I Failed...Again!

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pokerface

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I failed the CFA Level I exam for a second time. This time with a score band of 10, which makes it even more frustrating! Wondering if I should just throw in the towel now, or give it a go one last time. Sigh.

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51%-70%
>70%
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Alternative Investments
8
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Corporate Finance
20
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Derivatives
12
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Economics
24
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Equity Investments
24
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Ethical & Professional Standards
36
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Financial Reporting & Analysis
48
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Fixed Income Investments
28
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Portfolio Management
12
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Quantitative Methods
28
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Congrats to all the candidates who did pass!
 
Really sorry to know :-(
Out of curiosity, may I know
how many hours did you study?
What study material did you use?
How many mock exams did you do?
What was your score in mocks?
 
Sorry to know that you failed twice. I have also failed level 1 this time but I would reappear just one more time in June 14.
 
Sorry to see you missed the mark, but if you’re in band 10 you should definitely give it another go. Just hammer the biggest topics like ethics and FRA, then hit the next biggest sections if you have time. I skated by on this one probably with a lot of help from the “ethics bump” so I’m sure you’ll nail it in June if you can put the time in. Good luck!
 
@nimtree The first time I studied about 300 hours. The second time I increased it to around 400. I used Schweser materials both times and completed over 3000 questions in the Qbank. I completed six mock exams, including a mock exam that my manager created just for me. My band from the first exam did increase from 5 to 10, which is good, but just not good enough I guess.
@Radhika I’m sorry to hear that you failed as well. My gut tells me to go for it one last time, but I’m just not sure what I can do differently in order to pass this thing.
 
Sorry to hear that pokerface. Sounds like you were quite close and you improved quite a bit. Whatever you choose, don’t do it half-measure. If you’re going for it again in June, go for it! Set out a schedule that you can stick to, and give it your best shot. If you’re going to try again, give it your best shot.
 
It is very frustrating, but honestly a fail is a fail… fail at band 10 means you haven’t master the material, which is ESSENTIAL for moving onto L2.
So from a big picture’s perspective, you are not just off by a little, you are off by a lot in this long CFA journey.

The good news is that many people have failed a level multiple times and end up a charterholder. so the question is, do you have the fire inside you to continue?
think about it in a week’s time! Don’t make any rash decision now.

BEST OF LUCK!
NANA
 
I’m not well-versed in the differences between the CFAI material and Schweser but perhaps there is something you’re missing in the translation since it sounds like you’ve exclusively used Schweser in the past. Perhaps a focus on the CFAI material would help get you over the hump.
 
Sorry to hear that man. Maybe you should try watching some lecture videos before delving into a topic… What I realised towards the exam was that I had a backwards understanding of some things and was very lucky to be able to rectify.
 
That sucks, sorry to hear that. well, the third time’s a charm…best of luck
 
Sorry to hear that mate. A good score in PM or FRA could have made all the difference for you. Anyway what happened has happened. You can’t change it or do anything about it. So just take a chill pill and move on!
Incase you decide to sit again (I’m sure you would and you should!) then tweak your study approach a bit. Ditch schweser. Focus more on doing practice problems from CFA curriculum.
 
If you put the time in, I’m really sorry to hear that. I know what it’s like to fail, but I also never give up. It’s why I’m in the position I’m in. If you really want the charter and a better shot at a career in finance, I’d say think hard about giving up. I know it’s easy to say given that I don’t know your personal situation, but please think hard (measure) before giving up. Resilience goes a long way in life. Best of luck to you…
 
Ethics!
It can also be the ethics effect! if you have done better in ethics you could possbily get bumped into a pass.
 
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