My Retake Strategy Band 9 Failure

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TL:DR - online topic tests/ BB/ past AM exams (timed) MULTIPLE TIMES and memorize them
Failed in 2016 - over 300 hours of studying but only started in mid April
  • Knew all the material but had bad exam execution (AM time management/ hard PM
  • At this point I haven’t started for 2017 and literally forgot every formula/ concept
  • No need to “start over” but I figure the first 100 hours will be just to “warm up”
  • I will NOT be reading the text other than a deeper dive in particular concepts
Strategy
  1. The “online topic tests” are a BIG DEAL - there are 90 item sets (540 multiple choice questions) including the 2 mocks
  • Last year I went through all of them 3-4 times and my plan now is to redo all those now to “catch up” to last year
  • Keep a spreadsheet of all tests to pinpoint questions that are especially good/hard/tricky/calculation intensive etc
  • Important to remember that some multiple choice questions/concept can come up in an AM format
  • Attempt to “memorize” all the questions to the point you could go through all 90 item sets consistently getting 100% (understanding how to get the answer)
  1. Blue Box examples are the gold mine - spend all your time there (do them multiple times)
  • EOC is less important and not very good in some readings - some chapters only have a few questions
  • although - ETHICS EOC and GIPS EOC are VERY GOOD - memorize
  1. Make 1 page master notes (front and back) for each study session (cram everything in there legibly)
  • keep condensing these notes till exam day with what is most important for you (formula/definition/examples)
  • I found this helpful for level 1 and 2 but for whatever reason last year I waited till last minute and it ended up sloppy
  1. Do all the past AM exams (from 2009 onwards) multiple times (to the point that you memorize question/ understand answer)
  • Late period (April/May) and always attempt them in exam conditions (3 hours timed)
  • Notice patterns in the AM exams (types of questions/concepts that “always come up”)
  • Ignore the exams pre 2009 as CFAI has changed the way questions are asked (too easy for the most part compared to current)
  • After a few runs through the AM exams - cut the exams up and group them by topic (FI/ economics/ equities etc.)
  1. Save 1 AM (2016 version) and 1 PM mock for near the end..
  • problem I had last year is that i ran out of “new material” the final week - save something to keep you on your toes
 
Sounds like you have it figured out what you need to do.. one question which prep provider did use and/or using ??
 
^^ no prep provider. i think retakers that had a good grasp on the material last year just need to dive into working the problems.. depending on how Feb/March goes I may get the S chweser Practice exam book.. but I think there are enough examples with just CFAI.. also contemplating doing the live mock ($75).. just because the exam experience/ conditions was my weak point last year
 
danv0330 wrote:
  1. Do all the past AM exams (from 2009 onwards) multiple times (to the point that you memorize question/ understand answer
Click to expand...
I have from 2012 onwards. Cannot find older. Does this implicate a problem? If so, why CFAI then removed them.
 
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