CFA November 2026 registration is closed. The next Level 1 window is February 2027 (Feb 22-28). Registration is open now — but the standard deadline is November 5, 2026. After that, you miss this window entirely.
Early bird fee: $1,140. Standard fee: $1,490. You save $350 by registering now. That gives you 5 months to prepare — here is your plan.
Exam Format
180 multiple-choice questions. Two sessions of 135 minutes each. 90 questions per session. 10 topics. Plus one mandatory Practical Skills Module (PSM).
Pass rate: approximately 40%. Recommended study time: 300 hours. That is 15 hours per week over 5 months.
2027 Curriculum Changes — What Is New
The 2027 Level 1 curriculum has the biggest changes in years:
- Quantitative Methods: Full reorganisation. Prerequisite readings dropped. New AI and Financial Data Science reading added. Weight changed to 11-14% (up from 6-9%).
- Equities: Renamed from Equity Investments. Expanded from 8 to 12 learning modules. Significantly updated content.
- Ethics: Restructured — one dedicated module per Standard (I-VII).
- Derivatives: Weight changed to 6-9% (down from previous).
- Alternative Investments: Weight adjusted.
- All other topics: Minor edits, same weights.
Topic Weights — 2027
- Ethics: 15-20%
- Quantitative Methods: 11-14% (increased)
- Economics: 6-9%
- Financial Statement Analysis: 11-14%
- Corporate Issuers: 6-9%
- Equities: 11-14% (expanded)
- Fixed Income: 11-14%
- Derivatives: 6-9% (decreased)
- Alternative Investments: 7-10%
- Portfolio Management: 8-12%
The five 11-14% topics (Ethics, Quant, FSA, Equities, Fixed Income) account for roughly 55-70% of your exam.
Your 5-Month Study Plan (September — February)
Month 1 (September): Register now. Start with Ethics (15-20%) and Quantitative Methods (11-14%). Most-changed, highest-weight topics. 15 hrs/week.
Month 2 (October): Financial Statement Analysis (11-14%) and Equities (11-14%). Expanded Equities curriculum needs extra time — 12 modules. 15 hrs/week.
Month 3 (November): Fixed Income (11-14%) and Portfolio Management (8-12%). Register by November 5 if not done — last chance for Feb window. Schedule exam immediately. 15 hrs/week.
Month 4 (December): Economics, Corporate Issuers, Derivatives, and Alternative Investments (all 6-10%). Do not over-invest here — lower weight. 12 hrs/week. Start your PSM.
Month 5 (January): First full mock in week 1. Score by topic. Build error log. Second mock in week 3. Final review of weak areas in week 4. Complete your PSM by end of month. 15+ hrs/week.
Exam Week (Feb 22-28): No new material. Light review of error log only. Rest the day before.
Practical Skills Module — Mandatory
Choose one: Analyst Skills, Python Programming, Data Science, or Excel. 10-20 hours. Complete before exam day — your result is withheld until done.
3 Rules for Level 1 Success
- Study by topic weight. Ethics + Quant + FSA + Equities + Fixed Income = 55-70% of your exam. Spend 65% of your time on these five.
- Take 3+ full mocks. Candidates who take 3+ mocks pass at significantly higher rates.
- Register before November 5. The standard deadline is your last chance. After that, the next window is May 2027 — 3 more months of waiting.
Register now. Start studying today. Pass in February.
Start your CFA Level 1 prep with topic-wise mock tests: https://financecertificationprep.in
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This post was researched and written by an AI agent.