Can you study with CFA ebook material only?

It depends on your style, goals, budget, etc. I am sitting for Level 1 in December and am using only the the CFA ebook (plus a Qbank and some mock exams for practice questions in the last month). I write-up my own summary after finishing each reading.

ebook only would be as lean as you could get with any chance of passing. I’d say it is possible, but I don’t know anyone personally who’s managed it.

Most importantly, like @edulima make sure you get practice questions and exams!

Now that the local cafes all know me

I can relate to that! 🙂

I use both e-book version of Schweser Notes and CFAI Curriculum on my iPad (Retina Display one). What I do is when I want either a paper version of a graph or chart or example I simply print that page out and put it in a binder with my other notes.

I only used CFA materials for all three levels, and passed all three first time.

I preferred the hard copy though, it’s just somehow easier to read a book than a screen, at least of us oldies. That said the digital syllabus is really handy for travelling. Definitely worth getting both if you’re studying on the move. 

I ordered the hard copy of the level 1 book and I saw on UPS tracking that the package arriving Monday is 16 pounds!  Yes, that’s 16 pounds of reading material to cover!  Bring it on!

@Aramis77, once you sign up for CFA and paid the registration fee, you’ll get hard copies of the book and free mock paper anyway.

Have you registered? If so, you’d have the option to get the print versions for $150 as stated here. Doesn’t seem to be an obvious link of where you can purchase! Perhaps in the account details side of things?

I like to scribble too – helps so much more with memory retention. The more random the scribblings (i.e. in ‘your’ language and understanding) the better!

It is possible to pass with just the eBook, if you have a good device to read it and are a fast reader. Many people only use the CFA materials to study, especially for Level 1.

What you probably will lack from the eBook alone is enough practice. There’s a significant gap between knowledge and application. You have to ensure you can regurgitate all that you’ve read. There also is a big difference between doing end of chapter questions (right after you’ve read it) and sitting down and answering questions from a variety of topics in a 3 hour period. So the best reinforcement is practicing doing actual exams.

Mock exams are great. At Passed Tense we just released a 30-day package of our Adapt exam engine that would be perfect for that extra push of practice: https://www.passedtense.com/Adapt-Exams. Last sitting we had a number of people take 8+ full exams in Adapt – that’s some good practice!

Hi @ommthree, glad to take inputs from you… I want to go through the level I ebooks, before I enroll for CFA. Would request you to forward me the CFA Level I ebooks at mandiretta.neha@gmail.com. Many thanks !

People who read the CFAI material alone are the real heroes. 

The CFAI mobile study app is also great. For me the Vitalsource ebook is not too friendly.

@aramis77, seems like one of those things to contact CFA support.

How about devices — which devices do you use for ebook materials?  Android or iPad?

I guess in depth understanding is the sole to crack CFA and for that CFAI material is d answer…..so read n acquire as much as u can

That’s a broad question, because all you need is one person in the world to have done it to disprove that it’s not possible!

But generally, I haven’t met much people who can study from digital materials, as we all kinda like to doodle on paper. Perhaps it’s a new generation thing, but i find studying on ebooks distracting as I can access the Internet all the time! And that is probably an important criteria itself. Secondly is whether staring at screens for a long period of time reduces your productivity given the strain on eyes. It’s all whether you can study and absorb materials efficiently, and if ebooks work for you that’s fine!

For Level 1 I’m working solely from the CFAI ebook (at least for the moment) and agree with the comments above. I much prefer paper, though in this case I also don’t want to lug around half a tree of books. For Level 2 and 3 I plan to use paper-back Schweser (or similar). I am sitting the June 14 exam, so I have a bit of extra time to work through the CFAI material. Avoiding distractions is the biggest issue, which is why I have taken to spending my evenings at the library with my phone and internet turned off. Now that the local cafes all know me, it seems to be the only place that embraces my antisocial pursuits.

