Hi, I would love to take this opportunity to answer your question and would like to break my answer into three parts, i.e., the ideal time to prepare, material to be used, and the requirement of coaching classes or not. 1) Starting with the ideal time to prepare for the exam, as per the CFA Website, successful candidates spent approximately 300+ hours preparing for the exam. But this is not the rule of thumb, and it varies for each candidate and their background. So, suppose you come from a non-commerce background and haven't studied subjects like derivatives and fixed income in the past. In that case, I suggest you spend 450+ hours preparing for the exam, which is approximately five months, given that you study for an average of three odd hours each day. On the other hand, folks from commerce backgrounds should ideally spend 300-350 hours or more depending on their clarity of subjects. 2) About the study material. Most people prefer using Schweser notes since it is a summarized version of the CFA Curriculum, and you may choose to refer to the same. However, I decided to study from the CFA Curriculum, and I do not regret my decision. Unfortunately, Schweser does not have enough illustrations and cases, which is essential to expand your level of understanding. 3) Talking about the best coaching available in the market. Successful candidates in India broadly take coaching from these three teachers. Sanjay Saraf Sushant Suri Aswini Bajaj I took my Level 1 classes from Sushan Suri sir; he covers all the curriculum, approximately 150 hours. I hope my answer will help you in making an informed decision. Please feel free to reach out to me in case your need any further help. Happy to connect.

The best way to start preparing for the exam is to study the curriculum of the program. The CFA curriculum is extensive, and you must make sure you study all its requirements. In addition, be sure that every area of it is understood before moving onto practicing any of them. The most ideal time to begin would be between a few months and a year before taking the exam. One of the most important things in preparing for this exam is to understand and define the concepts in your area of specialty. Also, make sure that you are completely familiar with all information related to that area of specialization. Seekho offers a wide range of preparation materials for any aspiring candidate from scratch to those who want to brush up their knowledge. The Seekho CFA course has received accolades from the industry. We offer comprehensive CFA level study material, with a focus on providing easy-to-digest content that gets you up to speed with the latest research in finance. You can attend the course here - https://www.seekho.ai/courses/cfa-prep-master-quantitative-techniques-/CT-131-30344

I’ve heard that Schweser is one of the best books to prepare for CFA, if not the best. Along with that, try and connect with a mentor who has prepared and cleared the exam so that he could guide you with the nitty gritty whilst preparing for the exam. If you are keen on learning from videos rather than books, you can go through Ashwani Bajaj’s videos or even other lectures on YouTube in case you face any difficulties. Hope it helps. Best of luck for it :)