How to pass the CFA Level 1

@finance_fil

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CFA Level 1

Why it worked

The video offers practical, actionable advice on passing a notoriously difficult exam, framed through personal experience and common mistakes. The use of an AI tool like Claude for explanations adds a modern, relatable element.

Summary

The creator shares three key mistakes to avoid when studying for the CFA Level 1 exam: ineffective note-taking, poor time management, and not utilizing external resources. They emphasize practicing questions, using AI tools like Claude for explanations, and investing in practice materials to ensure success.

Structure

1Introduction and personal anecdote
2Mistake 1: Note-taking vs. Practice
3Mistake 2: Time management and external resources
4Recommendation for practice materials
5Call to action for more content

Product placement

The video mentions using Claude AI to explain mistakes and recommends buying practice materials from providers like Mark Meldrum and Kaplan for the CFA Level 1 exam.

Call to action

Follow me for more finance content

On-screen text

Original caption

The CFA level 1 is a grinder, but it’s worth it. Hope this helps! Don’t forget to follow @finance_fil for more educational finance/investing content 😁 #cfa #cfalevel1 #cfaexam #studycfa #howtostudy ⚠️ Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. This content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.

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How to pass the CFA Level 1 Mistake #1 : note taking Mistake #2 : time Mock 16 CFA MOCK 1 300h....is it a myth? : r/CFA follow :) follow me for more finance content

Transcript

How to pass the CFA Level 1 exam. First I want you to know that I've never had the best grades in university, but I recently learned how to study so that I get this email. Congratulations, your hard work and dedication paid off! You passed the May 2026 Level 1 CFA Program exam. The pass rate for this exam was 39%. You can view your detailed score report for information on your exam. Mistake #1: note taking. The No. 1 mistake people make is spending more time writing notes than actually practicing. This is a complete waste of time because what's going to make you confident and prepared at the exam is actually the practice questions. For reference, I did 16 full mocks and I kept track of every single mistake in a notebook by subject. When I couldn't understand a mistake or a lesson, I would just copy the problem and then paste it into Claude and ask it to explain it to me. It does a good job at explaining mistakes, compressing long pages in theory into simple concepts. You get the main idea faster. Then you keep drilling those mocks until you get an average of 75% on all of them. Mistake #2: time. No. 2 time. I was taking 5 uni classes, I was working 30 hours a week, I was graduating and I was taking the CFA. I decided to take seven months to prepare instead of three months. Cramming 300 hours in three months is simply impossible. Life gets in the way and you just burn out. No. 3 don't be scared to buy external resources. I was on a budget so I studied with a basic CFA pack, but I also bought 500 USD worth of practice, which is honestly what made me pass. I cannot recommend this enough. It's the people that write the exams that actually make those extra mocks, so you should buy it. A lot of people buy Mark Meldrum, Kaplan, but honestly, it's super expensive, but if you're really disciplined, you can pass the exam. Follow me for more finance content.