CFA Level 1 study plan: 10 topics in about 300 hours
CFA Level 1 is wide rather than deep: ten topics, 180 questions and a lot of formulas. This prompt has your todo.is agent spread the curriculum over the months before your exam window, give heavy topics more weeks, schedule CFA Institute mock exams and keep a final month for revision.
The prompt
- Make me a CFA Level 1 study plan. My exam window is [EXAM WINDOW], I am starting on [START DATE] and I can study [WEEKLY HOURS] hours a week. My background is [BACKGROUND]. Use the current topic weights from the CFA Institute site and spend more time on high-weight topics and on [WEAK TOPICS]. Add end-of-module practice, a formula sheet I build as I go, two full mock exams and a final 4 weeks of revision. Give me an Excel plan with a progress tracker, and send me a short summary every Sunday at 20:00 by email.
What to change
- [EXAM WINDOW]: E.g. "May". Level 1 is offered in several windows a year.
- [START DATE]: When you start studying, e.g. "1 December".
- [WEEKLY HOURS]: E.g. "15". The CFA Institute suggests around 300 hours or more per level.
- [BACKGROUND]: E.g. "engineering graduate, no accounting" or "finance degree, work in banking".
- [WEAK TOPICS]: E.g. "Financial Statement Analysis and Fixed Income".
Example result
- CFA Level 1 plan: 22 weeks, about 320 hours
- Window: May · Start: 1 December · 15 h a week · Engineering background, no accounting
- Exam format
- • 180 multiple-choice questions, two sessions of 2 hours 15 minutes
- • 10 topics. Ethics, Financial Statement Analysis, Equity and Fixed Income carry the most weight. Check the current weight ranges on the CFA Institute site.
- Order and weeks
- 1. Quantitative Methods (2 weeks): time value of money, statistics, hypothesis testing. Learn your calculator's TVM and cash flow keys now.
- 2. Economics (1.5 weeks): demand and supply, market structures, currencies
- 3. Financial Statement Analysis (4 weeks, your weak spot): income statement, balance sheet, cash flows, inventories, long-lived assets, taxes, ratios
- 4. Corporate Issuers (1 week)
- 5. Equity Investments (2 weeks): market efficiency, valuation models
- 6. Fixed Income (3 weeks): bond pricing, yields, duration and convexity
- 7. Derivatives (1 week)
- 8. Alternative Investments (0.5 week)
- 9. Portfolio Management (1.5 weeks)
- 10. Ethics and Professional Standards (1.5 weeks): read the Standards closely and do many cases
- Each study week
- • 3 weekday sessions of 2 hours: reading plus end-of-module questions
- • Saturday: 5 hours of practice questions on the week's topic
- • Sunday: 1 hour updating your formula sheet and redoing missed questions
- Revision, last 4 weeks
- • Week 1: Ethics again, then FSA
- • Weeks 2 and 3: one full mock exam each Saturday, review on Sunday
- • Week 4: weak-topic questions and formula sheet only
- Progress tracker columns
- • Topic · Weight · Weeks planned · Done (%) · Practice score · Confidence 1 to 5
How to do it with todo.is
- Fill in your exam window, start date, hours and background, then copy the prompt.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is, or send it to your agent by email.
- You get an Excel plan with a progress tracker and a Sunday summary email.
- Send your practice and mock scores as you go. Your agent moves time to topics under 70%.
Tips for a better result
- Do Ethics twice: once early and once in revision. It is heavily weighted and the questions are subtle.
- Build your own formula sheet while you study, not at the end. Writing it is part of learning it.
- Get fast on your approved calculator (TI BA II Plus or HP 12C). It saves minutes on every session.
- Do not skip low-weight topics. Easy points in Alternatives or Derivatives add up.
CFA Level 1 study plan: FAQ
- How many hours should I study for CFA Level 1? The CFA Institute suggests around 300 hours or more. Candidates without a finance background often need more.
- How long before the exam should I start? Most candidates start 5 to 6 months before their exam window at 12 to 15 hours a week.
- What calculators are allowed? Only the Texas Instruments BA II Plus (including Professional) and the HP 12C (including Platinum). Check the CFA Institute site for the current rule.
- Can my agent make practice questions? Yes, from your notes, for review. Use the official practice questions and mock exams for realistic practice.
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