Really getting worried now

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Portfolio Manager

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One week before the exam and I am still getting around 56s, 58s and 59s on the CFAI AM exams. Granted, I am being conservative in marking, but I am doing this to offset the advantage I have of not being under exam pressure.
Is this normal after all these months of studying? What can I do to improve so late in the day? I have also run out of CFAI mocks. Should I go over them again? What is your strategy?
 
Ideally your exam scores should go up. Based on the lack of a change in your scores I’d guess, generally speaking, you’re not learning from your missed points on the earlier exams. I’d suggest making sure you’re adding past misses to your “future toolbox”, don’t just take exams to take exams.
Just my two cents. Goodluck!
 
thats fine.. think about Olympic Sprinters, they never practice beating the world record.. your best performance needs to be on exam day..
65% overall is likely a pass IMO
 
You’re not the only one PM. I’ve been struggling too, it hasn’t exactly been learning from past mistakes, it’s more to do with the fact that every question is asking for very specific details and I’m having trouble articulating my thoughts into words in time. Classical level three struggle?
 
Portfolio Manager wrote:
Thanks guys. I’m also feeling that the exams got harder and harder every year.
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Be cool, just practice what you got wrong and thats it.
 
I think you should go back and retake some of your mocks.
First of all, it’s extremely difficult to know how your own grading will compare to the actual CFAI grading and point system.
Second, each mock is kind its own benchmark, with different topic weightings. If you’re learning from your mistakes, you can best judge by redoing the questions you missed. I think there’s definitely value in retaking tests.
To some degree, seeing your scores improve, even on retaken mocks, should help give you a psychological boost.
Good news is that you still have 9 days to bang out your weaknesses. Imagine this was Friday before exam day and you were wishing you had that extra week to study a little more. Right now, you have it.
 
I’ve been scoring in the mid 60’s for individual and institutional in AM. Out of curiously how does that stack up against you guys? Also, how do you determine whether you are conservative or not in marking? I find it’s very subjective even when looking at the cfai solution.
I havent done any PM question practice yet. I’m reviewing all ethics questions this weekend, then do PM questions till Wednesday. Then mix it up over the last 2 days.
 
Maintain your calm, this is the final week so try to retain the most you have studied till now. In the actual exam, think more, write less (concretely and clearly) and you should do well.
 
How you scored on Schweser practice exams? I noticed that i did much better on CFA past exams (within 60-70) but scored only 57 on Schweser practice exam today… Not sure if i have to start worring…
 
I was averaging 60-65 on schweser but it doesnt mean anything. Plus Schweser language can be bit vague/confusing for some questions. So i would advise sticking to review the actual past exam papers
 
I never really break high 50s / low 60s on mocks. Same for levels 1 and 2. The way I see it, the point is to gain exposure to a full scope of different style questions. Spend lots of time revising what you got right and wrong. Learn all the mocks so come exam day mostly anything they throw at you will already be familiar.
If I was already crushing mocks, what would the point of doing mocks be? Let the mocks beat me down so I can crush the only test that matters. Fail the mocks, pass the exam. (I hope….)
 
I did 4 different PM sections; and saw steady improvement. But I’d say the most important part for me in getting comfortable with the PM section is not making dumb mistakes; and “not being surprised” by any single question.
I have done 4 morning sessions and have gotten mixed results. Today I took the 2015 CFAI exam; and couldn’t even start one of the questions due to time running out. My goal is to do two more practice tests this weekend to test my “coverage of the material” for the AM section; but then next week re-write ONLY the questions I found to be challenging; and re-visit the material in the curriculum to solidify my understanding.
Still haven’t figured out how best to approach the AM session when they say “Go!”
Can’t skip around because it’s too much shuffling back & forth; sometimes Questions 1 and 2 (for example) are related….;
I guess the point is — for example — they can ask a question on the Grinold Kroner model in several different ways….so being ready to discuss the concept is probably more useful than knowing how to answer every specific question that you see on the practice tests; but multiple means of being exposed to a concept should help!
Oh — and I am trying not to do basic math in my head. Made a couple of stupid errors that should NOT have happened.
 
sdooley23 wrote:
I never really break high 50s / low 60s on mocks. Same for levels 1 and 2. The way I see it, the point is to gain exposure to a full scope of different style questions. Spend lots of time revising what you got right and wrong. Learn all the mocks so come exam day mostly anything they throw at you will already be familiar.
If I was already crushing mocks, what would the point of doing mocks be? Let the mocks beat me down so I can crush the only test that matters. Fail the mocks, pass the exam. (I hope….)
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I like this mentality
 
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