How to achieve CFA exam joy
　　In less than two weeks, 40,000 candidates globally will take this year’s June CFA exams. If you’re one of them, you have reason to feel stressed. The pass rate isn’t high (40% for CFA Level I last June) and the amount of revision you’re advised to do is enormous.
 
　　So what can you do to improve your chances? We’ve asked a selection professionals, students, coaches and people from the CFA Institute. This is what they suggest.
 
　　1. Engage in revision sessions that are marathons, not sprints
　　If you want to pass the CFA Level I, you’re advised by the CFA Institute to spend six months preparing and to do between 300 and 400 hours of revision per exam during that time.
　　“Success is strongly correlated with the date you start revising,” says Nathalie Columelli, a former Deutsche Bank trader who now coaches people in the CFA exam. In other words, the earlier you start revising, the greater your chances of success.
　　Now is therefore not the time to be cramming for the June exam. Now’s the time to be starting to revise for the exam in December!
　　“This is the best moment to start revising [for December],” says Patricia Donnelly, head of consultant services at BNP Paribas Investment Partners and former president of the CFA Society France. “It’s generally calm at work and on the markets. If you start now, you can get ahead before things heat up after the summer.”
 
　　2. Plan carefully
　　Six months is a long time. And during that time it’s easy to go astray and to spend less time revising than you’d intended.
　　To prevent yourself neglecting revision times, Columelli advises using Outlook to block out 12 hours of revision time every week over the next six months. If things get in the way, make sure you transpose those blocked out hours to other times.
　　Philippe Maupas, president of CFA Society France, advises that students need to build two or three completely free weeks into their revision schedules. That way, you can absorb any professional or personal issues which might come up. If nothing comes up, you can simply have a break. Or you can use that extra time to go back over the most difficult parts of the syllabus.
 
　　3. Find a method of revising that works for you
　　“The best thing is to use a revision technique that you’ve employed for previous exams and that’s worked for you,” says Columelli. “Some people work best in the mornings, others at night. Some like to go to the library, others will work in their office or at home – each to their own!”
　　Corporate finance student, Bastien Doutreleau is currently doing an internship in Spain and preparing to take the CFA level II exam in December. When he studied for Level I, Doutreleau said he watched CFA videos and is regularly exchanged information with professionals who’d already passed the exam. Talking to those people with successful careers helped remind him why he decided to take the exams in the first place. On the other hand, Doutreleau said that he avoided CFA exam forums, which can be stressful places when you’re studying.
 
　　4. Make the most of the materials on offer
　　The CFA itself offers materials that will help you prepare for the exam. “With your login and password you can access a heap of information and advice from the CFA site itself, says Columelli. “Candidates too often neglect this,” she adds.
　　Donnelly suggests that students nearing the end of their revision look at the list of ‘Learning Outcome Statements (LOS)’ provided by the CFA Institute. They’re especially good for running through during a commute, or on the morning of the exam, she suggests.
 
　　5. Practice, practice and practice
　　“It’s essential that you’re able to respond to the questions without stopping and that understand each one quickly and in the sort of conditions you’ll encounter in the exams,” says Bastien, who regularly put himself through timed mock exams prior to level I. “This is the best way of finding out how good you are and what you still need to work on. It will also give you confidence before the big day,” he said.
 
　　6. Don’t leave anything out
　　Each of the ten units is important for CFA level I, says Maupas. You can’t leave anything out.
　　The first time he took CFA Level I, Bastien says he didn’t devote enough time to the economics material, on the grounds that it involved 300 page of coursework for just 10% of the marks in the exam (while other units were 100 pages of coursework for 15% of the exam). This was a big error, he admits.
　　It’s particularly important that you know the small subjects without much coursework extremely well. This is especially true for the ethical and professional standards section, says Donnelli. “A wrong note here can compromise your success in the whole exam if you’re on the border of passing and failing,” she says.
 
　　7. Have a strategy
　　The passing score in the CFA exam is a matter of utmost secrecy, but is thought to be around 70%.
　　If you want to pass, you’ll therefore need to be good at everything (see point six).
　　Bastien advises against studying one particular area at a time. Instead, he suggests proceeding in the style of a ‘crab’ and covering several disciplines at once during revision sessions whilst alternating theoretical with quantitative disciplines.
　　Columelli advocates paying particular attention to details on subjects you’re traditionally good at in order to avoid careless mistakes. Work harder on the subjects where you achieve irregular results during mock exams, she adds.
 
　　8. Look after yourself as the exam approaches
　　“As the exam draws closer, you need to treat yourself a bit like a baby,” says Columelli. “Eat regularly, go outside, take in some fresh air at least twice a day.”
　　If you’re in a full time job, Donnelli advises taking some half days. They’ll help you relax and give you more time for revision. Some employers will even offer time off for exam preparation, she says.
 
　　9. Don’t disqualify yourself on the big day by doing something stupid
　　The CFA website has important information on the materials you can take into the exam – read it carefully. Make sure the information on your passport conforms to what you’ve written on the CFA entry forms. Recharge your calculator batteries. Give yourself enough travel time – remember that quite a few people will be converging on the exam hall.
 
　　10. Retain your common sense
　　As with all exams, you should:
　　- Start with the easy questions.
　　- Always give an answer. You have nothing to lose.
　　- Make an intelligent guess if you don’t know the answer.
　　- Don’t panic. At worse this is just preparation for your next attempt!
　　　
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