Tips to Balance CFA Prep With Working Full-Time
Discover how to pass the CFA exam while working full-time with advice from the Salt Solutions team. Learn effective strategies to balance your studies and work responsibilities, optimize your CFA study materials, and increase your chances of success.
Studying for the CFA exam while working full-time can be truly challenging. It takes dedication and perseverance to balance your studies with work responsibilities and other commitments.
We commend you for tackling this ambitious goal! And we'd like to share some valuable advice from the Salt Solutions team on navigating this journey. Check out our tips for balancing CFA prep with full-time employment.
1. Set realistic CFA prep expectations.
Setting realistic expectations is really important when you're preparing for the CFA exam. To avoid discouragement, it's essential to (1) break down the study material into manageable chunks and (2) set achievable goals. Consistently achieving smaller milestones is far more effective than attempting to cram vast amounts of information in one go.
Breaking your studies into small chunks will help you balance your prep with work commitments. And remember to celebrate your progress along the way to maintain your motivation and stay focused on success!
2. Optimize your CFA study materials.
Optimizing your study time and use of study materials is vital. In the initial Learn phase of Salt Solutions, you will focus on developing a fundamental understanding of the topics. By prioritizing learning, you can familiarize yourself with the material without feeling overwhelmed by excessive memorization and immediate application.
It's a challenge for many candidates, including ourselves as we prepared for the CFA exam, to remember everything after the first run-through of the syllabus. Rest assured, this is normal. To address this, we advise allocating the last month of your preparation to a comprehensive review of the materials and extensive problem-solving practice.
When this last month arrives, we prompt you to shift your focus to review and assessment automatically. This approach empowers you to consolidate your knowledge, refine your skills, and make the most of your limited time. As a result, you can create a study schedule that aligns with your work schedule.
3. Remember that passing the CFA exam is your goal.
As you fit your studies in alongside your work schedule, remember your goal is to pass the exam, not read everything in the curriculum and attain a flawless score. All the demands on your time mean you need to be targeted, not comprehensive.
We know this is hard for the completists to hear, but you should be open to skipping certain topics during your exam prep. Rather than overwhelming yourself by attempting to memorize every minute detail in the syllabus, remember that the exam can only assess you on a limited number of questions.
Consequently, invest your limited time and energy in the topics that are most likely to be tested. This may necessitate prioritizing certain areas of the syllabus while letting go of less probable ones. The key lies in adopting a pragmatic approach and focusing on activities that will significantly enhance your chances of passing.
4. Use efficient, effective CFA prep study materials.
Our best tip for balancing all your demands? Use Salt Solutions! Here are just a few examples of how we help you make the most of your limited time as someone with a full-time job:
- Our efficient and effective video lessons each span just 10–15 minutes. This ensures you can maximize your study sessions without feeling overwhelmed.
- Our CheckPoints study scheduler provides you with weekly goals, keeping you on track and motivated. By following these goals, you can stay focused and make steady progress.
- To enhance your exam readiness, our platform also offers insightful performance analytics. These analytics pinpoint areas that require attention, enabling you to concentrate on what's most vital for the exam.
We value the importance of your time, and that's why we've meticulously crafted our platform to optimize every moment you spend studying. With Salt Solutions, you can know your study efforts are streamlined for success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we understand the challenges of studying for the CFA exam while working full-time. However, with the right approach and mindset, success is within your reach. By following these strategies, you can effectively manage your time, stay motivated, and increase your chances of passing the CFA exam.