CFA exam candidates often search for study materials that would help them learn the required level 1 exam study content. It feels like the only right thing to do when your level 1 CFA Program curriculum exceeds 3000 pages. Study materials that focus on key exam concepts, provide enough practice, and aid your memorization of over 300 formulas can be a real game-changer in your exam prep.
Level 1 CFA exam study materials you can find at Soleadea include: to-the-point videos, concise notes (e-books), exam-type questions, mocks, formulas app, and lists. They are available to level 1 candidates inside our CFA Exam Study Planner at pay-what-you-can prices!
Below, we describe in detail all the study materials and tools you can find on our portal:
Level 1 CFA Exam Videos & Notes
There are roughly 40 hours of recorded level 1 study material at Soleadea. It gives around 150 video lectures, out of which as many as 34 videos are accessible also for free after you set up your study plan. Our videos are to the point – they usually last no more than 15 minutes and cover the core concepts often explained using exam-type problems. Here’s one of our videos:
Also, over 90 CFA exam readings notes in the form of printable e-books are available to level 1 candidates (note that readings are now called modules in the CFA exam syllabus). The notes for learning modules are basically about key exam concepts in the written (and printable!) form. What distinguishes them greatly is the fact that they include lots of space where you can add your own notes and finally have your all notes for the reading in one place! (not on separate pieces of paper). That’s what it looks like:
CFA EXAM MODULE NOTES: Download & Print
Both to-the-point videos and printable notes/e-books are great for – what we call – knowledge retention. You should use them before and after you study your curriculum. First – to get familiar with the most important concepts before you dive into your books. Then, after you study your books – to revise & make sure you finally know everything there is to know about the topic.
Level 1 CFA Exam-Type Questions
There are over 1800 exam-type level 1 questions available to you if you go for the full version of Soleadea. We have combined some of them into review tests you can take inside your study plan after doing CFA exam learning modules and topics. Apart from the ready-made tests, we also provide the Test Generator thanks to which you can create your own tests ranging in length and difficulty. Here’s a sample question:
Money-Weighted Return Question
An investor purchased 10 shares of a technology company for USD 50 each. After a year, he received a per-share dividend of USD 7 and sold 4 shares for USD 55 each. The investor decided not to reinvest the dividends. At the end of the second year, he sold the remaining 6 shares for USD 60 each. What is the money-weighted rate of return on this 2-year investment?
- 15.76%
- 16.31%
- 18.67%
Answer: C
We can compute this rate of return using a calculator. We're going to use the Cash Flow and IRR spreadsheets.
We open the Cash Flow worksheet and enter the following:
[2ND] [CE|C] (to clear the worksheet)
CF0=500 [+/-] [Enter] (there is a minus sign because we bought 10 shares for USD 50 each = it’s an outflow)
C01=290 [Enter] (because after one year we received a dividend in the amount of USD 7 for each of 10 shares and we sold 4 shares for USD 55 each)
C02=360 [Enter] (because at the end of the second year, we sold 6 shares for USD 60 each)
Finally, we press the IRR button, press the CPT button, and get the result. The money-weighted rate of return is 18.67% annually.
All our level 1 questions follow the CFA exam format requirements and are based on LOs (learning outcomes stated in your CFA exam curriculum). The explanations to questions often include exam tips or calculator keystrokes. Moreover, we often explain not only why a given answer is right but also why the other two are wrong, which is not so obvious for many CFA exam question pools out there.
CFA Mock Exams for Level 1 Candidates
You can also take mock exams in the applicable format using our Test Generator. They are full-time mocks updated for the 2024 level 1 CFA exam format – each mock has 180 questions divided into 2 study sessions, with a break meanwhile (if you wish) and time-keeping.
CFA Exam Formulas: Approx. 300 in Level 1
CFA exam formulas are difficult to learn for many candidates. That’s why we give you our Formulas App where you can study around 300 must-know formulas in the form of flashcards and tick them off when you memorize them. Inside CFA exam readings in your study schedule, you will also find some formulas lists for given readings. All to help you deal with this daunting challenge.
