6-Month CFA Level 1 Study Plan

CFA Institute recommends 300+ hours of study. A 6-month plan gives you approximately 50 hours per month — manageable for a working professional studying 2–3 hours per day on weekdays and 4–5 hours on weekends.

Key Takeaways

  • A 6-month plan breaks down to roughly 50 hours per month, covering all 10 Level 1 topics.
  • Start with Ethics and Quantitative Methods, then revisit Ethics again in the final two weeks.
  • Reserve month 6 for full review, 3 timed mock exams, and weak-topic targeting.
  • 300+ total study hours is the CFA Institute recommendation this plan is built around.

The Schedule

Months 1–2: Foundation Topics (100 hours)

Month 1 (50 hours):

  • Ethics and Professional Standards (25 hours) — always start here; revisit at the end
  • Quantitative Methods (25 hours)

Month 2 (50 hours):

  • Economics (25 hours)
  • Financial Statement Analysis — Part 1 (25 hours)

Months 3–4: Core Topics (100 hours)

Month 3 (50 hours):

  • Financial Statement Analysis — Part 2 (25 hours)
  • Corporate Issuers (25 hours)

Month 4 (50 hours):

  • Equity Investments (25 hours)
  • Fixed Income (25 hours)

Months 5–6: Completion and Review (100 hours)

Month 5 (50 hours):

  • Derivatives (15 hours)
  • Alternative Investments (15 hours)
  • Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning (20 hours)

Month 6 (50 hours):

  • Full review pass across all 10 topics (20 hours)
  • 3 full mock exams under timed conditions (15 hours)
  • Final Ethics review (10 hours)
  • Weak topic targeting based on mock scores (5 hours)

Practice Question Strategy

Use our free diagnostic practice to identify your weak topics early. After each study unit, complete 20–30 topic-specific practice questions before moving on.

Which Prep Course to Use

Disclosure: Sophos Academy earns a commission if you purchase through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

See our Best CFA Prep Courses comparison for a ranked guide. For most candidates following this plan, AnalystPrep provides the best combination of curriculum coverage and Q-bank depth.

Not affiliated with CFA Institute.

CFA Level 1 Study Plan 2026: 6-Month Schedule | Sophos Academy