I want to share my story about the CFA ® exams while remaining anonymous. I would love to know if other people are in the same position as me.
I took the CFA Level 1 exams twice, and both times I have failed. It’s unbearable: CFA qualifications have taken over my life.
It’s not that I’m lazy. CFA Institute recommends that you spend 300 hours studying for each exam. So far, I’ve spent over 1,000 hours studying the CFA exam material in conjunction with my job at an investment bank, and I’ve only had two sessions.
The problem is that the CFA exams have become almost impossible to pass. The pass rate for level one in November 2021 was only 27%. In July, it was just 22%. Before 2021, the approval rate was comfortably above 40%.
I would like to stop studying for the CFA Level 1 exam, but I can’t. My boss is not happy that I have failed twice and as a result my career is at stake: the expectation is that I will go back to school and Approve. But I have no idea what is required to pass – there is no transparency on how these exams are scored.
I don’t want to go through this again. I have gained weight and lost my social life. Studying for the CFA exams has taken away the last vestiges of free time and now I don’t have time to do the things I really want to do. It’s getting me down and at times I’ve felt almost suicidal. I am contacting because I want to know if anyone else has had the same problem. Please let me know in the comment box below this article.
Adrian Moore is a pseudonym
If you are in the UK, you can contact Call Samaritans free of charge on 116 123, email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org. In the US, dial 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). In Singapore, contact the Samaritans of Singapore. In Hong Kong, contact the Samaritans of Hong Kong.
Photo by akshay chauhan about unsplash
