{"id":3840,"date":"2019-07-12T04:23:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T04:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/34.239.104.200\/?p=3840"},"modified":"2026-02-06T07:37:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T07:37:02","slug":"cfa-exam-preparation-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/cfa-exam-preparation-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"CFA\u00ae Exam Preparation Survey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Keeping true to our commitment to nourishing CFA exam candidates with relevant career information, we, at AnalystPrep, are proud to present to you a detailed analysis of the CFA Institute Candidate Survey that was conducted before and immediately after the June 2015 exam session. A total of 41,219 candidates participated in the survey, representing about half the number of candidates that were writing exams during the session. The study revealed interesting facts that will prove very helpful to both current and prospective candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/cfa-exam-preparation-survey\/#Exam_Preparation\" >Exam Preparation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/cfa-exam-preparation-survey\/#Study_Materials\" >Study Materials<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/cfa-exam-preparation-survey\/#What_you_give_is_what_you_get\" >What you give is what you get!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/cfa-exam-preparation-survey\/#Difficult_Topics\" >Difficult Topics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/cfa-exam-preparation-survey\/#The_Future_is_Bright\" >The Future is Bright<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exam_Preparation\"><\/span><strong>Exam Preparation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Candidates spent 308 hours on average preparing for the exams. The average time spent for each exam level is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; Level I- 287 hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; Level II- 315 hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; Level III- 327 hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These figures clearly echo our recommendation to candidates, urging them to spend a minimum of 300 hours preparing for each exam. If you are preparing for an exam, our advice still stands! Putting in 300 hours of study will not only ensure you\u2019re in tandem with fellow candidates, but it will increase your chances of passing. It\u2019s also important to note that the number of hours spent studying increases marginally as you progress through the exams. The trend suggests increasing levels of curriculum complexity and as such, you should brace yourself for even more commitment to your studies. Remember, you can\u2019t argue with stats!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a \n  href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/free-trial\/\" \n  target=\"_blank\" \n  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n  style=\"\n    display:block;\n    width:100%;\n    text-align:center;\n    padding:14px 20px;\n    border:2px solid #3b82f6;\n    border-radius:9999px;\n    color:#3b82f6;\n    font-weight:600;\n    text-decoration:none;\n    margin:24px 0;\n  \"\n>\n  Improve your CFA study strategy now.\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Study_Materials\"><\/span><strong>Study Materials<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>78% of candidates reported using curriculum-assigned readings to prepare for the exams. About 61% of candidates revealed that they used third-party preparation materials, in addition to the assigned materials. Again, this is very much in line with the results of a similar study, in which most candidates expressed the opinion that the study material provided by the CFA Institute is not enough. These statistics seem to suggest that candidates should use a combination of the Institute\u2019s material and additional content. Luckily, <a href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/\">AnalystPrep<\/a> is here for just that. However, here\u2019s a worrying stat:<\/p>\n<p>Only 50% of candidates reported using the end-of-chapter practice tests, which leads us to the question, \u201cWhat means did the remaining candidates use to test their retention ability?\u201d The only way to ensure you have read and understood a chapter is by taking practice tests. It helps you to identify any gaps in knowledge that you might have. We always advise candidates to take quizzes after every topic. In fact, that\u2019s why we have the question bank. The questions will familiarize you with the exam structure and help you develop techniques for handling different questions.<\/p>\n<p>The survey also revealed that about 72% of candidates included at least one mock exam in their preparation. This further emphasizes the need to write a mock exam as you prepare for the actual exam. At <a href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/\">AnalystPrep<\/a>, our mock exams mimic the real exam regarding curriculum, topic weights, and difficulty level.<br \/>https:\/\/analystprep.com\/shop\/all-3-levels-of-the-cfa-exam-complete-course-by-analystprep\/<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_you_give_is_what_you_get\"><\/span><strong>What you give is what you get!<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the same survey, an astonishing 91% were of the opinion that the exam fairly represented the CFA Program curriculum. This should pump extra motivation and confidence into you as you dig deeper into the\u00a0coursework. The message is clear: Intensive reading pays. In addition, the importance to adhere to\u00a0Learning Outcome Statements\u00a0came out very clearly- 93% agreed that the exam was based on the objectives. In short, candidates should read widely and also ensure that they cover the entire CFA Program curriculum.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Difficult_Topics\"><\/span><strong>Difficult Topics<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Candidates were asked to pick the three most difficult topics per exam, and these were the results:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Level I exam; Financial reporting, Ethical &amp; Professional Standards, and Fixed Income<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Level II exam; Derivatives, Alternative Investments, and Fixed Income<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Level III exam; Derivatives, Portfolio Management, Ethical &amp; Professional Standards.<\/p>\n<p>We suggest that you spend more time on these topics. It would also be crucial to use all available materials including end-of-chapter quizzes and the question bank. It\u2019s also worth noting that some topics, Derivatives, for instance, present problems across the board. As such, you should take these topics very seriously right from the start, as concepts introduced at the level I will serve as the foundation for everything else. With a really good foundation, it should be easier for any candidate to understand more complex concepts.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Future_is_Bright\"><\/span><strong>The Future is Bright<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The institute asked candidates about their expectations with regard to the number of job opportunities for financial analysts in the next 12 months. A majority were of the opinion that opportunities would increase. It means there\u2019s general optimism regarding the future of the profession. This is good news for prospective candidates &#8211; jobs are waiting for you out there. All you need to do is navigate through the exams successfully.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the survey highlighted several issues that should guide all future exam candidates. There is a\u00a0need to combine the profession\u2019s assigned study materials with quality additional study packs. It\u2019s also critical for candidates to write at least one mock exam so as to enhance overall exam preparedness. The topics that have been highlighted as being relatively more challenging than others should be handled with a little bit more vigor and intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"\n  background:#f5f7fb;\n  padding:32px 20px;\n  border-radius:12px;\n  text-align:center;\n  margin-top:40px;\n\">\n  <a \n    href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/free-trial\/\" \n    target=\"_blank\" \n    rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n    style=\"\n      display:inline-block;\n      background:#3b82f6;\n      color:#ffffff;\n      padding:14px 28px;\n      border-radius:9999px;\n      font-weight:600;\n      text-decoration:none;\n      margin-bottom:16px;\n    \"\n  >\n    Start Free Trial\n  <\/a>\n\n  <p style=\"\n    margin:0;\n    font-size:16px;\n    color:#374151;\n  \">\n    Apply proven CFA preparation strategies with structured study plans, exam-style questions, and mock exams designed to improve performance beyond the average candidate.\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keeping true to our commitment to nourishing CFA exam candidates with relevant career information, we, at AnalystPrep, are proud to present to you a detailed analysis of the CFA Institute Candidate Survey that was conducted before and immediately after the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cfa","blog-post","animate"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3840"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13908,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3840\/revisions\/13908"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}