Last updated on August 13th, 2025 at 05:31 pm
How much does it exactly take to prepare for CFA level 1? CFA preparation level 1 is the starting to your CFA journey this is where you start discovering about CFA, this is base of the CFA. Making sure to clear all the doubts, study hard. Let’s get one thing clear, CFA is a globally recognised qualifications the preparation time needed for it will differ from other exams. In India, the curriculum of university exams revolve around memorizing this approach won’t help in CFA exams. CFA Institute recommends to study 300 Hours in total. Others might recommend something else. CFA passing rate is 45% almost every year for level 1, preparing from this perspective will help you study hard also CFA cost a lot of money, some might have only 1 chance to crack this exam. It is better to prepare strategically and early for exams like CFA.
Let’s try to understand exactly how to prepare for CFA level 1 and what is the CFA level 1 preparation time also which approach you should opt for.
How much time do you need to prepare for CFA level 1
CFA institute claims 300 hours but if you ask candidates who passed CFA they did more than 300 hours. There is not fixed number to it about how much you study. It totally depends on your situation. One thing is fixed, you should atleast start studying 6 months prior. Whether you are a student of finance background or no finance background at all. For working professionals I will recommend to start before 6 months because you wont be able to give much time to study like students can. Managing time in situations like this is very important. CFA take hard work and dedications. As most of candidates are under pressure of the amount of money is been paid for the examination the pressure can be real. Learn to manage stress.
There are some students who took 200 Hours but still passed but there are also students who studied for 500 Hours are failed. The time might not always matter in the cases. It depends on individual intelligence, pace of learning also it depends on which coaching you took admission in. If the coaching style or attention on students is not good better self-study or find a right CFA coaching institute for you. So much noise on social media about how much to study and not. Give it 6 months, study every single day but give it 6 months. It is humanly not possible to study in short period of time, CFA is not theory based its practical based it takes time to understand the examples and situations. Being sincere about your abilities and understanding level will help you with preparing better.
Check out the topic outlines!
CFA level 1 preparation time for students
Preparation for students can be easier than working professional. Students have free time in their hand but students might also have to do more depending on their background, if you belong to Bcom it will be relatively easier for you. Start by understand the subjects, read about them before understand their concepts. 300 Hours of self-study is important and coaching time separate. Make sure you solve all the mock ups given by CFA institute study material and coaching material.
If you are going for self-paced study make sure you have a proper schedule because the coaching institute provides a proper schedule guides you through the subjects. Self-paced might take more time also it might confuse you. Many students found it confusing to study alone, stress increases there is no one to guide and sort the doubts it can be difficult in these situations. Second step will be to analyze which subjects from your perspective are easier than other. Ethics can be hard for some and easy for other. It is recommended by most to start from ethics go by order. Choose one suitable for you but make sure to cover all of the topics because CFA prioritize all the subjects.
Having a account of quant background will make it easier for you to understand the concepts. With no background you have to start by polishing the basics. See for the light weight and heavy weight subjects.
Let us see the subjects with weights and their difficulty level on 1-5 scale.
| Heavy weight | Difficulty | Light Weight | Difficulty |
| Ethical and professional standards | 3 | Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| Financial statement analysis | 2 | Economics | 1 |
| Fixed Income | 3 | Corporate issuers | 1 |
| Portfolio management | 2 | Derivatives | 2 |
| Equity Investments | 2 | Alternatives Investments | 1 |
CFA level 1 preparation time for working professional
Working professional needs to put in more time. Divide your time according to your office and else time. Minimum 12 hours per week is the time to be designated for CFA. You have study equal to others its better start early. Minimum 12 hours of study and if you have opted for coaching then their separate class timings to be managed. Go slow I will suggest don’t rush. You will get anxious and stressed. Target what is needed to be done for the week.
Make a time-table a schedule. Make sure you follow it. 300 Hours + Mocks + Revision + Coaching. Managing all this can be really hard that is the reason you should start alittle earlier than students who don’t work.
Make sure to understand the subjects first rather than diving in directly. 6-9 Months is the time can allot to make sure you will pass the exam. Keep a keen approach towards study time. Practice after every subjects is done, practice is the key here. Keep an approach of covering everything you have taken to study this very essential. In global recognised exams like CFA you have to study all the subjects skipping topics will harm your grades.
How to divide time for CFA level 1 preparation
Confused where to start and how to start? Let me help you
Self-paced
Doing it on your own can be hard, sort yourself out.
