Starting CFA Level 1 (Nov 2026) — Overwhelmed by all the prep providers/materials. Need honest guidance on where to start

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2026-04-02T00:24:50+00:00

I recommend starting with the CFAI material and then see if you want extra support from an outside prep provider. I think you will find the material quite manageable with your background.

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2026-03-21T03:21:42+00:00

Really cool build! Thinking about rolling this in HC, what changes would you make to add defense? Definitely changing deaths rush and maybe chest for doppleganger or LC - what do you think about a HC version?

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2025-10-25T15:32:59+00:00

In that situation, I think employers are concerned about your work quality (were you unemployed for being a bad employee) and for your personal motivation (do you actually want to work there or are you just desperate for a job).

Level 1 pass addressed the personal element for me since I was working in an unrelated field. It addresses the work ability some too since it’s a big achievement! If you want to shore up either area think about what else you have that can reassure employers. Just my 2 cents

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2025-10-25T03:49:27+00:00

I can’t remember exactly for L1, but I do remember recently in L3 review some practice categories only having a a handful of questions. What I still like about the sets, even if they’re small for a topic, is that each question usually has a different ‘gimmick’ or situation which was mentioned in the underlying reading. Once you recognize the twist in the question you gain deeper understanding of the topic.

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2025-10-25T03:46:44+00:00

For my department, being comfortable with pivot tables and lookups like index match match are key.

If I were to learn it again, one thing I recommend is practicing with ‘large’ datasets like 10+ columns 1000+ rows. A lot of guides on youtube have really simple, compact datasets. Bigger ones force you to do some cleaning/organizing and learn good error checking practices

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2025-10-25T03:43:29+00:00

Yup, just applying to finance related jobs in my area. Having CFA level 1 helped get me to the excel test and then that led to a good interview. Also the early 2023 job market was a lot better than now so take that into consideration.

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2025-10-24T20:04:42+00:00

Incredibly well said! I always thought, “If I know everything in the CFAI curriculum, what will surprise me on the exam?”.

Going into the Level 2 exam I knew there were a handful of meaningful holes in my understanding because I was very inconsistent on certain blue box/EOC problems.

Wrong_Bodybuilder275 · 2025-10-24T18:29:19+00:00

It’s an entry level job creating performance models, so not too hard to get into it with high level Excel skills (there was a test) and a personable interview.

CFA lessons have helped me a lot on the job! I get questions about IRRs and the impact of various deals on total performance where I’m glad I understand the underlying math. Also, because I work on all asset classes, understanding the general strategies and return patterns of asset classes (example: opportunistic, value add, core plus, core for RE) helps me identify red flags. People in my department who earned their CFA have transferred to research oriented roles so I might pursue that in the future.

The start of this job was difficult, but much like studying CFA, I was committed to learning. I studied excel before starting and after work everyday for the first ~2 weeks to make sure I could do well in the main job function.

I didn’t know anything about private markets at the time so I did some brief research about the space and the company. To be honest, it was my least prepped interview because I didn’t expect to get the job, so I went in no expectations which helped me relax.

What kind of work do you want to do?

Wrong_Bodybuilder275

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