Now what?

Have you recently passed/failed a CFA exam? If you’re reading this, and are not still waiting another agonizing week for your Level 3 results, I’m guessing yes. If so, I strongly advise you to register for next year’s exam as soon as possible.

Madame CFA is a cruel mistress. For 6 months, you devote your body and soul to her. Within a few hours of the exam, it’s like she never existed and you gleefully rediscover everything in your life that you’ve ignored. But she doesn’t go away. Rather, she lays in waiting, knowing that one day you will realize how much you need her and come crawling back like Heath Ledger’s character in “Brokeback Mountain” screaming “I wish I knew how to quit you!” The sad fact is, the longer you put it off, the worse it feels when you finally do return to her painful, yet euphoric embrace.

In my case, the gap between Levels 2 and 3 was five years. I do not recommend it. I know that you want to enjoy your freedom and that the last thing you want to think about is that hypnotic dominatrix Madame CFA, but when you do go back to her – and you will – it is much less painful if your hiatus has been a short one.