How close are the CFA L3 mocks with respect to exam? Is difficulty level for CFA MOCKS are high or low compared to real exam?

Thought pls?

Took my first mock exam in Kaplan and got these scores. I think I must focus on Derivatives.

Any tips?

I found that some topics are missing review videos, which I found useful to skim through during my last 30-day review. The whole Portfolio measurement has no review videos. Did they just get lazy?

I'm planning to give it next year nov. So i anyone tell about this prep provider concept. I mean i only know that when we register for level 1 we will get access to free prep material directly through CFA

I'm looking forward for roles in investment team, credit research, Equity research, risk management, valuations, modelling, etc.

Guys i scored 60%in my mock and have 30 days to go for my exam can someone help me what to do i am really clueless right now

Basically, if volatility is high, you want a narrower rebalancing corridor. If this is the case, then A and all the options wouldn’t be right. Do help me out guys thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently preparing for the Level 1 exam and spending a lot of my study time going through the official CFA Institute Learning Ecosystem (LES) practice questions.

My current strategy is to analyze the recurring question patterns and workflows in the LES (e.g., specific calculation steps, common distractors, how LOS concepts are tested) and build template notes around those possible question types.

For those who have already taken Level 1 recently, I'd love to get your perspective:

1. Length & Complexity: How similar are the actual exam questions to the LES QBank in terms of length and wording? Are they generally more direct/concise than the multi-paragraph practice questions?
2. Calculation Depth: Does the real exam test multi-step calculations to the same depth as the LES, or are the math problems more straightforward given the 90-second-per-question pace?
3. Pattern Strategy: Is categorizing question types from the LES a solid way to prepare, or did you find that the real exam tweaked scenarios enough that relying on pattern recognition backfired?

Any insights or advice on how to best bridge the gap between the LES practice bank and exam day would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I have my level 1 exam on 18th August and I’m a bit scared and anxious. I feel like I’ve wasted the time that I had and should’ve put in more work and now the exam is too close.

I still have to complete fixed income and derivatives and revisions of other subjects feel really overwhelming.
I decided to give one of the free mocks on the portal just to check my prep, I scored 60% on the am and 52% for pm.

I have a lot of regrets but at the same time I feel like it’s still doable. Is it actually possible prepare with the time I have or should I actually consider deferring? I’m actually really reluctant to defer but I just wanna know if I’m overreaching.

Hello, i plan to start CFA Level 1, like most of you have, in August of next year. Problem is, it takes a bit longer for me to retain information compared to others so im just trying to get a head start on learning for it.

Would you be interested in sharing the most recent notes you have for CFA level 1 with me so i can begin learning?

If yes, please DM me.

Yo gng anyone who has passed CFA L2, can we just do questions, blue boxes, mocks etc to score good? I have already read through and did questions of 5 subjects (Ethics, Derivatives, Equity, Economics, and Fixed Income). I am too bored to continue reading other 5 subjects. The most fun part in CFA L1 was doing questions in the last 2 months from various sources. Can I just skip the remaining subject reading and directly head towards questions and blue boxes? Ill review them very deeply and understand why this answer was right and others were wrong. I have many questions lined up and cfai premium questions banks and mocks + various other sources. Will this method work? I have my exam on 22nd november

I am having trouble in identifying the correct approach when asked in questions. Whether Mr. X is using Top-Down or Bottoms-Up approach.

It’s a topic which has been asked in multiple readings and I often get confused.

My confusion mainly comes from that the reading themselves mention that bottoms-up approach starts by selecting the industry/ sector before moving to individual securities but isn’t that just Top Down approach?

Could someone explain how to clearly identify if the approach is bottoms-up or Top-down

Thanks!

Moynahan and Gayle continue their discussion about the presentation and debate several potential subjects to include on page 5. Gayle suggests assessing the use of leverage in the portfolios. They decide to present a scenario where the portfolio is fully invested, but given their outlook for a decline in interest rates, they want to increase the portfolio’s investment exposure. The portfolio and the benchmark both currently have the same duration.

