What are the common CFA exam day horror stories?

One horror story could be arriving late. Maybe there was a traffic jam or a problem with public transport. Missing even a few minutes can be really stressful as you're trying to calm down and start the exam. Another could be having technical issues with the calculator. Suddenly it stops working properly during the exam and you have to figure out what to do quickly.

One horror story is arriving late. A friend of mine had a flat tire on the way to the exam center. By the time he got there, he was already flustered and behind time. He then realized he left his calculator in the car in the rush. It really messed up his start to the exam.

Sure. A friend of mine had his calculator die in the middle of the quantitative section. He panicked at first but then had to quickly borrow one from a proctor. It threw him off his rhythm and he ended up spending more time on that section than he planned.

One success story is of John. He was working full - time while preparing for the CFA. He dedicated every weekend and evenings after work to study. He made a strict study plan and followed it religiously. He used flashcards to memorize formulas and practiced with past papers a lot. Eventually, he passed all three levels on his first attempt.

One horror story could be the intense study pressure. People often find themselves spending countless hours studying, sacrificing personal time, family time, and even their health. For example, a friend of mine had to cancel all social events for months just to prepare for the CFA exams. He was constantly stressed and had little sleep, which took a toll on his mental well - being.

One common element is being unprepared. Like forgetting to study a key chapter. Another is technical issues, such as a broken pen or a computer malfunction during an online exam.

We can learn the importance of dedication. Like those who passed, they made time for study no matter how busy they were. For example, studying during evenings or weekends.

A particular horror story involves a candidate who had a family emergency right before the exam. They were already stressed from studying, and this added more pressure. They still tried to take the exam but couldn't focus properly. As a result, they failed. After that, they had to deal with both the disappointment of failing and the family situation, which was really tough.

Technical problems can also be part of it. Like a person whose computer crashed during an online bar exam. They lost some of their work and had to redo it in a very short time. Also, unexpected topics showing up on the exam that students haven't fully prepared for are a common horror story element.

One common element is lack of preparation. Maybe you didn't study enough or studied the wrong things. Another is unexpected situations like getting sick or having a family emergency right before the exam. And sometimes it's the exam itself being much harder or different in format than expected.