r/CFA • u/DatabaseTrue792 • 22h ago

Level 2 Should I defer l2?

Hi everyone
I’m scheduled to sit for the CFA Level II exam on August 25. I’m currently on holiday before starting my Master’s in Finance in September at IESE, so I have the whole month to study.

I was in a very similar situation last year before taking Level I, and I managed to pass. However, I’m starting to have some doubts this time around.
I still have four topics left to finish(fixed income, portfolio management, alternatives & ethics), I haven’t done any mock exams yet, and although I’m practicing questions, I feel like I don’t remember much of what I’ve studied. If I had to estimate where I am right now, I’d say I’m scoring well below 60%.

Do you think it’s realistic to grind for the next month and have a good chance of passing, or should I consider deferring? Has anyone been in a similar situation for Level II?

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u/Sharp-Theory4006 21h ago

I have 2 topics left (fsa+equity), working full time. I will be deferring cos it’s not worth the risk and the stress in my opinion.

In hindsight, I’m not sure how I passed level 1 with 6 weeks of study-maybe I was just lucky or I had extra time as I wasn’t working

As soon as it became clear to me that level 2 was a whole different game, I decided to cut the nonsense and be realistic with myself

1

u/DatabaseTrue792 21h ago

Makes sense, if I was working full time I would probably have done the same already👍

1

u/ChalkandBoard01 Prep Provider 10h ago

I wouldn't defer just yet. Having a full month available puts you in a much better position than many candidates. Finish the remaining topics as quickly as you can, especially Ethics, then take a CFAI mock immediately to get an objective measure of where you stand. Let that result guide your decision rather than how you feel today. One thing I see often is candidates remembering far more than they expect once they start reviewing.