CFA Level 1 Study Plan: Week-by-Week Schedule | LearnByTeaching.ai
CFA Level 1 covers ten topic areas across a vast breadth of finance and investment knowledge, with the CFA Institute recommending 300+ hours of study. This 18-week plan allocates approximately 18 hours per week, front-loading the heaviest topics like Financial Statement Analysis and Ethics so you have maximum time for practice questions and review.
18
weeks
18
hrs / week
324
total hours
Weekly Plan
Rest & Review Strategy
Take one full day off each week, preferably Sunday, and avoid studying past 9 PM to preserve sleep quality. Every third week, reduce study hours by 20% for a lighter recovery week that prevents burnout across this long preparation period.
Adjustment Tips
- 1
If you have a strong finance or accounting background, you can compress the FSA and Corporate Issuers weeks and allocate that time to Quantitative Methods or Derivatives.
- 2
If Ethics scores remain below 65% after Week 13, add 30 minutes of daily ethics practice throughout the remaining weeks — Ethics is the tiebreaker for borderline candidates.
- 3
If you are studying while working full-time, extend the plan to 22-24 weeks at 14 hours per week to maintain the same total study hours.
- 4
If your mock exam scores plateau below 60%, focus exclusively on your three weakest topics for one full week before taking another mock.
- 5
If you struggle with formula memorization, create a daily routine of writing out the ten most important formulas by hand each morning before starting other study tasks.
Final Week Protocol
Day 1
Day 1 (Monday): Review condensed notes for Quantitative Methods, Economics, and Financial Statement Analysis.
Day 2
Day 2 (Tuesday): Review condensed notes for Corporate Issuers, Equity Investments, and Fixed Income.
Day 3
Day 3 (Wednesday): Review condensed notes for Derivatives, Alternative Investments, and Portfolio Management.
Day 4
Day 4 (Thursday): Final ethics review — skim all seven Standards and key GIPS concepts.
Day 5
Day 5 (Friday): Light formula review and 30 easy practice questions for confidence. Confirm exam logistics.
Day 6
Day 6 (Saturday): Complete rest day — light exercise, good meals, and relaxation. No studying.
Day 7
Day 7 (Sunday / Exam Eve): Brief 20-minute skim of your most important formula sheet, then relax and sleep early.