AUG 2026 Level 1 CFA® Exam Study Plan & Tips

CFA exam / Study plans / Level 1 AUG 2026, 8-month

Time to Register for AUG 2026 CFA Exam

Since you're reading this post, you must be thinking about registering for your AUG 2026 level 1 CFA exam soon. The AUG 2026 CFA exam registration started on 11 Nov 2025 and the early registration fee deadline is not until 21 Jan 2026 (you can save $350 if you register by then + there are new higher 2026 registration fees, so it's definitely worth considering).

Looking for a specific study schedule? HERE:

• 2-month L1 Study Plan
• 3-month L1 Study Plan
• 4-month L2 Study Plan
• 4-month L1 Study Plan
• 4.5-month L1 Study+Review Plan

• 5-month L1 Study Plan
• 5-month L2 Study Plan
• 6-month L1 Study Plan
• 7-month L1 Study Plan
• 8-month L1 Study Plan

We'd like to encourage you to start your CFA exam preparation asap. We explain the benefits of 8-month exam prep here and below we present a sample 8-month study schedule. When setting up your personalized CFA exam study plan – which you'll do using our study planner – you should factor in:

We'd like to encourage you to start your preparation asap. We explain the benefits of 8-month exam prep here and below we present a sample 8-month study schedule. When setting up your personalized CFA exam study plan – which you'll do using our study planner – you should factor in:

• your strengths,
• your weaknesses,
• your learning pace,
• your finance background.

Let's take a moment to discuss the strengths and weaknesses before we provide the deadlines for topics and topics review.

4 Key Strengths for Ideal CFA Exam Prep

Your strengths and weaknesses may relate to things such as time management, motivation to study, diligence, and determination. But also to the previous knowledge of topics you gained as a student or at work. You will need to take all this into account when making your study plan. Just take a moment to think about it before you get down to books.

You know best what your strong and weak points are but here we'd like to draw your attention to some key aspects such as the ability to prioritize, the ability to plan, the ability to act as planned, and the ability to focus. Why? Because CFA exam candidates:

• are often very busy,
• find it hard to fit their study hours into their full daily calendars,
• are no different than the others and procrastinate at times,
• struggle with efficient learning.

Are You Like Billy, Danna, Larry, or Umber?

Remember that even with 8 months to go it is important to study systematically and at a suitable pace. The exam day will come sooner than you think and you want to be prepared for this day and then satisfied when the exam is over.

CFA Exam Tips for Organized and Focused Learning

KEY CFA EXAM TIP: It's no mistake to start your level 1 exam preparation so soon. On the contrary, it may be a very prudent and responsible decision as long as you can manage your study time reasonably and use it to your advantage.

Here’s some advice on how to do it:

1. Develop both hard and soft skills

It means that apart from studying your CFA exam curriculum (hard skills), you should also learn about the specifics of the CFA exam and exam prep. So, read as much as you can to get familiar with the exam format, requirements, policies, etc. Also, get to know how much time you should prepare for your exam and how to prepare to pass (soft skills). We write about it all on our CFA exam blog.

2. Manage your distractions

If you stay busy with everything else but your CFA exam prep, you won't be able to organize your prep successfully and study productively. Plus, you'll be tempted to put your study sessions off, which is not a good idea if you want to be among the 41% of candidates who pass their exam.

3. Devise a clear CFA exam studying strategy

Treat learning as a process, not an event – a good strategy drives every efficient process! The strategy we recommend can be put into 4 words: PLAN – STUDY – REVIEW – ASSESS. We implemented this strategy into our CFA Exam Study Planner and it is intended to help those who feel busy, disorganized, lazy, or unproductive.

4. Get yourself a good CFA exam study plan

Plans make things happen! Plan for the big picture but focus on your everyday tasks. The level 1 study plan you will find below is a good basis for your own 8-month study schedule. If you use our CFA Exam Study Planner, you'll be able to adjust it to your needs, e.g. you’ll be able to choose your topic sequence and allocate fewer study hours to those topics you are good at by marking them as ‘easy’. We say more about it at the end of this post.

5. Study regularly, then simply relax

Study hard, then rest once in a while – a good student is a relaxed student. When you study, best go to your study space where nobody disturbs you. When you relax, don't think about the exam. It's the only healthy approach.

6. Review and practice a lot

Be careful! I’ve studied ≠ I’ve learned. It's because of the forgetting curve that makes us forget even up to 60% of what we study. To learn, you need to regularly review what you study. Also, practice systematically by doing lots of level 1 mock questions to get familiar with the exam format.

7. Assess your study progress

Each week you should check if you follow your study plan. Reward yourself if you’re making progress, try harder if you don’t. Remember that it's ok to make some reasonable adjustments to your study schedule as long as you do not postpone too much and too often.

Read Also:

• Level 1 CFA Exam Study Materials
• When to Start Prep for CFA Exam?
• How to Create Study Plan in 8 Steps
• CFA Exam: Registration to Results
• 3 Reasons Why You May Fail Your Exam