Study Ideas - Please help!

[0fer4L2]

After 4 very feeble attempts at preparing for this exam, I’m looking to get an early start this time. Anyone have a suggestion on prep providers or strategy? Is Wiley’s bite-size concept productive? Should I do more than 1?

 

[kazafz]

I’m planning on using the Schweser Level 2 notes to prepare for the exam in Jun-16 while taking notes as I am going through. I am aiming to go through all the Schweser material, answering EOC questions and giving myself at least 1 month left to just work on past papers (est. May-16). I understand that there are a few readings changed in the Portfolio Management section in the curriculum compared to the Schweser notes so i might review those readings from the curriculum then.

 

[Tukka]

I failed in June 2015 after pass in Dec 2014. I used only Schweser and see now it was not enough. Besides I prepared using Irfanullah videos. I’m planning to start in October on using CFAI books only and Irf videos. I don’t have much time everyday, so I aim to read all 3000 papers by the end of February (20 papers/day) and to answer EOC problems. Furthermore I’m planning to write my own notes. I think, it’s very useful approach to remember material.

 

[Puca]

@Ofer4L2
I was wondering the same thing, having made 3 unsuccessfull attempts. ( I just can’t let this thing go, it will haunt me forever if I don’t complete it.) I was looking at prep classes in NYC, but they are expensive, at least a grand. One even requires purchase of the Schweser material. I am doing what others below said, making my own notecards of all the formulas. I found in Google docs a notecard style presentation that I print as 4 slides to a page and then cut them out. They are 1 sided notecards, I put the title (ie Gordon Growth model to calc r) in the top margin and I cover the bottom with my hand. To manage creating all the notecards, however, I will have to maintain a study schedule starting now.

 

[McTrump]

There will be 20 item-sets in the exam out of 60 readings. Your pass/fail result will depend on how good you are with those specific 20 readings. Level 2 is about depth of understanding and practice. I suggest studying from CFAI books. Main problem with these books is ‘how to re-read and remember’; Make your own Notes for this. You will enjoy reading and concepts will be lively and fun to read because of tons of real life examples. Jot down your own notes with headings/sub headings, flow charts, bullet points to review material quuickly. Finally, attempt as many mocks as you can under exam settings.
As only 20 readings will be there in the exam; you cannot takes chances of not knowing stuff realy well.

 

[Khleesie2015]

I passed on my 3rd try. 1st time I relied mostly on Schweser and then when I started doing mock exams I realized that lot of questions didn’t make sense. I realized that Schweser does not cover all angles. L2 was more conceptual than L1 which was a lot of formulas. Which is why schweser worked so well for me on L1 (passed 1st try). I was caught completely off guard and felt like some questions were coming out of the blue on the test. Git band 9. In my 2nd try I relied a bit more on CFAI materials but got good points on smaller topics and bad in Ethics, FSA, and Equities…so failed again but at band 10. On the 3rd try I read everything for FSA and Equities from CFAI and made sure I knew it inside out…yes even pension acct which I resisted to read until try 3. Also did a 70/30 split between CFAI material and Svhweser for stuff like Corp fi, derivatives (totally skipped hedge funds), Fixed Inc. Oh and I made a formula sheet (10 printed pages) which I memorized. THEN I passed but I feel like I just made it bc I got 70%+ in fsa, Equities, ethics, 50%+ in Corp fi and derivatives, rest failed. I might be in the 10th percentile of ppl passed but hey finally passed. But honestly I don’t think I have studied this much in my life before as I did in try 3. Compared to that felt like my efforts in try 2 were that of a freshman trying to make A or B in all classes, and try 1 was a joke. So sunmary: know CFA martial inside out for big topics and some small ones.