5 Tips for Preparing for the CFA Exams
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
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The CFA is seen by many as a standard within the investment field. I recently got my own charter, so I figured I'd share some tips that I found helpful when preparing for the exams.
Intro/Outro Music: www.bensound.c...
DISCLAIMER:
This channel is for education purposes only and is not affiliated with any financial institution. Richard Coffin is not registered to provide investment advice and as such does not provide recommendations on The Plain Bagel - those looking for investment advice should seek out a registered professional. Richard is not responsible for investment actions taken by viewers.
Happy Friday! If you've written the exam before, what are some tips you have to share with others? Let me know down below!
Should I go for CFA while in college
Hi I am a CFA charterholder. My first tip is to plan your leaves and weekends. You need at least 14 days leave before exam. Also each level is different beast and passing one level doesnt mean success in other level. I agree that practising questions is a must and no level of study would make you retain the concepts without practicing questions.
Hi, I just passed CFA level 3 exam, I think focus on fast thinking, do what you familiar or feel easy first and write in flow format help save time.
And if you can learning with friends, create a group and teach each other will be really effective
I haven't watched this channel for a long time and it seems like somebody's worked out.
I’m a security professional who just passed my CISM and I’m going up for my CGEIT in about 2 months. These tips are great general advice as well. Especially making sure you study every day is crucial. It’s so important to stay on track.
"You feel like you don't know anything."
That should be the CFA institute slogan
Congrats for your certificate! yaaaay !!
Thank you!
I paused this video when you made the point about failing the questions and how practicing get you there. I've been having REAL anxiety because I failed level 3 last year and took it VERY hard. Broke my confidence . Thanks so much for this video....
you go get that last level!
I want to know if he actually got it or not
Congrats Richard! My 'tip' would be to not pursue an actuarial career path unless you like writing exams, 😂😂😂.
Although jokes aside, I think the best tip would be to develop a habit for studying and buckle down and push through it, 😉😉😉.
Actuary sucks. Got out of that after 2 years and did a MSc real estate investment & Finance plus CAIA to help me move to private equity real estate. Although a lot depends on personality and contacts too. Actuary paths requires less contacts and personality but just crunch boring exams that have 10% use to what you do.
Preparing for level II in June..... Love your Channel man...
same here,would like to connect with you for ppreparations
Did you pass?
Just passed cfa and here to encourage everyone that nclex is not as hard as assumed, just work smart and you would pass
Your comment sounds very similar to a comment posted by a bot
You’re the best finance youtube channel
@7:10 Hits home. Level 1 next Friday. Glad I found your channel!
Howd it go??
what you are saying of how to study, actually worked for me in passing CPA and CMA exam, it is all about learning from your mistakes and gaining the knowledge that give you confidence to enter the exams. if I have money left I will go for CFA
Consider CAIA instead, unless you really need financial markets only.
to be honest with you I had enough of getting certifications, I'm working on developing my analytical skills on my own
mahmoud galal if you are in need of comprehensive package for CFA from level one to level 3 both books,past practice exams and mocks, schweser and wiley books and videos for all level hit my inbox on instagram ..Kago Lerole is my insta handle
The GOOD LUCK at the end sound effect sounds much like the home run bat sound effect in Super Smash Bros. Nice. I will knock it out of the park.
I took the week off before the exam each time. Enjoy your vacation!
Congratulations on your CFA
I've just began studying for the level 1 exam, which I will take in December. I graduated with a degree in chemistry and physics, so I have much to learn about finance, but I am determined to pass this exam and will pass this exam💪🏻💪🏻
All the best of luck. I have also registered for March 2021 exam and my background is BSc Chemical engineering and BSc Chemistry.
how did it go?
@@Bhudiza1did you pass?
@@preetishgungabissoon1761 lol, was just about to ask the same thing
Thank you very much. Those tips were very useful
I’m so glad I found this channel it’s a GOLD MINE 😆
Here in India we get the Kaplan material photocopied edition almost as good as the original material, for around 40 USD
@@Nanix1991 Thanks for that generalization.
Thanks for the great video!
My best piece of advice is get a good nights sleep the night before. I failed Level 3 the first time by only a few points because of lack of sleep and anxiety. (Brain farts). Passed it the second time.
Possibly this is for a future Q&A or content for a video itself; what are your favourite investing books? What source would you use for your stock analysis (apart from 10-Ks)? Thanks a heap for the videos
Thank you for all 5 tips Richard!
Re: your Wiley CFA prep, did you use their 'Self Study Course' or the Study Guide Set (books only)?
