Guides
CFA® Program Level I
Guides to the CFA® Program Level I exam: format, topic weights, registration, results, calculators and study plans.
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Level I of the CFA® Program: the full picture
What Level I of the CFA® Program tests, who it suits, and how the exam, the ten topic areas and the next two levels fit together.
Read articleLevel I of the CFA® Program: format, timing and question styles
Two sessions, 180 questions, three answer options: how the Level I exam of the CFA® Program is built, timed and worded.
Read articleLevel I of the CFA® Program: the 2027 topic weights and what they mean
Ten topic areas, new names, shifted weights: the Level I ranges of the CFA® Program for 2027 and how to turn them into a study plan.
Read articleRegistering for Level I of the CFA® Program: steps, fees and deadlines
How registration for Level I of the CFA® Program works, what it costs in the 2026–2027 windows, which deadlines matter and what changes for deferrals in 2027.
Read articleWho can take Level I of the CFA® Program — and how often
Degree, final-year or 4,000-hour route, a valid passport, and how often you may sit Level I of the CFA® Program.
Read articleThe BA II Plus for Level I of the CFA® Program: setup, worksheets, habits
Two allowed model families, the settings worth checking on day one, and the worksheets you will use again and again at Level I of the CFA® Program.
Read articleLevel I results in the CFA® Program: what your score report tells you
When results arrive, what the score report shows and hides, why the Practical Skills Module matters, and how to read a report that says “Did Not Pass”.
Read articleExam day for Level I of the CFA® Program: from check-in to the last question
From booking a Prometric seat to the last question: passport, check-in, what goes on your desk, how breaks work and what to keep to yourself afterwards.
Read articleEthics in Level I of the CFA® Program: how to study the Code and Standards
How ethics questions work in the CFA® Program Level I exam, what the lower 2027 weight means, and how to study the Code and Standards without rote memorising.
Read articleTen topics, ten approaches: studying for Level I of the CFA® Program
A practical approach to each of the ten topic areas of the CFA® Program Level I exam — weights for 2027, what usually needs most practice, and the mix of calculation and concept.
Read articleUsing practice questions and mock exams for Level I of the CFA® Program
Practice questions and mock exams for the CFA® Program Level I exam: when to use which, how to time yourself, and how to turn every mistake into a study task.
Read articleSix months to Level I of the CFA® Program: a 24-week study plan
Around 24 weeks and 300+ hours for the CFA® Program Level I exam: topic blocks in a sensible order, ethics every week, room for the Practical Skills Module and a final mock phase.
Read articleA 12-week intensive plan for Level I of the CFA® Program
Twelve weeks at about 25 hours a week: a compressed Level I plan for candidates who already know accounting, statistics or corporate finance.
Read articleThe last four weeks before Level I of the CFA® Program
Mocks, an error log, formulas and Ethics: how to turn the last four weeks before Level I into points rather than panic.
Read articleCommon mistakes in Level I of the CFA® Program and how to avoid them
From missed scheduling deadlines to a mismatched passport name: the mistakes that cost Level I candidates time, money or points.
Read articleBeyond Level I: Levels II and III and the path to the charter
Results, the Practical Skills Module, Levels II and III, the Level III pathways and the steps from the last exam to the charter.
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