ambient sound apps

7 Ambient Sound Apps to Increase Your Study Focus

In general, the right type of study music does help improve study focus. While there are many genres of study music out there, there’s another often overlooked, but scientifically proven tool that can help boost your study focus and creativity – ambient sounds. In this article, we will take a look at the latest research …

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The Best Headphones and Earbuds to Use When Studying for the CFA Exams

The Best Headphones for Studying (and Earbuds too)

The right set of headphones or earphones can really make a difference to an effective study or work session. Listening to music, video lectures or having video calls all depend on having a device with excellent audio quality. And with active noise cancellation features, you can instantly create a quiet, focused environment wherever you are. …

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CFA Fast Track plan to pass CFA exams in the fastest way

CFA Fast Track: How to Pass the CFA Exams Quickly

It takes an average of 1,000 study hours to obtain a CFA charter, so it is worthwhile investigating the most efficient way to pass before signing up. While there are no shortcuts nor exemptions, there are things you can do to tip the odds in your favour.  Having completed my CFA exams in 18 months …

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cfa study material shortlist

3 Proven Methods On How To Study Effectively For Exams

How to study for the CFA exams (or any other finance exams for that matter)? Have you ever wondered if your current study methods are effective for passing your exams? A comprehensive study called “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques” by Dunlosky et al. (2013), may just help answer that.  More importantly, I’ve read through and applied …

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graduation celebration

How I Passed CFA Level 3 On My First Attempt

If you ask a CFA charterholder which CFA exam level they found the toughest, they are likely to answer either Level 2 or Level 3. CFA Level 3 is especially challenging because the exam format also deviates from the multiple-choice format. The constructed response format, or ‘essay’ section, can be very difficult to master for the CFA candidate used …

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how to create your own cfa flashcards

CFA Flashcards: 7 Simple Tips to Create An Effective One

Have you considered making your own CFA flashcards for your studies? Sometimes you find them ridiculously useful, and sometimes you may find them a bit ineffective – why is that? The secret to effective flashcard use is in the method. Successful CFA candidates utilize flashcards that makes the most of their study time. I found …

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how to pass cfa level 1 in 2 weeks

How To Pass CFA Level 1 In 2 Weeks: My Crazy Story

Editor’s note: This is a personal story shared as an anecdote. You should definitely NOT look to this example for your own CFA preparation approach (unless desperate)! Hi, I’m Scott, and a few years ago, I passed my CFA Level 1 with just 2 weeks worth of studying.  I started two Saturdays away from the …

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best CFA Level 3 study order

What’s the Best CFA Level 3 Study Order?

Level 1 Topic Order • Level 2 Topic Order • Level 3 Topic Order CFA Level 3 curriculum content has undergone a huge revamp during 2019-2021. The good news is that there are no changes between 2022 and 2023’s CFA Level 3 curriculum this time around. Currently there are 35 readings (or 16 study sessions) in the CFA Level 3 …

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best CFA Level 2 study order

What Is The Best CFA Level 2 Study Order? [2023]

Level 1 Topic Order • Level 2 Topic Order • Level 3 Topic Order There are 49 Learning Modules in CFA Level 2’s 2023 curriculum across 10 topics. But should you study the topics chronologically? Or is there an optimal CFA Level 2 study order? We often get these questions in the 300Hours forum (which, by the way, you can join for …

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cfa level 3 essay

How to Be Great at Answering CFA Level 3 Essay Questions

The CFA Level 3 essay questions (constructed response) tends to be many candidates’ Achilles heel, even when they accurately self-grade the essay practice questions during practice. However, there is a quick way to substantially improve your constructed response section’s performance.  Knowing the best strategies on how to answer essay questions is almost as important as …

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