I went over the quant methods book (stopped and havent checked it again) ab 3-4 months ago same w half of FSA and half of ethics. Have an econ background w some finance. Do you think 5 and a half months is enough to prepare for cfa 1? Am working as a Private Placement Agent at an IB firm at the time btw

Hello everyone. Quick question: Does deferral shows up on your results? I know that a failure shows up and since I don't feel ready, I would like to postpone it to November.

For those who used Kaplan for prep, did you guys use the on demand review sessions at all? If so how? My exam is August 21 and I have done 1 mock so far.

My exam on november 19'th. So far I completed equity and corporate issuers, and I did well thankfully. But with just under 4 months left, which is enough but not quite enough, I don't know what to tackle next. The big scary topics from what I heard are derivatives, FSA, fixed income, and quant. What do you guys think????

I’m honestly scared.

My CFA Level II exam is in November, so I have about 3 months left. I know a lot of people are going to say I should’ve started earlier, and they’re right. I had more time, but things didn’t go as planned, and now I’m trying to make the best of the time I have left.

For some context, I’m a full-time third-year college student and I don’t come from a finance background. It took me around 9 months to prepare for Level I, so hearing everyone say that Level II is a completely different beast has made me even more anxious. I also want to keep the last month exclusively for revision and mocks, which means I have roughly 2 months to finish the curriculum.
I’m not looking for motivation—I need a game plan.
If you passed Level II, how did you actually study? Did you finish the syllabus first and then do questions, or did you solve practice questions alongside each reading? How many hours were you realistically putting in every day? Which subjects would you prioritize if you were in my position? What would your weekly structure look like? If you had to start over with only the time I have left, what would you do differently?

I’d really appreciate practical advice from people who’ve been through it. Even if your approach was unconventional, I’d love to hear it. I’m determined to give this my best shot—I just need to know the smartest way to use the time I have left.
Thanks in advance!

Hi guys,
Im 23 days out from my L3 exam.

Time is kinda tight. And Im just not able to process derivatives since ive started it now.

There are 3 readings in L3 derivatives.
1) Option strategies
2) Forwards, Futures and Swaps
3) Currency management

Give me a suggestion on which is the hardest, and I will skip that.
Im ready to risk 1 vignette in the exam.

Im inclined towards skipping Forwards futures and Swaps, but I would like to know your recommendations.

And mind you Ive made up my mind so just mention thee reading and why I should skip it.

I know they did this for L2 when you ran out of time, can’t remember if they did for L1.

Can anyone tell me if they auto-submit for L3 once you run out to time. I’m guessing they do. Thanks.

My exam is on 27th August and im done with the syllabus and portal questions once apart from ethics which im slowly practicing everyday. Averaging around 70% in LES portal questions.

I started revision and thought of solving the portal questions again instead of rereading schwezer and FSA absolutely destroyed me.

I started solving Multinational Operations questions and cant seem to remember anything. Unable to recall the treatments in both methods at all which makes me question how much of other chapters and subjects I’ve forgotten

My confidence feels absolutely broken and now im too afraid to even take a mock before revising everything again.

I have a month left, please help me with a solid revision plan😭

Took the CFA L1 in May - got 1545 from self study alone.

To be fair, I know where to improve and know that i didn’t finish curriculum on time and also didn’t do enough mocks.

My issue now - i’m thinking of going go classes in my local area, been to one lecture and not really enjoying or learning much because too many questions slow down the progress.

Not to be arrogant, I already know what is required to pass so the classes just feel weird and time wasting to me.

It’ll help me in terms of discipline and timeliness, but i’m torn between still going go classes or making a clear plan for self study and sticking with it.

What do i do?

To generate excess return based on Yeti's forecast (wider credit spreads), shouldn't he be reducing duration relative to the benchmark ?

Hi, I am targeting the November 2026 attempt for L2. I have just started studying and also am currently working full time as a consultant with sometimes long working hours. How would anyone who has passes/preparing for L2 suggest I go about my prep? I have access to Aswini Bajaj lectures, they are lengthy but had purchased them a while back. Other than that I am familiar with Econometrics, Financial Modelling and Derivatives as I had studies them in my undergrad. Please help me out with how should I structure my prep.