Optimal time to start doing mocks

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tau281290

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When is the best time to start doing those mocks? and why? BTW I am not talking about those topic tests from CFAI, I mean 6-hour real mock exams.
A. 2 months before
B. 1.5 months before
C. 1 month before
D. 3 weeks before
E. 2 weeks before
 
I am doing my first mock 1 month before the exam go gauge weak areas. Still knocking out EOCs from original text, memorization of formulas, and working as many problems as possible before that time.
No point in rushing to do mocks if you don’t understand a majority of the concepts and haven’t tested your knowledge with querstions.. You will waste a mock.
At least spend 2 weeks reviewing after your first read over. I am finally finishing my first detailed read over of the schweser books. I have 7 70 page notepads full of notes…I think I am finishing later on the readings then most people on this forum, but I am a slow reader and take a lot of notes.
 
I started mocks yesterday. I do them in chunks (4-5 vignettes a day, then correct them). I will do timed mocks as I get closer to the exam.
 
It’s a good question. Assuming a 6-hour mock takes 7-8 hours to write (i.e., you take a break between morning and afternoon), plus analysis, it’s at least a full day. For sure, there is a point that’s premature – where you’d learn very little content, and it would be hard to distinguish between stronger and weaker areas.
For me, the 4 weeks leading to May 7 are a “fake final month” of consolidating, topic tests, going back over very difficult topics (derivatives), and half-mocks.
  • May 7 = full, timed, no-notes, morning and afternoon mock, locked in a meeting room at work. Debating CFAI mock vs buying Boston Security Analysis. May 8 = ~3 hours revision, then get outdoors with family the rest of Mother’s Day. Make that weekend an inflection point to really focus on being exam-ready May 7 (probably won’t be, but it’s a good target).
  • May 21 = second full timed, no-notes, morning and afternoon mock, to set agenda for final 2 weeks.
That’s it. Will do other mock questions, and may even do 1:48h or 2:06h blocks of questions, but doubt I’ll lock myself up a third time.
Apart from having coffee/coke and headphones, I do the serious mocks as real as possible. No extra paper. Only pencils. Wrist-watch not digital timer. Fill in scantron bubbles … iron out all the minuteau so there are zero non-content question marks.
 
I plan to start mocks 1 month out, and complete 4 full. I estimate 12 hours per mock to take it and review answers, so it’ll take me a couple of weeks. My final 2 weeks will be spent on review, with one mock saved for the final week.
 
I did 7 mocks for Level 1. 2 Schweser Mocks then a CFA one. Printed the CFA one out went through it very detailed.
2 mocks a week and reviewing them in May helped me in Level 1. You can really see your weak areas and focus on those areas for a last re-read.
Everybody is different. I wish I would feel confident in myself doing only 2 mocks, but I don’t. That’s me though.
 
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