In this blog, We will share some advice on preparing for your LIII CFA Exam
Our first point has to do with your schedule.
Our second point has to do with active learning!
Active Learning Update: IFT has updated its Video Packages to include Summary Slides with Learning Outcomes and also practice questions after each video!
Our third point has to do with making the most of the CFA Institute material.
Level III Essay Exam
You should attempt the past actual essay exams that have been provided by the CFA Institute. The curriculum has changed significantly in 2020 which means that many questions from the past exams are not relevant anymore. Nevertheless, you should at least do the questions that are still relevant.
Every year a lot of very intelligent candidates fail the exam because they have not properly prepared for the essay exam. So developing the skills necessary to do well on the essay exam is important. We strongly recommend that you watch my video on “How to pass the Level III essay exam”. Here we give you valuable advice in terms of dealing with the essay exam.
Solve questions from past papers: You should try to solve questions from past papers. We recommend that you do the questions from the most recent papers. At least do the questions from the 2017, 2018, and 2019 essay exams. You can attempt these questions on a topic-wise basis. When you complete a particular topic such as Private Wealth Management then do the questions related to Private Wealth Management from the past papers. To figure out which questions from past papers are relevant you can refer to our Level III Past Essay Exam Relevance Document. You will notice that this document lists questions spanning several years but as there have been many changes in the curriculum over the years you should focus on the more recent exams.
IFT essay exam videos If you have subscribed to our videos then we strongly recommend that you also watch our essay exam videos. Sometimes students get into the trap of writing too much while others write too little. When you watch these videos, you will learn how to answer questions in an appropriate manner that will allow you to pass the exam. The central point that we emphasize in these videos is that you answer exactly what you are asked.
In the final month of your preparation, you can work through the IFT Mock Exams and the CFA Mock Exam. You should use the IFT grading service to benefit from our instructors’ advice on how to improve your structured responses.
Best wishes!
-IFT Team