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Arif Irfanullah, CFA

Arif Irfanullah, CFA

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Should I Pursue the CFA® Program?

If you are interested in a career in investment analysis and portfolio management, I strongly recommend the CFA Program.  It is the most recognized and respected investment management designation in the world. If you are already in the investment management profession, the CFA Program will help strengthen your foundation. This is likely to accelerate your career progression. The CFA Program also makes sense if you are a non-finance professional at a financial institution, such as a large bank, and want to move to the business side. For instance, imagine you are an IT consultant implementing a Treasury Management System at… Read More

Level I

Level II Study Advice – March 2018

With about 3 months left for the exam it is crunch time.   Spend as much time as possible studying and make your study time as productive as possible.  Here are some do and don’ts: With every reading focus on the main points; do not get hung up on the details.  (If you try to understand the depth of every single point you’ll not have time to practice… which is suicide.) Understand the curriculum examples… especially the ones which are relatively short and focused.  Some examples seem to go on and on.  At this stage it does not make sense to… Read More

Level II

Incoming: Level I December 2017 Results

Dear December 2017 Level I candidates, Tomorrow, the moment of truth will come.  I’m sure you have been anxiously waiting for your Level I result.  You will experience the agony of failure or the thrill of victory. Read my advice on how to interpret your results and what to do next. Click on the link below. If you pass If you fail Best regards, Arif Irfanullah, CFA

Level I

Advice to Those Who Pass the Level I Exam

Dear December 2017 Level I Candidates, Tomorrow, the moment of truth will come.  I’m sure you have been anxiously waiting for your Level I result.  You will experience the agony of failure or the thrill of victory. If you have cleared the exam, this is indeed a milestone. If you are interested in my thoughts on what to do next read on. I passed the exam.  What next? About this time every year, I get the same question from successful Level I candidates: should I take the Level II exam in June this year? As with so many other situations… Read More

Level I

Advice To Those Who Don’t Pass the Level I Exam

Dear December 2017 Level I Candidates, Tomorrow, the moment of truth will come.  I’m sure you have been anxiously waiting for your Level I result.  You will experience the agony of failure or the thrill of victory. If you have failed the exam; always remember failure is not fatal. If you are interested in my thoughts on what to do next please read on. I did not make it. What next? For those who do not pass the Level I exam, the typical advice is to keep trying; however, I suggest a more thoughtful approach.  Put the result on the… Read More

Level I

I just took the Level I exam. Should I start preparing for Level II?

If you just took the Level I exam, are reasonably confident that you’ll pass, and want to take the Level II exam in June, this blog is for you. Let’s start with a quick Level II introduction. The ten topics are the same as Level I, but the weights are different. Ethics: 10 – 15%, Quant: 5 – 10%, Econ: 5 – 10%, CF: 5 – 15%, FRA: 15 – 20%, Equity: 15 – 25%, Alt: 5 – 10%, FI: 10 – 20%, Der: 5 – 15%, PM: 5 – 10%. At Level I, you were tested on basic concepts. … Read More

Level II

Key Tips for the December Exam

With the exam just around the corner, I want to share advice with Level I candidates, especially first time Level I exam takers. Please read the the advice given below carefully. Before the exam day –Print your admission ticket and make sure the name matches exactly what you have on the passport.  If there is a discrepancy, inform CFA Institute as soon as possible. I know people who were sent back on exam day because the name on the exam ticket and the name on the passport did not match. -Get a good night’s sleep before the exam.  A fresh… Read More

Level I

Updated Advice: Level I December Candidates

Dear Level I December 2017 Candidates, With two and a half months left for the exam, some of you might be panicking.  If you started your prep on time (let’s call you candidate ‘A’) you might have the feeling, that are you are forgetting material that you’ve studied. If you are the sort who likes to leave exam prep for as late as possible (let’s call you candidate ‘B’), I’d say you’ve hit the ‘as-late-as-possible’ point.  If you don’t start slogging now, the probability of passing is very low. I have some advice for both types of candidates. Advice for Candidate ‘A’ (you… Read More

Level I