If I recall correctly, I did whatever the cheapest thing was. I know I got the books, some sort of study planner thing (I didn't really use) and SOME online questions/practice exams, but I don't recall what it was called. My style of learning is pretty self-guided so I don't usually use online modules, but to each their own!
This hair color is gorgeous!!!!😯
This guy must be Canadian! He keeps saying that he is the one who wrote the exam.
Congratulations!!!!! :)
Congrats!
Currently on my CFA journey (level 2)... wow !congrats on passing all levels on your first try. I 100% agree with your video. which level did you find to be the hardest? Level 2 or 3?
That’s a good question, I would say level 2 was harder but I genuinely thought I failed my level 3 when I wrote it so it comes with its own challenges. For level 3 I ran out of time and totally missed two of the essay style questions. But if you can get the timing down for that one, than I’d say it’s a little easier than 2
Why do most men in finance have thin hairlines?
I have a thin hairline and am in finance
Am in finance and lost my hair
Paul Robert LMAO. I’m right behind you.. just a few more years..., hopefully..
i do not have thin hairlines😅
i lost my hair and i still cant get a job in finance
CFA candidate I have thin line too
Thank you! Do you think going through CFAI reading material is important in addition to Mark classes? If yes how many times?Should one do Kaplan's notes instead of CFAI material as it is concise? I intend to do qbank, blue box q & EOCQ from CFAI. Thank you so much
From India.... today I say your previous video's about 1930 and 2008 crisis .....I think that situation comes to 2020 ,I don't know exactly.... from Ur side what's Ur opinion pls put video about it
Do you recommend I take the SIE exam and go towards my Series 7 and 63 if I want to be an analyst or should I focus solely on the CFA?
depends on your career path. if u wanna do asset management get your cfa. if u wanna be on the sales and trading florr. get your series stuff
Respect. CFA 👍🏼
Can you do a video about Business Development Company (BDCs)?
Keep up with the amazing work.
thanks mate
I just got into USA.. Please how to i go about to take and start this journey
Hi brother where did you get your frame? I’m looking to buy one for myself and appreciate your recommendation.
I am new to the channel, but still Congrats to the achievement! Is that the original certificate or a copay you made for the frame? It is so big! I am preparing for level III 2021.
Strangely enough I have two certificates, one big and one small. I think the big one is the official one but I'm not sure..
Good luck with your exam!
Can I just take the CFA level 1 and go for the Master then come back to finish 2 and 3? Thank you for such great tips on the CFA
Certainly an option! My tips are based on my own experience, but you should do whatever you think is best for you
So when should we take our CFA? Should we wait a few years after we finish our degree?
Cool video. Thanks for posting. I'm John, a new subscriber. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? I'm planning on taking the series 65.
0:15 That's what she said
I’ll leave this comment here so I can come back in 5 years
How long do you think materials become outdated? If I was to borrow from someone.
Congrats from down unda!
Hi! Can you please do a video where you explain what method you use for studying/memorizing? I’ve never questioned too much my own technique and I would like to have alternatives to compare with. Thank you.
Hey Mario, I'm not sure if I'd dedicate a whole video to it but I'll share the process I followed here.
For studying I took notes on everything I read so that I wouldn't have to turn back to the book if I had questions; summarizing things also helped me internalize it a bit. When I finished I took my remaining time (I think a month or two) to basically memorize my notes. I would try to memorize a page of my notes a day, and every day I'd recite back what I had memorized up until that point (when it got past a couple of pages I would do certain pages every other day). Then I spent the last bit of time practicing questions while still "reciting" what I had memorized at least once a day.
Hope this helps!
The Plain Bagel thank you for your message! I basically use the same pattern, but I’m questioning whether it takes longer than other possible methods...because we are always talking about roughly 3500 pages to read and it can get quite exhausting. You did your exam preparation around 5 months in advance right? Maybe I would take more given that I’m not mother tongue english and sometimes I can misunderstand a concept. I am finding helpful the material provider by IFT by the way, it seems to me that by following video lectures and taking notes over the slides provided together speed my pace.
I love your channel ❤️! I'm actually planning to do CFA while I'm working in a company. Do you think I'll be able to balance both work and studying ? What do you recommend ? Please reply bruh🙏❤️.