CFA EXAM FORMULAS APP: Economics, Module 18
Have a look at some facts about CFA exam formulas:
- There are no formulas only in 1 out of 10 topics. It’s Ethics.
- In your level 1 exam, as many as 35% are computing questions! If you don’t know the right formula, you won’t be able to give the correct answer…
- Answers to computing questions often include the most common mistakes. If you know your formulas just so-so, you’re likely to fall for the trap. Sorry :/
- One thing is closely related to formulas in your exam – it’s calculator literacy! You should be using the approved calculator and do exam-type questions from the very beginning of your CFA exam prep. However, many candidates use their calculators too seldom and practice next to nothing.
In our videos, we often explain exam-type problems using the approved TIBA II Plus Professional calculator and provide the correct calculator keystroke sequence. - Not all formulas are equal. To distinguish the important ones just focus on the formulas in your CFA Program curriculum that relate to LOs with the ‘calculate’ word inside.
CFA Exam Study Planner: Free & Full Versions
It all starts with your CFA exam study plan, which is available at affordable "pay-what-you-can" prices. The thing you always get while using our Study Planner is the CFA exam study approach based on:
- full control,
- maintained motivation, and
- knowledge retention.
This approach is particularly important to level 1 candidates who start their CFA exam adventure and don’t know yet that it’s no bed of roses. It is difficult to stay in control of your long exam prep and maintain your motivation all throughout (ironically, motivation to study decreases most right in the middle of your prep, i.e. where the majority of studying should happen).
Knowledge retention is yet another thing ‘cos everybody thinks they know how to study. Yet, low level 1 pass rates, now averaging around 41%, have been a fact almost forever. Still, few candidates review and practice regularly but that’s what we encourage you to do if you want to pass your exam.
We give you videos, notes, questions, and formulas you can use both to study and to review. It’s all up to you whether you use it to your advantage. Additionally, our Study Planner is equipped with all sorts of tools to help you stay in control, keep motivated, and develop a systematic learning strategy aimed at knowledge retention.
We've also introduced the groundbreaking "pay-what-you-can" policy to make Soleadea affordable to all CFA candidates around the world, no matter their monthly income. We hope you'll join us!
To see what we're offering you can set up a free account first but it is a limited option, both in time and in access:
Free VS Full Versions of Soleadea CFA Exam Study Planner
| FREE | FULL | |
|---|---|---|
| CONTROL | ||
| Study Plan views: | STUDY view (Current Week), PLAN view, PROGRESS view, REVIEW view |
STUDY view (Current Week), PLAN view, PROGRESS view, REVIEW view |
| STUDY view: | study lessons, weekly progress bar, color statuses of readings, SUM UP feature |
study lessons, weekly progress bar, color statuses of readings, SUM UP feature |
| PLAN view: | easy drag&drop edition, numerous personalization features |
easy drag&drop edition, numerous personalization features |
| PROGRESS view: | Gantt chart topics progress | Gantt chart topics progress |
| REVIEW view: | many options to easily browse for the content you want to review | many options to easily browse for the content you want to review |
| MOTIVATION | ||
| Benchmark Study TimesTM | - | for weeks and readings |
| Chance-to-Pass SCORETM | up/down | exact score & graph adjusting in real time |
| motivational messages | - | regularly sent to your inbox |
| RETENTION | ||
| Videos | 34 | 150+ |
| Notes/e-Books | 1 | 90+ |
| Questions | 40+ | 1800+ |
| Review Tests | 4 | 60+ |
| Test Generator | NO | YES |
| Mocks | 0 | 2 |
| Formulas App | NO | YES |
| Formulas Lists | 1 | 50+ |
| Proper Review-ON SystemTM | limited | review scheduled regularly |