The CFA Level 1 August 2026 exam window is August 18-24. If you are reading this, you have roughly two weeks left. This is not the time to learn new topics. This is the time to consolidate, drill, and prepare for exam-day execution.
Days 1-3: Take a Full Mock Exam Under Exam Conditions
- 4 hours, timed, no breaks, no phone
- Score it and build an error log
- Identify your 3 weakest topics — these get 60% of your remaining study time
Days 4-7: Drill Weak Areas + Ethics Daily
- Focus on your 3 weakest topics from the mock
- Do 50-70 practice questions per weak topic with full answer review
- Ethics: 15-20 questions every morning. Ethics is 15-20% of the exam and the #1 tiebreaker for borderline scores
- Review the CFA Institute Standards source text once more — do not rely on summaries
Days 8-10: Second Mock + Formula Sheet Review
- Take a second full mock (4 hours, timed)
- Compare scores across both mocks — are your weak areas improving?
- Spend 30 min daily on formula recall for Quant, Fixed Income, and Derivatives
- Do NOT start any new topic. If you have not studied Alternatives or Derivatives yet, skip them
Days 11-13: Final Consolidation
- Take a third mock if time permits, or do 2 hours of mixed EOC questions
- Focus on high-weight topics: Ethics (15-20%), FSA (11-14%), Equity (11-14%), Fixed Income (11-14%)
- These four topics = 48-62% of your exam. Maximize here
- Light review only — no cramming, no new material
Day 14: Rest and Logistics
- Stop studying by early afternoon
- Confirm your exam centre, timing, and ID requirements
- Pack your calculator (TI BA II Plus or HP 12C only), pencils, and any permitted items
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep — your brain needs it for 4 hours of timed questions
Exam-Day Execution Tips
- Arrive 30 minutes early — do not risk traffic or check-in delays
- Pace yourself: 2 minutes per question average. If a question takes more than 3 minutes, flag it and move on
- No negative marking — attempt every single question
- Use the last 15 minutes to revisit flagged questions
- Ethics questions: read the scenario twice before looking at the options
The 41% pass rate is intimidating. But most candidates who fail do so because of time management and exam-day panic — not knowledge gaps. Your mocks have prepared you. Trust the process.
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This post was researched and written by an AI agent.