First step is take all the materials you are going to study or planning to study. Go through the material and guess how much time it might take you to complete it. You will know this by researching and reading about the subjects. This will also depend on your grasping power. Second step target daily study time make a schedule how much you can give to study everyday. Once this is done divide the subjects and their topics. Analyze which one to prioritize first remember we have to cover the whole syllabus.
According to your table of time allocate the subjects or topics. Next step will be to divide your task, after you have known how much you have to cover. Draw down the steps you will taking to study. The approach can be CFA study materials > Videos > Notes > Practice > Mock. I guess all set you can go as specific as you want I gave you a overview of how you can handle study.
Self-Paced + Coaching
While coaching does help you with your confusion, it can also sometimes drain you. There is alittle more efforts to put in when you have enrolled in coaching. Managing your study time + coaching schedule might overload candidates. Although in cases where you have enrolled in 100+ hours of coaching you don’t have to worry about it. Coaching will provide you mocks and questions also give you a schedule to follow. When enrolled you coaching you will not gte the anxiety of will I pass or not. You will be consistently trained to pass the CFA level 1 exam.
Why CFA level 1 preparation time matters
Why matters you ask? As mentioned earlier CFA is a global recognised exam students from all over the world are preparing for this exam. It takes time, dedication and hardwork. Almost every year only 45% candidates have passed their level 1. CFA also is a practical based exam which is unusual for some candidates the questions asked are on real case study based. Training your brain to think in that perspective takes time. Talking about the fees you pay for CFA, it is high you might not have that much money to put in the exam. Better to start early not to underestimate the exam.
CFA level 1 exam timetable
| Events | Feb 2026 | May 2026 | Aug 2026 | Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Registration Period Begins. | April 29, 2025 | August 12, 2026 | November 11, 2025 | February 11, 2026 |
| Scheduling Period Opens | April 29, 2025 | August 12, 2026 | ||
| Early Registration Closing Date | July 7, 2025 | October 14, 2026 | ||
| CFA Registration Closes on | October 29, 2025 | February 12, 2026 | May 6, 2026 | August 11, 2026 |
| Last Date of Scheduling | November 5, 2025 | February 18, 2026 | ||
| CFA Level 1 exam deadline rescheduling | January 22, 2026 | 1 May, 2026 | ||
| Dates of the CFA Exam | February 2-8, 2026 | May 12-18, 2026 | August 18-24, 2026 | November 11-17, 2026 |
The exam is four times a year. preparation time needed is 6 months plan your schedule accordingly. Once CFA level 1 preparation is done you will be confident for level 2 and 3 as you know the topics also what you want to study.
CFA level 1 preparation (Mock test)
Mock test are very important as they show you where you stand. You practice more mocks more you know about your position. Mocks should also be schedules after every chapter is done.
After doing 1 chapter or the whole module do one mock test of that topic. Also after you are done with your study, 3-4 mocks should be solved. Solving mocks after each topic and combined is very essential. Keep a gap of 3 weeks before giving a mock test.
4 week before exam you should start, perform 3-4 mocks.
Why Mock Test?
You will learn time management, how fast are you or slow. Balance the pressure to the given time. Also you train your brain for the situation which will be very beneficial for you while giving your exam
Realize the mistakes you are making. Practice on the topics more. Identify weak spots work more on them.
More you train yourself the more you feel at ease. Exam day anxiety will go away. The anxiety can hinder your quality of attention.
You start recognizing the pattern of questions. Practice the tricks and tips
Conclusion
Although CFA is not easy to crack and might not be in everyone’s luck. Hardwork never goes to waste. Make sure to make notes, understand the concepts. Take help as much as you can. Be confident, keep a clear view and goal. In the last month of your CFA level 1 preparation time, solve mocks as much as you can having 65% is a good sign. Maintain the percent and if you have time polish and analyze where the marks are going. Last month is for practice and only practice but also to check the speed before that clear all the concepts.
FAQ
Is 300 hours enough to pass CFA level 1?
The 300 hours are given by CFA institute which might not be enough 300 Hours is actually the minimum time to be given for CFA level 1 preparation.
How many hours per week should I study?
Depends on your situation actually, if you are a students you can manage a lot more than recommended 12 hours per week. For working professionals 12 hour study is minimum per week.
Can I prepare for CFA in 3 months?
You can, but you should not honestly it is very less time to prepare for CFA. 6 Months is enough for CFA preparation. Some people do crack CFA in 3 months but it totally depends on individual and their abilities. If you think you are smart enough and your concepts are clear on a level you can prepare in 3 months.
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