Kinnu Level I has just hit 1,000 free trial starts.

To celebrate, Kinnu's team has looked at the most Frequently Asked Questions on r/CFA and answered them for you in one blog post — think of us as your CFA Level I agony aunt!

How heavy is Quant in L1? u/Majestic_Ad8092

While it is only 6-9% of the exam in terms of questions, Quantitative Methods punches above its weight. Success in Fixed Income and Equities calculation questions comes from the work you put into Time Value of Money and Rates of Return in Quant. Interleaving is a tenet of Level I success.

Furthermore, not only is it foundational for other Level I topics, but essential for a smooth transition to Level II. Of course, the best way to learn those pesky formulas is with Kinnu flashcards (we have 350+ flashcards for Quant Methods alone!).

70% mock score = pass myth? u/Everynameistakensigh

If you've scored over 70% on one mock — awesome! But one solid mock score doesn't a pass make. You may have gotten lucky. People can definitely still fail after getting 70% on one mock. But people averaging over 70% over four mocks? They are very likely to pass, that's no myth.

If you only have the CFAI mocks available to you, double them with Kinnu! We have two free mocks you can take during your 1 week trial.

Passed Level 1, is continuing worth it? u/ModeComfortable7189

After the slog of Level I it can be hard to push on. If you are feeling completely unmotivated for Level II, take a 3-month break.

BUT REMEMBER the foundational knowledge that the CFA Program gives you may not feel "worth it" straight away — over time what you learned will recombine and resurface in remarkable ways.

Indeed, professionally, you may not feel the benefits of the program until you become a Charterholder and it opens a door that would otherwise have remained closed to you.

Does it help to start Level II immediately after Level 1? u/FlimsyCheesecake7191

No one's going to blame you for taking a break (especially in the 6-weeks that you are waiting for results). But truth be told, Level II picks up right where Level I left off. Here at Kinnu we think about the forgetting curve a lot. Not to freak you out, but the decline of memory retention over time, when information is not reinforced, is exponential. So the sooner you start Level II, the better.

Can you pass L1 even after failing twice? u/Radiant-Assistant673

Of course you can! But you need a change in strategy. Kinnu can help:

• Our Prep Score can show you exactly where you stand compared to your cohort, so you can know you'll pass, before you pass.
• With LARA AI you can break through conceptual misunderstandings faster, like whether an option is a long put or short call.
• With our Smart Flashcards you can flatten the forgetting curve. We will resurface cards you have added to your stack right when you would have forgotten them!

Possible to clear CFA L1 in May if I were to begin prep in December? u/Legitimate_Invite_44

Definitely. Even for people with no background in finance, 7 months of focused preparation is enough to pass Level I. The question is whether you can commit 300+ hours to the program. You shouldn't think in months, but hours. The best way to plan, visualise, and track your study is with the free Kinnu Study Planner.

If you like studying on Wednesday mornings and Saturday nights, have access to 4 mocks, and like cramming hard before an exam — we can get that into your plan nigh-automatically.

Skip reading and go straight into lectures and practice questions? u/Glad_Needleworker291

At Kinnu, we recommend hitting the QBanks available to you as soon as possible. Practicing is learning. Even if you are getting things wrong, your brain will be primed to the highest-yield parts of the textbooks when you do read them. In the exam, the main thing you are being tested on is the act of retrieving information from your memory.

The best way to practice that skill? Consistently practice with the CFAI's end of chapter questions and Kinnu's 3000+ ultra granular MCQs.

Ultimately, the hardest thing about the CFA is that, in many ways, you are on your own. We want to change that. Whether it's giving you data on your cohort, building a foolproof study planner, or flattening the forgetting curve, Kinnu is there to carry the burden with you.

Start your 1-week free trial today and join the 1,000+ candidates already studying smarter.