There is no reason to fail if you do the following:
-Start early (no less than 4 full months before the exam). This is a marathon, not a sprint.
-Review, review, review. For every new topic you learn, review a previous one.
-I used Schweser and didn't open up the CFAI text once. I got >70% on all topics. Schweser works.
-Do as many Schweser practice exams as possible. While they are not a great representation of the actual exam (in terms of both difficulty and material), they are an invaluable way to highlight your weaknesses and build up your test-taking stamina. Take these exams once you have gone through all of the material at least once. Ideally you should leave yourself 3+ weeks to focus on practice exams (and review). I didn't bother with Book 7 as the questions are unnecessarily difficult.
-Do ALL 5 CFAI practice exams. Worth every penny.
-Actively visit and participate in AF. This is an amazing resource to get your questions answered, work on random problems, and most importantly, stay motivated. The success rate of those regular AFers who took June 2007 was >90%. Enough said.
At times you will feel frusterated and that you will never pass. Just keep your head down, crank away, and you will pass. As others have said, this is more a test of disclipline and work ethic than a test of intelligence.
Good luck!
-Start early (no less than 4 full months before the exam). This is a marathon, not a sprint.
-Review, review, review. For every new topic you learn, review a previous one.
-I used Schweser and didn't open up the CFAI text once. I got >70% on all topics. Schweser works.
-Do as many Schweser practice exams as possible. While they are not a great representation of the actual exam (in terms of both difficulty and material), they are an invaluable way to highlight your weaknesses and build up your test-taking stamina. Take these exams once you have gone through all of the material at least once. Ideally you should leave yourself 3+ weeks to focus on practice exams (and review). I didn't bother with Book 7 as the questions are unnecessarily difficult.
-Do ALL 5 CFAI practice exams. Worth every penny.
-Actively visit and participate in AF. This is an amazing resource to get your questions answered, work on random problems, and most importantly, stay motivated. The success rate of those regular AFers who took June 2007 was >90%. Enough said.
At times you will feel frusterated and that you will never pass. Just keep your head down, crank away, and you will pass. As others have said, this is more a test of disclipline and work ethic than a test of intelligence.
Good luck!
