Failed!

three possible scenarios here cfacnyc89.
A. They lying
B. They lucky.
C. They genius.
That’s the way i see it when someone tells me they only studied like 4 days for it and passed.
 
Cinderella wrote:
How were you doing on the practice tests Charlie?
Chin up folks. I failed Level I once and just failed Level II. While it is disappointing, I was pretty much expecting it. Start early and get a good mix of family life, work and study going.
Click to expand...
Hi Cinderella,
I only wrote one timed practice exam and got 50%. For the other three exams, I basically answered one section at a time and reviewed the answers afterwards. I didn’t want to time myself because I didn’t want to guess the answers. Any tips or advice for doing practice exams?
 
for thoes of us that failed, i printed out a copy of my fail CFA notification and decided to use it as a bookmark on my CFA book as a constant reminder of what it exatly I’m studying for. it’s all about the little pieces of motivation that can help you get off your back and onto your feet and into the right direction that counts.
 
VWJETTY wrote:
for thoes of us that failed, i printed out a copy of my fail CFA notification and decided to use it as a bookmark on my CFA book as a constant reminder of what it exatly I’m studying for. it’s all about the little pieces of motivation that can help you get off your back and onto your feet and into the right direction that counts.
Click to expand...
If you’re prone to “f**k it” moments, that seems like a bad idea.
Plus, I like going through the studying process in a positive mindset.
 
interesting perspective. first time i took the GMAT i got a 430, and they give you that little printed peice of paper and i clipped it onto my GMAT review book as a constant reminder.
i guess to each their own. i’m not too prone to “fu** it” moments so i guess i don’t have to worry about that too much :)
 
D. They have significant background in this material already through work/undergrad.
Don’t get me wrong, I put a good amount of study in but I know a lot of people who have passed after just a week or 2 of study, certainly possible at level 1.
 
Here is what I did differently to pass it the third time around…
You can definitely do it! I started by watching the Schweser videos on the curriculum to just take a different angle than I had before. Seeing, hearing and reading/writing should be number one on your list for new tactics. The repetition really helps!
The next thing I did was to start doing end of chapter questions from the official CFA curriculum and taking note of where I was having the most trouble. The end of chapter questions are a pain but they are really worth it.
Then I covered those weak areas in the Schweser notes by reading them again. After that I took all of the quizzes in the Schweser notes and if I scored greater than 75% I would consider that section as mastered.
After I took the quizzes and went over what I missed again, I started creating flash cards from what I missed. I kept these with me and I would review them whenever I got a chance.
This took me from February to the end of April. (I got my December fail at the end of Jan.) In May I started practice exams. I bought the two CFA sample exams, I borrowed some old Schweser exams, got the new ones and paid $99 for the Boston CFA Society practice exams. All in all I tested about 2,280 practice questions. I saw many of those same concepts on the exams. Not in the same format but I already knew where the question was going.
Whenever I missed a question I would write down the number and compile them as a separate test and then take those again. I made sure to space out the time so I wasn’t just memorizing the answer. If I kept missing the same question, I would go back to the curriculum and read that concept again. For one subject, probability, I found a kids website that helped me grasp the concept. I was also having problems with cross elasticity so I went to Khan Academy and watched some of their videos.
The practice exams are key. Keep at it. You can do it!
 
Misswallstreet, some great advice there. If you dont mind, can I have link to that kids website?
thx alot
 
Band 4 for me, sigh. I plan on retaking it this December, though. It’ll be tough with holidays and football season coming up, but damn it, I’m going to retake it and PASS! Good luck to those who decided to sit for the Dec 2012 exam. Need to continue while we’ve got the momentum!
 
We can already register for December 2012, right? How much do we have to pay now that we already have taken level 1 does anyone know?
 
For those of us who failed, take this as a slap in the face and get motivated to own December! No excuses, no quitting. You started out trying to become a CFA charterholder for a reason or you wouldn’t have taken Level 1. You have realistically over 4 months now to build on what you’ve already done. Wherever you scored, band 10-1, you have a foundation now. We all know abouts where we need to be to pass, focus up on where you need it and brush up on what you know. It’s silly to quit now when you’re so close. And don’t give me this “too much time” excuse. I work a full-time stressful management job not finance related, I’m an MBA student with a wife, a 2 year old, and a newborn. Anyone who’s on the fence about retaking, I say suck it up and join us at the big party in December. The longer you’re away, the less you’ll retain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top