it seems VERY short answers are perfectly fine).
After doing the AM mocks, if you have time, read through a condensed version of the curriculum, i.e. Gostudy.io or maybe Schweser 11th hour.
Click to expand...
I’m half-way through the 2009 CFAI AM exam. That’s the only one. Previous mocks were Kaplans.
 
Prosper0 wrote:
How many past CFAI AM exams have you done? Make sure you do at least 4 and more, if possible.
Click to expand...
Agree with this post. And do them in exam conditions (3h and no more)
 
Good luck to you! Must be a difficult time.
I would suggest the following:
  1. EOC questions and blue boxes
  2. The topic tests on the CFA websites
  3. Do the CFA mock exams, taking + marking the paper in sections rather than the full papers to save time
What I’ve found is that doing questions and mocks makes me feel awful after getting most of the questions wrong, but soon after you feel a lot better about learning from your mistakes and picking up different ways of testing topics and caveats. It’s easy to take the skimming and reading route, but that will kill you. Use the tests to identify gaps in your knowledge and re-read if necessary.
Also - get a good nights sleep!
Best of luck!
 
Do you guys sit for 3 hours straight? I put a timer and take a break every 1 hr.
 
beertard wrote:
Do you guys sit for 3 hours straight? I put a timer and take a break every 1 hr.
Click to expand...
I did that for exactly 5 of them (2009/2010/2011/2012/2015)
I did 2008/2013/2014 with one or more break
 
beertard wrote:
Do you guys sit for 3 hours straight? I put a timer and take a break every 1 hr.
Click to expand...
I’m not taking the 2009 and 2010 as timed exams. Just going over the questions and answers separately untimed. I’ll take 2011-2015 timed as well as the remaining Kaplan AM mocks. At 50-55%, I’m getting so many wrong it seems like a waste of 3 hours banging my head against the wall. Unfortunately, I’m still in learning mode rather than refined evaluation mode.
 
The only thing you can do at this stage in the game is to keep doing mocks and learn from your mistakes.
Are the mistakes from reading problem wrong? Conceptual? Mathematical?
As you correct each problem, try to learn from your mistakes and go forward.
If you can get 5-10 more points improvement by sat, and you do good on pm, you have a fighting chance
 
The only thing you can do at this stage in the game is to keep doing mocks and learn from your mistakes.
Are the mistakes from reading problem wrong? Conceptual? Mathematical?
As you correct each problem, try to learn from your mistakes and go forward.
If you can get 5-10 more points improvement by sat, and you do good on pm, you have a fighting chance
 
Thanks, I took an item set mock this morning, the CFA 2009 exam in the afternoon and I’m about to take a Kaplan AM exam. Got a 66% on the 2009 and I lost some points because I didn’t know how to answer a question about WACC (clearly test content has changed).
Will probably take two mocks tomorrow (2015, 2014) and two on Weds (2013, 2012). Thursday and Friday will be material review and formula drill sessions only. Probably 2-3 mile easy pace runs to keep me calm each day.
 
66.7% on the Kaplan #5 AM. Annoying that the answer key was screwed up on the GIPS section. This mock just had a strange feel to it. Thought I got destroyed but based on the weightings of the questions, I was able to get one of my better AM scores to date.
Brain was fried this morning after taking 3 exams and reviewing them yesterday.
On to 2015…
 
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