How much time to pass Level 3 if not working?

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Stevie Ray

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If you are not working and can devote all of your time to studying, how much time do you think would be necessary to comfortably pass Level 3? So not just winging it and hoping you will pass, but being pretty sure on exam day that you are ready.
Much appreciated.
 
Assuming you put in about 40 hours a week, I would still say 2-3 months. Getting all the material to fit together and understand how the concepts link together takes a lot of time, even for really smart people. And if you’ve never taken L3 before, you need at least 3 weeks to learn the test format, timing, etc. Don’t underestimate that, and pay special attention to the official answers on the mock and previous years’ exams. They are short and specific. Exactly how yours should be.
 
I’m an Engineer and have absolutely no finance background. Unlike folks in finance, mine is a laid back, 8AM-5PM job on an average. I prepared for 9-10 weeks, with the last 1.5 week for revision and practice. I would have put a total of 200-225 hours in those 9-10 weeks prep time and passed the exam on my first attempt.
Immediately after writing the test, I felt that I would be on the borderline - either Band 10 or just pass, as I did not have enough time to finish all AM exam questions. But after I saw my result, I realized that I passed comfortably after comparing with other members on this forum. So the study plan did work for me and was not a fluke.
Assimilating L3 material is actually easier than L2 material. But L3 exam, especially the AM exam, is tougher than L2 exam. You probably don’t need much time to absorb the material, but you need soild practice.
 
Thanks guys
rbethapudi - that’s crazy to pass putting in only 9-10 weeks while working. Assuming most people could not pass in this way. Working 9 hours is still a full time job.
 
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