CFA Level I does not fail you because the exam is hard. It fails you because of how you planned.
For the May 2026 window, CFA Institute reported an overall pass rate of 39%. The more telling numbers sit underneath it: candidates who sat on their original date passed at 45%, while those who had deferred at least once passed at just 25%. A gap of 20 percentage points — and it comes down to keeping study momentum, not raw ability.
This session maps the whole route from the moment you decide to sit the exam to the moment you walk into the test centre, built on CFA Institute's published data and on what we actually see working with candidates at Clever Academy.
What we cover (60 minutes)
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The CFA map. Three levels, the 10 topic areas of Level I and their weightings; how the computer-based exam is structured; how the Minimum Passing Score works and why CFA does not grade on a quota. |
| 15 min | Using the 2026 data to pick your exam date. Why the deferring group does so much worse, and how to answer "which window is mine?" from your real available hours rather than from how ready you feel. |
| 20 min | A 10-topic roadmap that fits your week. Two worked plans — working professional (8–10 hrs/week) and full-time student (18–20 hrs/week): what order to take the topics in, where to place mock exams, how to split time between learning and practice. |
| 10 min | Four mistakes that sink strong candidates. Covering all 10 topics before touching a question bank; leaving Ethics until last; judging readiness by feel; registering first and planning to study later. |
| 5 min | Live Q&A with the instructor. |
Who this is for
- Anyone weighing up CFA Level I who does not yet know how many hours it takes or which topic to start with.
- Candidates already registered for an upcoming window who want a study plan they can actually hold to.
- Anyone who has deferred or not passed before and wants to understand why — before registering again.
- Final-year finance, banking and accounting students planning their next step.
What you walk away with
- The 10-topic Level I map with weightings, so you know where your hours are worth most.
- Two weekly study schedules — pick the one that matches the time you actually have.
- A way to test your readiness with mock exams instead of guessing at it.
- The session recording, emailed to everyone who registers, even if you cannot attend live.
Attendance details
- Format: online via Google Meet. The joining link is emailed to you after you register.
- Cost: free.
- Language: Vietnamese, with English-language slides and materials.
- We will remind you 3 days, 1 day, 3 hours and 15 minutes before the session, with a calendar file you can add to Google Calendar.
Pass-rate figures are taken from CFA Institute's official announcement for the May 2026 CFA Level I exam. CFA® is a registered trademark of CFA Institute. Clever Academy is an independent exam-preparation provider and is not affiliated with CFA Institute.