How I Passed the CFA Level 1 Exam (FREE Resources Included)

I'm Ivan—a CFA charterholder and Chief Operating Officer at 365 Financial Analyst. I’m also someone who once sat exactly where you are now, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety about the CFA Level 1 exam.

Today, I'm here to offer more than strategies; I'm sharing genuine experiences from my successful exam journey.

Here’s my list of tips for an effective study strategy.

As a start, break down the material into smaller, more manageable parts. Think of the curriculum as a huge mountain. You wouldn't just leap to the top, right? Tackling one small section at a time allows me to explore each subject more deeply.

Next, draft a study plan. This plan must detail your study topics and schedule and incorporate review sessions. Set daily and weekly objectives—a simple Excel spreadsheet with topics and deadlines is sufficient.

Now, it’s essential to stick to this schedule but also be flexible. If you find specific areas more challenging than expected, adjusting and spending more time on them is okay. I aimed to tackle one module at a time. Back then, the curriculum was organized into readings, but the principle remains consistent.

Now, what’s the best way to study the material? I discovered that the best study techniques extend beyond mere reading or listening.

Active engagement—which involves notetaking, crafting, utilizing flashcards, and solving numerous practice questions—is essential. Notetaking is crucial to studying, and there are four key aspects to remember.

First, make sure you understand the material. Before taking notes, I'd review a section several times to ensure the information sinks in.

Next, understand what to document. The CFA Level 1 covers a ton of material, and trying to jot down everything is futile. Concentrating on key concepts and challenging areas enhanced my study's effectiveness and precision.

Use your own words in the process. Reviewing notes in my own words made everything click in a way pre-written notes never could.

Lastly, I suggest going digital with all notetaking, bypassing traditional handwriting. While there's evidence suggesting handwriting can help with memory retention, the speed and efficiency of digital notes are better suited to the volume of CFA material.

When should I start studying and how to practice for the exam? Watch our video to access our remaining insightful tips and resources.

We’ll continue to share tutorial videos to help you on your journey to landing your dream job. Please 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝟲𝟱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 if you find this video helpful.

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[loichelene]

I was not expecting this video from 365 FA and it's a great surprise ! Thank you for that one, simple and straight to point.

[Gireesh]

Hi, I'm a non finance background student. I completed my graduation and now I want to pursue CFA. Could you please suggest some crash courses to build strong fundamentals before preparing for CFA level 1 exam.

Thankyou.

[kanchansharma]

How can i get free mock tests or practice questions for CFA level 1

[sagrikatiwari]

hey can i apply for this course ? i barely know anything about finance i want to start from the basics

[SonmerfieldWendell-eq]

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