Thank you! And it depends, I was able to with a full time job but I appreciate some people have other responsibilities (i.e. kids) that could make that tough. If you have time on your lunch breaks and a few hours after work you could put to studying, I'd say you have the time you need to try for one of the exams.
if you are in need of comprehensive package for CFA from level one to level 3 both books,past practice exams and mocks, schweser and wiley books and videos for all level hit my inbox on instagram ..Kago Lerole is my insta handle
I've cleared level 2. One more to go. Struggling to find a job though in India. :/
For and undergrad expecting to work on the investments industry do you think the CFA Investments Foundations Program is worth it? I know it’s not the real CFA Level 1 but at least it’s free
If it's free it certainly can't hurt! I haven't tried it myself but anything that adds to your resume would probably be useful. I'm not familiar with what sort of commitment it is, though.
Look for a scholarship that let you take the test for free while in college. I had friends that did that
Thanks for the tips,but you mentioned something I was so concern about;you sat for the level I test studying the material by the institute upon payment,right?
So I can really on the study material for my Level I study?
Hi there, yes the material provided by the Institute (i.e. the electronic books with hundreds of pages to read through) are all you NEED. Everything else is just extra stuff to make the reading easier.
Subtitles please
congrats bro
can u please provide more info about the career opportunities after compleating cfa and how much one can earn after
if you are in need of comprehensive package for CFA from level one to level 3 both books,past practice exams and mocks, schweser and wiley books and videos for all level hit my inbox on instagram ..Kago Lerole is my insta handle
Hi! I’m an accounting student, and I’m bored of this, i feel like i can do a lot more value for myself in the finance field (I’m actually doing financial analysis in my current part time job) so! Do you recommend the cfa for me? Would it help me get some other opportunities for a job? And can I get more money in finance than in accounting? Thanks for your time
It depends it you want to work in investment analysis/portfolio management, or financial analysis (which is slightly different!). A CFA is really helpful if you want to deal in the world of investments, but make sure there are jobs in the area you want to work; in some smaller areas it might not add much value if there are no portfolio management companies. If you want instead to do financial analysis, helping companies budget their money and what not, I believe there are other options that would serve you better. As for the money, that would depend which area you land in (i.e. investment banking is probably the most lucrative, whereas financial advisor positions may not make as much as an accountant); both can earn you a lot of money though!
@@ThePlainBagel ok, that´s really helpfull, thanks! but... do you think i can make it if i´m not a finance student? accounting is a lot easier right? thank you for your time, i´m subscribing!
@@samxware Accounting is heavily tied to finance, so you could certainly transition into the field of finance. There are some things, like economics, that you might need to learn more on but I think finance firms would be open to hiring accounting students.
@@ThePlainBagel thanks a lot! I might give a try to the exam
@@samxware My pleasure! Best of luck!
Hi i am planning to do cfa but i am confusd which preparation provider should i choose Kaplan or Wiley? What do you suggest?
They’re both good! I doubt you’ll notice a big difference. Kaplan provides a one-page formula “cheat sheet”, and Wiley has an online schedule, so whichever add on you think you’d prefer I’d go with that (or whichever is cheaper honestly)
For level 2, I purchased the Wiley Platinum package. I want to ask you what is the best source to practice from.
Thank you
if you are in need of comprehensive package for CFA from level one to level 3 both books,past practice exams and mocks, schweser and wiley books and videos for all level hit my inbox on instagram ..Kago Lerole is my insta handle
Can i start cfa level 1 while.doing my studies in uni or to register for the exam i would have to finish first?
When I wrote it you could do it in university, so that should still be the case
I'm taking the CFA exams on December! These tips are really helpful! Did you took the Levels 1 to 3 consecutively, or you had some time gap between each level (aside from the time in between exams)?
He said in this video to do they back to back if possible
if you are in need of comprehensive package for CFA from level one to level 3 both books,past practice exams and mocks, schweser and wiley books and videos for all level hit my inbox on instagram ..Kago Lerole is my insta handle
How did you do?
@@m.m4021 Unfortunately due to the pandemic, I have to defer taking the exams :(
Hi there , I am on my lvl 1 CFA exam on December , i am really worried , can you give me a hint on how to study? i mean i am only studying from the curriculum , when i get to the exercises i feel like i have no idea what i studied
When you get a question wrong, make sure you go through the answer until you understand how to do it correctly. Maybe even try revisiting a question at a later date to make sure you understand. Aside from that, just keep practicing, it should help the information sink in
Just an extra tip, check out the TH-cam channel Mark Meldrum or his website. I passed level 1 in June and i didn't even open the CFA books as i hate reading textbooks. The best thing about Mark Meldrum is that he covers everything you need to know in his videos and in his topic review videos he goes over every single question in the book in his videos working through the questions step by step. He has videos on every single topic but TBH i just used his review videos of each section and relied on his explanation on chapter questions and then just tried the CFA website topic questions.
