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Before Sit for the CFA Exam eBook
Get advice from CFA Charterholders for a successful exam day.CFA How To Prep
March 30, 2026
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Looking for more prep materials than the CFA® Institute provides? Recent CFA pass rates indicate just how seriously candidates should take exam prep and look for free and paid resources to help them pass all three exams.
Many aspiring CFA charterholders ask how to best prepare for the CFA exams, and using a third-party CFA prep provider can save you time and money in the long run. By investing in high-quality study materials, effective practice resources, and strong support systems from a reputable provider like Kaplan Schweser, you increase your chances of passing on the first attempt, making it an effective strategy for achieving the CFA charter and your career goals.
CFA candidates want high-quality, comprehensive support when preparing for an exam. Prep packages should contain performance trackers and activity feeds to help them stay on track. Questions are bound to come up and most candidates spend about 3-6 months preparing, so access to CFA experts who have already taken and passed the exam is crucial.
Before beginning to prep consider
When would you like to take an exam?
What type of studying works best for you?
Will you have enough time during the week to prepare or will you spend most of your time studying over the weekend?
How long do you intend to spend studying?
Once you’ve determined your prep needs and developed a timeline for when you plan to take the exam, you can begin to weigh different prep options.
These CFA prep classes and workshops have helped thousands of candidates become CFA charterholders. Each prep option is designed to provide the structure candidates need to stay on track and learn the CFA curriculum.
Test Prep Insight rates Kaplan Schweser the “Best Overall CFA Prep Course*”: “Kaplan Schweser provides the most well-rounded and comprehensive CFA prep curriculum that we’ve reviewed. They offer excellent video lessons, live classes, solid practice problems, and their signature SchweserNotes.”
*Source: https://testprepinsight.com/best/best-cfa-prep-courses/.Test Prep Insight is a review and analytics site that is a Kaplan affiliate but uses an independent review process to evaluate exam prep products.
Studying at home with OnDemand classes gives candidates the ability to learn new things on their own and at their own pace. OnDemand classes are great for self-study candidates who work full-time and need to supplement their existing study tools.
Kaplan Schweser’s CFA Level I OnDemand Classes provide access to 50+ hours of in-depth video lectures from CFA experts. The OnDemand classes also contain workbooks to help you review problem examples and practice answering exam-like questions.
Preparing for a CFA exam with live online classes allows candidates to benefit from a traditional classroom at home. Studying with an expert CFA instructor in a live virtual classroom will give you the ability to ask questions in real-time and focus on weak areas.
Kaplan Schweser’s CFA Live Online Classes provide access to highly reputable expert CFA instructors in 15 weeks of online classes, totaling 45 hours of classroom study time.
The CFA curriculum is extensive and candidates are expected to demonstrate that knowledge efficiently throughout the 4+ hours of each exam. Getting ‘exam ready’ with a CFA review workshop is perfect for practicing exam-taking skills and speed.
Kaplan Schweser offers CFA Review Workshops Live and OnDemand. Depending on study preferences, OnDemand students have access to 55 hours of question review, and Live Online students get together with expert instructors for 3 full days of intensive review.
If you’re looking to piece together your own CFA prep rather than taking a course or using traditional study books, consider using these self-study tools.
The CFA exam is computer-based and you should be familiar with how to use test-taking software like the official exam software. CFA candidates should look for mock exams that simulate the actual Prometric interface. We suggest beginning to take mock exams a few weeks before sitting for the exam to solidify your mastery of the curriculum and compare your scores with other candidates.
Kaplan Schweser offers CFA Mock Exams for candidates to practice the computer-based test before exam day. Users get personalized performance assessments broken out by curriculum topic and comparisons from fellow CFA candidates.
Another major advantage of taking a mock exam with Kaplan Schweser is through Kaplan Schweser you can visit a Prometric exam center near you and take a practice test just like you will on exam day. Your in-person mock exam appointment can be scheduled for any day; there are no predetermined dates for “Mock Exam Windows”.
CFA QBanks are databases of exam-like problems that candidates can use to practice anywhere, anytime. Not all question banks are created equal and candidates highly value ones that actually mimic the real exam. Candidates use QBanks to keep exam topics top of mind and dig deep into answer explanations as they work through issues.
Kaplan Schweser’s Level I QBank provides CFA candidates with thousands of practice questions that reflect the actual exam so you don’t get surprised or overwhelmed on exam day.
“U.S. CFA Level I and Level II candidates consider Kaplan Schweser to be among the highest quality, most comprehensive, and easiest to use CFA exam prep providers in the industry.”†*
CFA flashcards give candidates the ability to quickly practice key exam topics to sharpen their skills ahead of exam day.
