Level I CFA® Program Exam Prep
2022 / 2023 CFA Exams
Later Study Stress
Most Level I CFA exam candidates would be satisfied with the status quo. You're not most candidates.
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Study Packages
Cover all your Level I CFA exam bases. As captivating as in-person prep but on demand.
Most Comprehensive
Focus Course: Plus
123hoursIncludes everything in:
10 Topic Modules
+ Power Review+ Ask the Prof.
+ Success Guarantee
Most Flexible
Focus Course: Total
89hoursIncludes everything in:
10 Topic Modules
Single-Topic Modules
Hone specific topics for your Level I CFA exam, on demand.
Most Targeted
Focus Course: Topic Modules
9hours
Get exactly the ones you want.
Choose between 10 Topic Modules,
on average 9 hours each.
Final Practice
Get a crunch-time content and
skills tune-up for your Level I
CFA exam, on demand.
Power Review Course
25hoursInstantly boost your score with a blast
of mini-mock-exam question practice
and assessment in the final stretch.
Summary Notes
Our ace-in-the-hole study manual
breaks down every topic tested
on the Level I CFA exam.
Study Notes Set
50hoursConquer the concepts, skills and strategies
needed to pass with this printable quick-
reference CFA curriculum pocket guide.
1 on 1 Tutoring
Customized on-demand prep for
your Level I CFA exam. Enjoy
a class size of one.
Private Tutoring
2hoursSchedule personalized tutoring with
Prof. Brian Gordon, CFA, CFP, CIM,
MBA, FCSI.2-hour minimum.
Level I CFA Exam Dates
In 2021 CFA Institute transitioned the CFA exams to computer-based testing (CBT), offered in proctored test centers worldwide. For the Level I exam, there is a choice between 4 test windows per year:
February, May, August and November.
Level I CFA Exam Format
The Level I CFA exam is divided into two 135-minute (2-hour and 15 minute) sessions, with a 30-minute optional break in between. Both sessions have 90 free-standing multiple choice items consisting of a question, a statement, and/or table as well as 3 answer choices (A, B, or C). Only 1 of the 3 given answer choices per question is correct. There is no penalty for choosing the incorrect answer.
Level I CFA Exam
Prof. Brian Gordon
CFA, CFP, CIM, MBA, FCSI
The Level I CFA exam (basic knowledge exam), is a "time-pressure exercise of learning a little about a lot of topics".
Exam Success provides winning study solutions that cut the fat, teach you how to tackle the overwhelming volume and breadth of material and give you the keys to answer the questions (standalone Multiple Choice) the "CFA" way.
Level I CFA Exam Top FAQ
You must register and enrol for the Level I exam directly with CFA Institute at: https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa/register.
| There are are 5 requirements for registration: |
|---|
|
1. You must be either a university of college Bachelor degree graduate or equivalent or in your final year of the program or have a combined work experience and/or higher education of 4,000 hours that was acquired sequentially over a minimum of 3 years. |
|
2. You must have a valid international passport. |
|
3. You must be prepared to take exams in English. |
|
4. You must meet the professional conduct admission criteria. |
| 5. Living in a CFA Program participating country. |
The amount it will cost you to sit for the Level I exam depends on how early you register with CFA Institute. You will be required to pay CFA Institute a one-time enrollment fee. And, each time you register to sit a CFA exam, you must pay CFA Institue an exam fee.
CFA Institute offers two tiers of pricing: one for early registration and the other for standard registration.
You should check CFA Institute's webiste for specific prices.
CFA Institute offers two tiers of pricing: one for early registration and the other for standard registration.
You should check CFA Institute's webiste for specific prices.
As of 2021, CFA Institute the Level I exam is being offered 4 times per year. The 4 exam windows are:
February, May, August, and November.
February, May, August, and November.
Since 2010, the historical CFA pass rates for: Level 1 ranges from 36%-49%.
The 10 year historical pass rate is 45%.
The 10 year historical pass rate is 45%.
According to UK NARIC (the national agency, managed on behalf of the UK Government responsible for providing information, advice and opinion on vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from all over the world), the CFA exams have been benchmarked individually by Level under UK Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF):
CFA Level I's difficulty is comparable to a Diploma of higher education (Level 5 qualification under RQF).
In other words, the Level I CFA curriculum is fairly straightforward if you already have an academic background in finance — the content covers the same undergradate introductory material (accounting, finance stats...). If you don't have a prior educational background in finance and the curriculum topics, your preparation will be tougher. By in large, the biggest Level I CFA exam difficulty most all candidates have is with the memorization of the many definitions and formulas and lack of time management skills, discipline (there are over 3,000 pages in Level I CFA curriculum).
CFA Level I's difficulty is comparable to a Diploma of higher education (Level 5 qualification under RQF).
In other words, the Level I CFA curriculum is fairly straightforward if you already have an academic background in finance — the content covers the same undergradate introductory material (accounting, finance stats...). If you don't have a prior educational background in finance and the curriculum topics, your preparation will be tougher. By in large, the biggest Level I CFA exam difficulty most all candidates have is with the memorization of the many definitions and formulas and lack of time management skills, discipline (there are over 3,000 pages in Level I CFA curriculum).
The topics and topic weights on the Level I exam are subject to change on a year-to-year basis.
Here is a breakdown for the latest exam weightings:
| Exam Success Topic Modules (10) |
CFA Institute Core Curriculum Exam Topics (10) |
CFA Exam Weights (100%) |
| 1 | Quantitative Methods | 8-12% |
| 2 | Economics: Micro & Macro | 8-12% |
| 3 | Financial Reporting & Analysis | 13-17% |
| 4 | Corporate Finance (Corporate Issuers) | 8-12% |
| 5 | Equity Investments | 10-12% |
| 6 | Fixed Income | 10-12% |
| 7 | Derivatives | 5-8% |
| 8 | Alternative Investments | 5-8% |
| 9 | Portfolio Management | 5-8% |
| 10 | Ethical and Professional Standards | 15-20% |
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*2019 Top Choice Award Nominee in multiple categories. The Top Choice Award is an honour presented to businesses that receive the most customer satisfaction votes. Exam Success follows CFA Institute Prep Provider Guidelines. Required Disclaimer: CFA Institute does not endorse, promote or warrant the accuracy or quality of the products or services offered by Exam Success. CFA Institute, CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
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