not to the same degree. bottom line. they are not competing with each other. caia is not for balance sheet crunchers
new grads announced.. http://www.hedgefund.net/marketing_index.cfm?template=whatsnew.cfm&story_id=4995
Question for those of you guys who have passed CAIA lvl 1 exam. Did you use study notes (Kalmai, Uppermark or others)? If yes, how do you think whether it may be enough to use only study notes without reading the entire reading list? Maybe it depends on previous experience? E.g., I've been in trading/portfolio management since 1996 and have passed all 3 CMT exams- is it possible for me to limit preparation with study notes only? Thanks in advance
i used their study guide and bought the corresponding books, more than enough to pass if u put in reasonable time. you dont have to read through all of those books, just focus on the study guide, you'll see that books have a lot more than whats covered on the study notes, and subsequentlyon the exam.
Thanks a lot for reply. Of course I understand that there is much more useful information in the books than in study notes. But do you mean study notes lack some material that may be needed to pass exam? If so, this is completely different picture and books are just necessary.
I tried the approach you're asking about, just using the kalm prep software and would not recommend it. The software is good, but there was stuff on the test that was not in the prep software. There is a study guide on the caia site. I would buy the books and go through the study guide reviewing anything you're weak on. I was surprised I passed after the way I felt leaving the exam. I think for the prep software that there may just not be enough historical tests yet to cover the full spectrum of available topics. They have also made minor modifications to the curriculum along the way. I would only use it in conjunction with the suggested reading list. It's a fairly tough test. The only other thing close I've taken is the 7, which was a walk in the park compared. Also make sure you are comfortable with a financial calculator as it will help you move through the exam much more efficiently.
thanks pj, useful advice I'll wait until they publish required materials for the July06 exam and then will add my 2 bucks to Amazon profit
Schweser will be putting out study notes for this in the near future. This may also increase the credibility of the designation. A colleague of mine will be writing some of the study notes.