I gained a good understanding from his videos but the main thing is doing every single CFA website question and doing the mocks. I honestly think reading every page in the CFA textbooks are a complete waste of time (unless you enjoy knowing everything about a topic) as 60% of what is in the books won't come up and you'll realise when you do the mocks that many questions are repeated but with just different figures or an extra step, with the amount of time you save from forgetting the books and just watching videos, and i should also mention he provides really good notes on every topic which you can just print if you need something in front of you, you can just practice questions which is much more enjoyable than reading a dull textbook. Hope it goes well for you.
Would you suggest to work and study for Level 2??
Or Should I work till November December and then study full time??
Either way could work, it all depends on your unique circumstances. I was able to work and study for all three levels, but I also didn't have many responsibilities outside of work.
are you stupid? CFA is good when you can combine work and study!
Can I just focus on the supplemental books? Or do I need to read the ones provided by CFA first?
My own experience has been that the supplemental books were enough by themselves. Some people are adamant that you need to read both, but that was not my experience.
@@ThePlainBagel Thank you for the information.
How about scheduling? What was your target time to finish a certain topic? And how many months did you prepare for level 1?
@@oscarroienriquez1483 I spent 5-6 months studying for each exam, putting aside 1-2 hours a day (with more time being spent in the last month). I didn't really target times for finishing topics, I just took the number of pages from the book and divided it by the time I had to study so I was studying the same number of pages a day. I also left a month "buffer" which I spent doing practice exams and what not after I had gotten through all the content. Hope this helps!
Yeah. Thank you for that. I was being hard on myself before I read your reply, pushing myself to study 3 hours per day. Now, I know that there are people who takes their time studying 1-2 hours per day in 6 months time.
Thanks, man!
do i need the cfa calculator for the exams? im writing level 1
Yes I believe you need a calculator, and you'll need one of the specified models:
www.cfainstitute.org/en/about/governance/policies/cfa-calculator-policy
What if I'm a senior student but only have less than one year experience, can I register to study? I'm aware they said at least 4 years of exp
Yes I believe you can; my understanding is you only need to complete a bachelors program to graduate, not to sign up. For sure you can also sign up without meeting the experience requirement
@@ThePlainBagel Thanks !! I would look forward to that since I'm about to graduate next year.
Can you take the exam after graduating college? or do you need work experience before?
You don't need work experience to write the exams, but you won't get the charter until you finish four years in the field
if you are in need of comprehensive package for CFA from level one to level 3 both books,past practice exams and mocks, schweser and wiley books and videos for all level hit my inbox on instagram ..Kago Lerole is my insta handle
Any cfa passed working in US?
CSI is nothing compared to cfa , both in value and difficulty. Pls don’t compare them
220hoours study, 3 weeks before => pass each exam on first attempt
I have literally no finance background or experience ( I work in media) - am I eligible to take these exams do you know? Randomly want the challenge...
Nah m8
@@treepeenbawlz1934 thanks m80 y tho?
@@soundsidecolour of course you are, you just won‘t be able to write CFA close to your name bc u lack work experience. But you can take the exam & then go & work in the industry for 4y i believe to then be able to be a charter
What prep provider do you use...
I used Schweser for level 2 and Wiley for level 3, just the tier that came with the books though. I thought they were both great, I don't have a strong preference between them
Impressive. Did it actually help you with your career u think?
Yes the first few levels helped me get a job in investment analysis and completing the whole program will help me get my next promotion :) but I also work right in the area the CFA is designed for
The Plain Bagel thank you
you look so handsome from that angle
Tip number one is don’t write the exams and end up paying a life time of subscription fees to use the designation....seems not ethical at all. Should also pay your college an annual fee to use your degree
Hi, I would like to place request for a video on preparing for an IFIC exam
Just found your channel, its hot
I'm registering for Level 1 May session, will there be enough time to study? I will have 6 and a half months! A lot of people told me that it's not doable and I should consider registering for August since I'm a fresh graduate who wasn't that good at college, but now I have both motivation and time!
What do you think would the realistic decesion?
6 and a half months is certainly doable! I think I studied for the first level over that same period of time - I did so everyday on my lunchbreak and on weekends, but you've just got to get into the rhythm of it. Good luck!
TIL: Fire cannot kill a dragon.
Also, something about a test?
Accurate
6th tip - brush up on your grammar.
No one likes an asshole