Mannymaker
New member
- Jun 18, 2026
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I wanted to share my way of studying because I sincerely believe it is the most efficient. No bragging intended here; I passed all 3 exams on the first attempt with very little studying (1 week full time for Level 2 and 2 weeks full time for Level 3) and I think everyone has the ability to do the same if they focus on the right things and don’t waste time reading too much.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Start by reading Schweser’s Secret Sauce (about 200 pages). It will give you a broad understanding of the material without wasting too much time reading stuff that you don’t understand or won’t remember by the time you start doing exercises.
- Do all the topic area tests on CFAI website, looking back to Schweser’s Quick sheet for making sure every formula is on it.
- By that time, you should understand what’s important and what type of questions are usually being asked.
- When that is done, now you can start actually reading CFAI books or Schweser’s (I would recommend Schweser’s). It won’t be useless reading since you’ll be able to understand more deeply the materials that you covered quickly doing the topic tests. It will also save a good amount of time because you will quickly go over (or skip) sections that you know you already master.
- Finish with doing as many mock exams as you possibly can. Memorize the Quick Sheet for all the formulas and make sure you would be able to explain everything that is on it.
I think the most common mistake is starting off by reading everything all at once. It’s taking so much time that you rush through it, can’t remember half of what you read and don’t know how it can be evaluated in an exam. I have to admit I am a quick learner and that’s perhaps something that works only with people with above average learning abilities. But in any case, I would do a lot of exercises before reading into details.
Just my two cents, take it or leave it, but it’s my honest opinion and I highly believe in it.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Start by reading Schweser’s Secret Sauce (about 200 pages). It will give you a broad understanding of the material without wasting too much time reading stuff that you don’t understand or won’t remember by the time you start doing exercises.
- Do all the topic area tests on CFAI website, looking back to Schweser’s Quick sheet for making sure every formula is on it.
- By that time, you should understand what’s important and what type of questions are usually being asked.
- When that is done, now you can start actually reading CFAI books or Schweser’s (I would recommend Schweser’s). It won’t be useless reading since you’ll be able to understand more deeply the materials that you covered quickly doing the topic tests. It will also save a good amount of time because you will quickly go over (or skip) sections that you know you already master.
- Finish with doing as many mock exams as you possibly can. Memorize the Quick Sheet for all the formulas and make sure you would be able to explain everything that is on it.
I think the most common mistake is starting off by reading everything all at once. It’s taking so much time that you rush through it, can’t remember half of what you read and don’t know how it can be evaluated in an exam. I have to admit I am a quick learner and that’s perhaps something that works only with people with above average learning abilities. But in any case, I would do a lot of exercises before reading into details.
Just my two cents, take it or leave it, but it’s my honest opinion and I highly believe in it.
