Need advice re the study material :S

Question

I know it's probably really boring for all you veterans out there but I have to ask. Until now I thought I would start my studies with the CFAi books and if I required assistance I would refer to the Kaplan Schweser notes. But a friend of mine has suggested that I actually study from the Schweser notes as they are sufficient for studies on their own; like I don't need to use the CFAi books because they are way too much. I can refer to them if I am unclear on a subject but my main study source should be the Schweser notes.

So dear friends and my companions in misery and torture, I require your wise advice in this matter.

My thanks and best wishes to everyone :)

DollarsToDonuts · Answer

In my experience so far, Schweser was perfect for level I. Given the multiple choice format, Schweser more than adequately covers the level I material. However I found Schweser's level II preparation material to be lacking. One noticeable difference is the difficulty in practice questions that you'll find between Schweser and CFAI. I always found myself lost on the CFAI questions, as quite frankly they were much tougher and required more in depth knowledge of the topic at hand.

Now that may just be a matter of question difficulty, however, I might recommend using the CFAI books for level II.

But for level I, Schweser is far and away your best bet.

Sophie Macon · Answer

LOL - no worries @CFAcharterwannabe. Your friend is right, in the sense that you can use a good third party prep provider's material on its own and it is sufficient - I've done that personally too. You can always refer to CFAI books if you need a different explanation on the same topic.

All in all, both method works, as long as you commit time to finish your studies, understand the materials and do practice papers. Choose one that works for you!