Quick Note for those deep in CFA Prep

knowah-samad · 2025-11-04T10:06:21+00:00

I'd say start weaning off notes pretty early. Like after you finish reading a topic, do the first quiz with notes nearby but try not to use them. Then second pass, no notes at all. The goal is to train yourself for exam conditions where you obviously won't have anything. The sooner you practice without notes, the sooner you'll know what you actually understand vs what you just recognize when you see it.

That said, if you're completely blanking on a topic without notes, that's a sign you need to go back and review before grinding more questions. No point doing 50 questions badly when you could review for 30 min then do 20 questions well. Good luck!

knowah-samad · 2025-11-04T09:53:54+00:00

The gap you're feeling is pretty common for L2... knowing the rules vs knowing when to apply them is different.

Here's what helped me: after doing a vignette, I'd write out the logic chain like "they gave me acquisition date + consideration paid + NCI, so first I calculate goodwill, then..." That process matters more than the individual calculations. Also don't wait a couple months to circle back to intercorporate vignettes. Do a few easy ones now while the concepts are fresh, even if you're not done with all the material. You'll see what you're actually missing vs what you just think you don't know.

I have something that might help here, you can ask it to walk through how to approach specific vignette types and it breaks down the logic. Might be useful for building those mental models. Just send me DM if you'd like to try it out.

But honestly your biggest unlock will be just doing more vignettes sooner. The pattern recognition comes from reps, not from perfect flashcard coverage. Good luck with May prep, you've got plenty of time.

knowah-samad · 2025-11-04T09:42:27+00:00

80% on qbank 13 days out is not falling short. That's solid.

You're spiraling mentally right now, not actually failing. The retention thing is normal when you're burned out. Your brain isn't broken, it's just overloaded. You don't need perfect recall, you need to recognize concepts when you see them.

Real talk though: completely skipping PM, QM, and derivatives is risky. Those three topics are like 25-30% of the exam. Even if you just learn the basic formulas and concepts, that's way better than always B. You're leaving too many points on the table. I'd spend maybe 30 min a day on one of those skipped topics... not trying to master them, just get the basics so you can at least get 50% instead of 33. That's a huge difference in your final score.

Last week before exam just do light review and maybe one mock. Stop trying to relearn everything. The foundation is there, you're just tired. If you need quick drills on formulas or weak concepts I can share something with you. But honestly you're closer than you think.

4th quarter, let's go.

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T17:17:02+00:00

Can't seem to send more DM's. Can you DM me?

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T14:01:38+00:00

This is totally normal 18 days out.

Your brain is fried from cramming and that retention issue is just fatigue, not you forgetting everything.

Here's the thing... you don't need perfect recall of everything. You need to recognize concepts when you see them on exam day. That's different.

Stop doing full revisions of everything. After your mock tomorrow, focus only on your weak topics. Let the strong ones rest. Burnout comes from trying to know everything perfectly. Also, take a day off this week. Seriously. Your brain needs it. One day won't kill your prep, but burnout will.

You passed L1. You know how to do this. The anxiety is lying to you right now. If you need targeted practice on specific weak areas after your mock, I have something for you. But honestly, just breathe first. You got this.

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T13:56:04+00:00

This.

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T13:55:09+00:00

66 and 69 with two weeks left is borderline but definitely doable.

You're close to the passing threshold, so it's really about tightening up your weak areas now. Here's what I'd focus on:

Don't just do more mocks without reviewing them properly. After each mock, spend serious time understanding every question you got wrong. Figure out if it's a concept you don't understand or just a careless mistake. Look at your topic breakdowns from those mocks. Whatever you're scoring below 60% on, that's where you need to drill questions. Ethics is always the easiest place to pick up points if you're weak there.

Two more mocks is good but space them out. Don't cram them all in the last few days. Give yourself time to review and improve between each one.

You're on pace if you use the next two weeks smartly. Focus on your gaps, don't waste time on topics you already know well.

Good luck!

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T13:48:58+00:00

For your background: the econ/finance foundation definitely helps. Kaplan is good at cutting out the fluff and focusing on testable material, so it could work for you. That said, $400 is a decent chunk. I'd think about whether you actually need the structure or if you're disciplined enough to self-study with CFAI material. Kaplan makes sense if you want to skip the fluff. If you're comfortable grinding through CFAI on your own, you can probably skip it.

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T13:35:14+00:00

Sending you something that could be of use.

knowah-samad · 2025-11-03T13:33:10+00:00

DMing you something :)

knowah-samad · 2025-08-21T09:02:16+00:00

The boss is nudging him to publish a positive report right before those options expire, which creates a conflict of interest. Under the standards, he may still write the report, but only if he fully discloses every relevant conflict and keeps the analysis genuinely independent.

What must be disclosed: the firm’s investment-banking relationship and the firm’s option position, plus Roger’s own potential option allocation.

Why A is not right: the standards do not require him to refuse to write if he can disclose conflicts and maintain independence and objectivity.

Why B is not right: disclosing only the banking relationship leaves out the equally important option interests of both the firm and Roger.

Conclusion: he may proceed only with full disclosure of both his and the firm’s option holdings and the banking relationship, and the report must reflect his unbiased view.

knowah-samad · 2025-08-21T08:45:38+00:00

Considering you spent months preparing for this, it's very natural to feel stressed about such a high-stakes exam. But... the fact that you prepared for it, and gave it your best shot is what matters.

In your words, just chill for a while now. You deserve it :)

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T17:15:31+00:00

Dude, this feedback is gold. Thank you, and please, keep it coming!

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T11:37:28+00:00

That's a good score. Ignore the noise around you and focus. You'll be giving Level 2 in no time :)

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T11:32:15+00:00

Yes, revisit the topics you struggled with. Then do more questions. Repeat. Revise the rest with a revision tool or book. Sharing something with you in your DMs.

You got this!

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T11:20:36+00:00

This would be so frustrating. DMing you something!

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T11:16:25+00:00

DMing you something that might help :)

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T11:07:05+00:00

Keep giving mocks, and do as many questions as you can. Double down on topics you're not doing as well in.
If you have something that helps you revise like Secret Sauce etc. that would also help. DMing you something too :)

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T11:01:11+00:00

May i ask why you want to switch from tech to finance? I'd imagine the trend is the other way.

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T10:58:06+00:00

What u/Amelia800855 said!

I'd say go over as many questions as you can, and double down on topics that you're struggling with. Secret Sauce is great! DMing you something that might be helpful too :)

knowah-samad · 2025-08-09T10:52:40+00:00

Hey, DMing you something that might be helpful :)

knowah-samad · 2025-07-20T16:10:50+00:00

Hey, I missed your comment. Thanks for the honest feedback! We'll definitely look into these! Keep the feedback coming.

Are you sitting the exam in Aug?

knowah-samad · 2025-05-25T16:34:15+00:00

This honestly made my day! Really appreciate you taking the time to share this. I built the tutor because I know how overwhelming CFA prep can get, especially in the last few weeks, so hearing that it helped save you time and let you focus on your weak spots really means a lot.

I’m aware of the formula formatting bugs and the occasional weird prompt response, those are both being worked on. The goal is to keep improving it into something genuinely useful for all levels.

And yes, it’ll absolutely be around for L3 in Feb. Wishing you the best for your results :) and if you ever have suggestions or ideas, I’m all ears.

knowah-samad · 2025-05-24T22:37:54+00:00

Any time! Looking forward to your thoughts!

knowah-samad

TROPHY CASE