Urgent Help !

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Hello David and team,

I am hoping , am not really late for this one. I have decided to give FRM level one Nov 2010. I can give invest 300-350 hrs of prep.
My background, i am an engineering graduate with a post grad in finance. So i am assuming the material wont be alien. Now,
1) How do i get started ( seems like one MUST go through core readings and the hand book. And what exactly is schweser, if its something like your coaching , isn't redundant to study so much material ?)
2) How do i utilize this forum , if i subscribe say in a couple of days. I believe i am in the right place and am hoping i will be given a hand before i can run. Just , a few pointers and i would pick it up from there.


P.s If i get through level one this Nov , when is the earliest i can take Level 2 ?

Kris.

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi Kris,

That's a lot of hours for a late start: 300/60 = 5 hours per day. Are you sure about that?

If that's true, you'd actually be allocating 150% more than GARP recommends.
(now 200 is not enough for everybody … however, your background should place your roughly above average in prep time; i.e., on paper, you should not need more than the average time, I'm guessing for how can i really know?, if post grad in finance)

1. You don't *need* to go through core readings. It is my recommendation under an early/regular start. But, with two months to go, frankly I would consider approaches that minimize core readings, or focus selectively. As you time to prepare diminishes, so should your allocation to the source readings decrease and time toward practice questions increase. I do agree, always but even more so with two months to go, that you do not want to over-buy a bunch of reading materials (the handbook is not essential, btw). The most important thing is that your plan include an imminent (soon) plan to work quality practice questions.
1a. I would start by "sizing up" the AIM documents.

2. I hope the most useful aspect of the forum, if you go down this page, is the practice questions: we've built a deep library of practice questions (mainly b/c I add to it every day, by doing two questions from the AIMs)

Hope that helps, David