CFA® Level I Crash Course

• Ethical and Professional Standards
• Economics
• Quantitative Analysis
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Asset Valuation
• Portfolio Management

The objective of this course is to give the participants a very intensive preparation for the CFA® Level 1 examination.

 

At this course, most weight will be given to Financial Statement Analysis (28% weighting according to the Study Guide) and Asset Valuation (30%), but Ethics, Quantitative Methods, Economics and Corporate Finance will also be covered. Asset Valuation includes a general section on securities markets, debt and equity investments, derivatives investments, and alternative investments. The final program will closely reflect the current curriculum. The course is designed as a number of fast-paced classroom presentations of approx. 1-2 hours followed by "Quizzes", "Mock Examinations" and intensive Q+A sessions on each topic covered by the curriculum. The Level 1 examination is 100% multiple choice comprising approx. 240 questions with an average of 1.5 minutes to answer each question. Therefore, a major objective of this crash course is to train the participants in reading, analyzing and answering the questions quickly enough! At the end of the course, the participants will receive a "Quizzer" with interactive exam-style questions with commented answers for "last minute" PC-based review before the examination. Historical evidence confirms that this CFA® Level 1 Crash Course significantly improves the chances of success at the subsequent examination. However, participation in this course will not by itself be sufficient preparation for the exam. Participants are expected to have studied the CFA curriculum materials carefully prior to this course!

 

Day One

08.30 - 08.45 Welcome and Introduction

08.45 - 12.00 Ethical and Professional Standards

• Study Session 1
  • Code of Ethics
  • Standards of Professional Conduct
     
• Small test

12.00 - 13.00 Lunch

13.00 - 17.00 Quantitative Methods

• Study session 2
  • TVM, Statistical Concepts, Market Returns, Probability Concepts, Probability Distributions
• Study Session 3
  • Sampling and Estimation, Hypothesis Testing, Correlation and Regression

Economics

• Study Session 4
  • Macroeconomic Analysis
• Study session 5
  • Microeconomic Analysis
• Study session 6
  • Global Economic Analysis
     
• Small test

Day Two

08.30 - 08.45 Recap

08.45 - 12.00 Financial Statement Analysis (I)

• Study Session 7
  • Basic concepts
• Study Session 8
  • Financial Ratios and Earnings per Share
     
• Small test

12.00 - 13.00 Lunch

13.00 - 17.00 Financial Statement Analysis (II)

• Study Session 9
  • Assets
• Study session 10
  • Liabilities
     
• Small test

Corporate Finance

• Study Session 11
  • Corporate Investing and Financing Decisions

Portfolio Management

• Study Session 12
  • Capital Market Theory: Basic Concepts
     
• Small test

Day Three

08.30 - 08.45 Recap

08.45 - 12.00 Asset Valuation (I)

• Study session 13
  • Securities Markets
• Study session 14
  • Equity Investments
• Study session 15
  • Debt Investments: Basic Concepts
     
• Small test

12.00 - 13.00 Lunch

13.00 - 16.00 Asset Valuation (III)

• Study Session 16
  • Debt Investments: Analysis and Valuation
• Study Session 17
  • Derivative Investments
• Study Session 18
  • Alternative Investments

Mock Examination

Evaluation and Termination of the Course