Kaplan Schweser Level I flashcards help candidates memorize CFA exam-specific content and prioritize curriculum topics based on their proficiency levels.
CFA candidates care about cost and free CFA prep materials get used often. Low-quality free resources should be avoided and instead, candidates should look for materials that enhance their existing study tools. Using a trusted prep provider ensures each free resource was developed by a CFA expert.
Receiving daily CFA practice questions in your inbox will allow you to practice solving new questions every day leading up to your exam.
With Schweser’s Free Trial, you can experience how the core study tools complement each other, giving you concise and comprehensive coverage of the entire CFA Program curriculum.
Over 100 CFA charterholders who have successfully gone through the CFA Program, advise on what it takes to earn the charter and succeed in the investment industry.
In-depth fundamental information about each CFA Program topic is included in this free eBook. Each chapter concludes with a sample of multiple-choice questions, complete with answers and explanations.
Each page includes key math formulas, definitions and concepts covered on CFA exams.
Each month, Kaplan Schweser’s Candidate Guide provides fresh CFA content including industry updates and timely tips to help stay on track for exam day.
Join Kaplan Schweser’s expert instructors for a series of free CFA webinars discussing the CFA Program, the process of earning the charter, how to effectively prepare for the exam, and the benefits to your career.
Some candidates prefer to start studying with a prep book, which is a great tool for diving deep into the CFA program curriculum. High-quality books provide time for candidates to perform content reviews, practice questions, and read answer explanations.
SchweserNotes get delivered in bite-sized modules and include reviews and quizzes for each CFA exam topic. Available in print, online, and eBook formats, SchweserNotes helps candidates stay organized while studying.
Kaplan Schweser's Secret Sauce® was designed for the final months of preparation. Available in print, online, and eBook formats, Schweser Secret Sauce® helps candidates learn exam-day strategies and get prepared for the final review process.
Highlights include
Tips and tricks to apply curriculum knowledge
Strategies and time management techniques
Study plans for the last week before exam day
Topic-by-topic listings of high-probability exam topics
Analysis of level-specific question styles
It’s common for candidates to spend slightly over 300 hours on average preparing for Level I with most choosing to study with an exam prep provider, CFA prep packages are a great way to ensure candidates receive the highest quality and expertise available when attempting to pass each exam. Study packages are designed to optimize the exam preparation experience by combining training and study tools to improve your success on the exam.
“U.S. CFA Level I and Level II candidates consider Kaplan Schweser to be among the highest quality, most comprehensive, and easiest to use CFA exam prep providers in the industry.”*
Kaplan Schweser’s basic exam prep package is an affordable option that serves as a supplement to the study materials provided by the CFA Institute. It includes our Instruction and Core study tools, which are designed to give you the advantage you need to pass on your first attempt. You'll also get access to The Kaplan Schweser Community, 2 Mock Exams with Exam Sim, the SchweserPro™ QBank, and Study Notes.
Kaplan Schweser’s Essential Exam Prep Package turns your self-study path into a guided tour with concise study notes to help you master each exam topic, SchweserPro™ QBank to increase your content retention, 4 Mock Exams that gauge your readiness, and access to 24/7 instructor assistance.
Kaplan Schweser’s Premium Exam Prep Package contains everything you need to be successful on exam day. Along with access to all of our study tools, you will get access to convenient OnDemand Classes and Review Workshops. You will learn the entire curriculum directly from expert instructors who have the charter and know exactly what it takes to pass the exam the first time.
You’ll start with a personalized Activity Feed that schedules weekly tasks based on your study time frame and exam date. Each task is strategically placed to follow our proven study plan that covers the entire curriculum.
In addition, formal instruction with an expert instructor in the form of OnDemand courses and review workshops are provided to help along the way. Once you’ve learned the material, you’ll be able to test your performance with our Mock Exams to measure your readiness for the actual CFA exam.
Kaplan Schweser’s Ultimate CFA Prep Package is an all-inclusive study package that contains the same Core + Instruction + Review tools found in the Premium Package but includes both the Live Online and OnDemand options for your Instruction and Review.
In addition, the Ultimate Package includes flashcards and an audio version of SchweserNotes™ for study on the go.
Before Sit for the CFA Exam eBook
Get advice from CFA Charterholders for a successful exam day.
CFA Program Fundamentals eBook
Unlock in-depth overviews of CFA Program curriculum topics.
* Source: https://testprepinsight.com/best/best-cfa-prep-courses/. Test Prep Insight is a review and analytics site that is a Kaplan affiliate but uses an independent review process to evaluate exam prep products.
† These are the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by Kaplan between June 30 and August 30, 2021. For this survey, a sample of 313 U.S. CFA Level I and Level II candidates was interviewed online. The survey was fielded to subscribers of 300Hours.com and AnalystForum.com.