CFA Level 1 Study Plan (16-Week Schedule)
CFA Level 1 is breadth over depth: ten topic areas and 180 questions split across two sessions. Below is a realistic 16-week CFA Level 1 study schedule built around active recall: cover one focus area at a time, quiz yourself on it, then re-drill only what you missed.
The 16-week CFA Level 1 schedule
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Ethics | Study ethics, then generate a 10-question quiz on it and retake what you miss. |
| Week 2 | Quantitative methods | Study quantitative methods, then generate a 10-question quiz on it and retake what you miss. |
| Week 3 | Financial statement analysis | Study financial statement analysis, then generate a 10-question quiz on it and retake what you miss. |
| Week 4 | Equity & fixed income | Study equity & fixed income, then generate a 10-question quiz on it and retake what you miss. |
| Week 5 | Portfolio management | Study portfolio management, then generate a 10-question quiz on it and retake what you miss. |
| Week 6 | Ethics | Second pass on ethics: re-drill the questions you missed in week 1, then quiz yourself on the parts you skipped. |
| Week 7 | Quantitative methods | Second pass on quantitative methods: re-drill the questions you missed in week 2, then quiz yourself on the parts you skipped. |
| Week 8 | Financial statement analysis | Second pass on financial statement analysis: re-drill the questions you missed in week 3, then quiz yourself on the parts you skipped. |
| Week 9 | Equity & fixed income | Second pass on equity & fixed income: re-drill the questions you missed in week 4, then quiz yourself on the parts you skipped. |
| Week 10 | Portfolio management | Second pass on portfolio management: re-drill the questions you missed in week 5, then quiz yourself on the parts you skipped. |
| Week 11 | Ethics | Timed pass on ethics: quiz yourself cold, no notes, and compare your score with week 1. |
| Week 12 | Quantitative methods | Timed pass on quantitative methods: quiz yourself cold, no notes, and compare your score with week 2. |
| Week 13 | Financial statement analysis | Timed pass on financial statement analysis: quiz yourself cold, no notes, and compare your score with week 3. |
| Week 14 | Equity & fixed income | Timed pass on equity & fixed income: quiz yourself cold, no notes, and compare your score with week 4. |
| Week 15 | Portfolio management | Timed pass on portfolio management: quiz yourself cold, no notes, and compare your score with week 5. |
| Week 16 | Full review | Take mixed quizzes across every topic; re-drill your missed questions from earlier weeks. |
How it works
- 1
Paste or describe
Drop in your CFA Level 1 notes, a PDF, or just the topics above.
- 2
Get a real quiz
AI writes the questions, answers, and explanations while you wait.
- 3
Drill what you miss
Instant feedback while you practice, then re-take only the questions you got wrong.
CFA Level 1 study plan FAQ
Is the CFA Level 1 study plan really free?
Yes, to start: you get your first CFA Level 1 questions on the spot with no account and no credit card. A free account unlocks your first full test, and Pro removes the limit.
What topics does the CFA Level 1 practice cover?
Anything you ask for — the generator defaults to high-yield areas like Ethics, Quantitative methods, Financial statement analysis, and you can paste your own notes or class material to make the questions match exactly what you're studying.
Can I use my own notes or a PDF?
Yes. Paste notes or upload a document and QuizGen writes the questions from your material, so practice matches your course instead of a generic question bank.
How many weeks is this CFA Level 1 plan?
16 weeks: one focus area per week, drawn in order from the 5 topics above, then a final week of mixed review. If your exam is sooner, keep the order and shorten each block — quizzing yourself on a topic is what makes it stick, not the number of weeks.