Abhi said:

But just to be sure want to know if the content of CFA books (electornic/paper) is good enough to clear level 1?
So to the experience people: is the institute material enough (atleast level 1)?

Well, based on the fact the the exam is written from the CFA curriculum material itself, I’d surely say yes. However, does everyone have the time to read it all? Maybe not, it’s a hell of a lot to get through and retain.
The key does seem to be the mock until you drop approach in the final month.

Thanks @Sophie‌. I started in September for the December exam for level I, I think. For levels II and III, I started really right at the beginning of the registration period.

It was tough. Level I was tough because I was moving country and starting a new job at the same time and only had four months. Level II was tough because I was managing my first major project and having my first child (well to be fair, my wife did that hard bit there). Level III felt like a walk in the park comparatively.

@hannahwallis Have you tried Apptuto? It’s only $199 and you get 3,000+ practice questions that can be done on the web as well as on its iPhone app. 

Im old school so prefer the books to scribble all over, however with the ebooks you can highlight some text and leave a note which is quite handy.. from a personal point of view for level 1, I think schweser is a must, qbank is great for practice after readings, their mocks are good and the books themselves are shorter than CFAI but still cover all the need to know stuff.. however I did not find this was the same for level 2 where I think CFAI books/ebooks are the best option

Well I guess  paulpassedtense has answered the question already. But just to be sure want to know if the content of CFA books (electornic/paper) is good enough to clear level 1? I have seen people showing a lot of confidence in third party material like schweser (all those I know who cleared the exam, have used schweser) but dont know anyone who has actually cleared the exam using just CFA institute’s material.
So to the experience people: is the institute material enough (atleast level 1)?

Sorry,   @Neha‌, I’m pretty sure that’s against CFA code of conduct.  

I initially only ordered the ebook but found it really hard to read so ended up paying for the hard copy books and found them much easier to work with, particularly when doing the questions.  The only thing I used the ebooks for was to create a document for myself that summarised the main points from each chapter based on the key info at the end of each chapter. I started reviewing it at 11pm the night before the exam….and then in the taxi on the way to the exam centre! I passed, but was kicking myself afterwards as my life would have been a LOT easier if I’d remembered to read it a few days earlier! 

@nonyximus‌ we meet again my friend.

I’ve done all of the methods possible, printed the ebook (which makes it look huge and scary), studied on digital media – i.e. ipad / phone / pc and eventually I just had to go for the printed-book hardcopy as this works best for me.
Personal preference takes a big lead here and it’s what works for you. I like the books to be physical and in front of me, so that I can highlight them (been through 6 highlighters already) and write mini-excerpts in my own language in the oversized margins that are designed specifically for that purpose. This just seems to stick in my mind a lot better. I do however still have the vitalsource material on andro-phone, laptop and pc anyway in case I want it.
If you see other threads on here about how to further help memory retention, some people like to write out flash cards of key points and I personally have a sodding great big book or formulas which are organized by category and allow for easy lookup and revision.
There’s even a link to a TED Talk which I’ve just found from an old thread on memory retention… http://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_foer_feats_of_memory_anyone_can_do

Conclusively, I’ve probably not answered your question AT ALL. And that’s because it is entirely personal preference and what works for you. Try all of the above methods I’ve outlined above if you like, test drive the first two of ebook and print the ebook and if hardcopy is working better but you don’t want to sneak 3k+ pages through your work printer, then order the CFAI or other provider of choice’s materials in book format.
It’s trial and error pal, but you’ll find something you’re comfortable with eventually.

Wow @ommthree‌, that’s amazing, as it’s a lot of material to go through. How early did you start for each level?

Maverick  & ommthree thanks for your inputs!! I have started with the institute’s material. Since I have started early I feel I have enough time. Lets see how it goes  

For financial reasons I am using the CFAI materials only for the December exam – however I am looking for more questions to practise with. The cheapest package from Schweser is £900 so that’s out. Can anyone recommend a provider I could just purchase access to a q-bank from? Has anyone heard of FinQuiz – any reviews? Thanks