What was the hardest part about taking the CFA?

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goblue06

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Just curious...what was the hardest part for everyone about taking the CFA?

1.) Too many work commitments to study properly
2.) Too many family commitments to study properly
3.) Been out of school for too long to study properly
4.) Too much material
5.) Too expensive
6.) Other (describe)

I'm going with #1, as I'm sure many others will.
 
6. The time involved and social isolation. I pretty much had to give up everything else... The hardest thing was probably the isolation. It got to the point where I become significantly more anti-social the more I studied and the less I saw people.
 
I thought there are 3 stages of challenges. (1) Too many LOS for a non-finance backgroud person like me. I spent 2 months to go though and understand the concept (not fully understand). (2) Too many key ponits and caculation formulars need to be memorized, (3) exam formats. Even I thought I understand most of main concepts and calculation skills after 3-4 months intensive study, I still have troubles to do the CFA style quiz (like 2 parts, yes or no etc).

After I did book 6 and 3 online cfa exam. I start to get a sense of the CFA exam format. I realize I need to understand the meanning behind and concepts and relationships (this up, that down etc). I also did 7-8 other mock exams.

Final week before D-day I quickly went through all 5 books. It's toughest part of all my study stage since I force myself to recall all details by look at LOS first. I thought it's helpful to do many mock exams but more important for me is to understand basic concepts. In the morning of D-day, all stuff of 5 books flew through my mind like fresh air on my way to the Site. That help me a lot such as code law, financial renovation etc.

Am is fair IMHO, pm is tough. Good luck to all.
 
i think it all sums up to having prolonged and consistent commitment. the cost should be the least of your worries based on the cost of other courses
 
Just for the record..... we here in the Level I forum don't know what the hardest part of "taking the CFA charter" might be, we know only the hardest part of studying for the Level I exam.....

The hardest part of studying for the Level I exam is, in my view, the act of putting down the necessary committment and long hours of studying on week-ends and evenings. You're really in it for the long haul. It's an extensive program so all those factors you mention, GoBlue06, surely have an impact. My teacher worded it very nicely back in early January when he said "Start NOW and study like CRAZY!" and that's what it takes, basically. There is no shortcut, at least none that I have been able to figure out.
 
I agree with Danteshek. I have felt the same way....sucks to think that it will be pretty much like this now. I hope I don't forget how to talk to people.
 
knowing that slouis had a much more comfortable pencil than me... i should've sucked it up and bought the cadillac of all # 2's. also, wondering if my hands would freeze off in the boston testing center- it was about 7 below in there. lastly, carrying 2 calculators in my pocket all night long while out on the town and trying to play it off like i was one of the cool kids. get your story straight or have a place to stash your BA2 pluses... many drinks deep, this will come up in conversation in an odd way if you have them in your pocket still. trust me on this one, it's awkward... especially when papelbon walks into the bar/restaurant you were at and you want to stop him and get any part of you or even a cocktail napkin signed and you know all he'd say is "is that a calculator in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" umm... this is awkward... do you want to see my AMORT keys, they're almost as cool as your 98 MPH fast balls... umm, yeah.
 
wawa,

Seeing as how many people often refer to taking the CFA exams as "taking the CFA," I don't think there was any confusion as to what I meant by my question.
 
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