60 Day CFA Study Plan Level 1, 2 & 3

Chartered Financial Analyst Exam 2026 ( CFA Exam )

DeskCalelnderResult - 19 Mar '26

Saumya
Saumya Jain
Assistant Manager- Content
Updated on Feb 27, 2026 17:45 IST
Preparation for CFA exam 2026 in 60 days requires students to grill themselves and study dedicatedly for longer hours. CFA exam is conducted multiple times a year and each time the pass rate changes. Read the article below to know how to prepare for CFA exam in 60 days.

Preparation for CFA exam 2026 in 60 days requires students to grill themselves and study dedicatedly for longer hours. Read the article below to know how to prepare for CFA exam in 60 days.

CFA exam preparation 2026 in two months can be very difficult and challenging. CFA exam is one of the most difficult finance exams in the world and is known for rigorous and vast curriculum. Having said that, it is not that CFA exam cannot be aced in 60 days. With discipline, dedication, a good plan which sets the priorities right, one can fetch a good CFA score and achieve the goal of 60-day preparation for CFA Level 1, 2 and 3. 

CFA syllabus is vast and it requires students to know and understand the concepts deeply. It includes application based questions and may also include questions based on real-world scenarios. A 60 day CFA exam preparation plan leaves less room for in-depth study and testing trial and error preparation strategy. So, students should get on their toes and focus on clarity, a daily timetable and constant practice. Read the article below to know how to prepare for CFA Level 1,2 and 3 in 60 days. 

CFA Exam Pattern and Structure

Preparation for the CFA exam begins with understanding the CFA exam structure. CFA exam tests students on topics such as Ethics, Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Corporate Issuers, Equity, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Alternative Investments, and Portfolio Management. Every level of the CFA exam is different from the others. Take a look at CFA exam structures below:

CFA Exam Level 1 Structure

CFA Level 1 test is divided into two sessions, each session is held for 135 minutes. It is mandatory for the students to appear in both sessions. There are 180 multiple choice questions. CFA Exam Level 1 structure is as follows:

Structure  Details
Duration

Session 1: 135 minutes

Session 2: 135 minutes

Type of questions

MCQs

Number of questions

180 questions

Topics

Session 1: Ethics and Professional Standards, Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Reporting and Analysis

Session 2: Corporate Issuers, Equity, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Alternative Investments and Portfolio Management

CFA Level 2 Structure

Level II of the CFA exam will have item set questions, which will be comprised of vignettes. The test will also be conducted in two sessions. Each session will be conducted for 2 hours and 12 minutes. 

Structure  Details
Duration

Session 1: 2 hours 12 minutes

Session 2: 2 hours 12 minutes

Type of questions

88 MCQs

22 Item Sets with Vignettes

CFA Level 3 Structure

CFA Level 3 exam will also have item set questions, which will be comprised of vignettes. The CFA level 3 exam will also have constructed responses (essays) sets. The exam will be conducted in two sessions. The total duration of the Level III exam will also be 4 hours and 24 minutes. All the questions are mandatory. 

Structure  Details
Duration

Session 1: 2 hours 12 minutes

Session 2: 2 hours 12 minutes

Type of questions

Item Set questions with vignettes and constructed responses

Number of questions

11 Item Sets

11 Constructed Responses

60-Day Preparation for Level 1, 2 and 3 of CFA Exam

With only 60 days left for the CFA exam, candidates should have a strict study plan. They should dedicate at least 5 to 7 hours of study time daily to fetch good score. The 60 day CFA preparation plan can be divided into two phases, i.e. first 40 days for CFA syllabus completion and the last 20 days for revision and mock practice.

Students should focus on high weightage topics of the CFA syllabus 2026 and sections where they can score high. Students can begin by preparing for the Ethics topic first and they should keep revising it regularly throughout their CFA exam preparation. This section plays an important role in deciding the CFA result. Financial Reporting and Analysis, Equity, and Fixed Income also have high weightage but, students should be very clear on the basics and concepts. Students should read about the topics, practice sample questions and analyze the mistakes they made during practice. They can prepare short notes, jot down formula and make a chart to help in revision later. 

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About the Author
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Saumya Jain
Assistant Manager- Content

Saumya Jain is an English Literature graduate from the University of Delhi. She has over 8 years of editorial and content writing experience. At Shiksha.com, she has spent more than six years creating research, stud

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Answered Yesterday

Students looking for global investment management courses, CFA is the best choice. CFA offers higher salaries, and CA is best for students looking to build a career in taxation and auditing in India. Top tier MBA excel in corporate leadership and networking. 

R

Rashmi Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered Yesterday

Candidates who are interested in investment analysis and portfolio management, want a global career or are ready to invest in further exams can opt for CFA. But if they wnat accounting and auditing, want a strong domestic career base and also value wide options of career options they can go for CA.

78439168
Saumya Jain

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

Check the exam structure for Level 2 exam below:

Structure Details
Time Duration

Session 1: 2 hours 15 mins

Session 2: 2 hours 15 mins

Total: 4 hours 30 mins

Type of questions

MCQs and Item Sets with Vignettes

Number of questions

88 MCQs

22 Item Sets

M

Mani Malhotra

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 3 days ago

 
There is a limit of 6 attempts per CFA Level. Students have to pay registration fee for each attempt. 

S

Shiksha Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 3 days ago

Unlike the Level 1 exam, CFA Level 2 exam does not only have MCQs. It also consists of item set questions which will be comprised of vignettes. 

N

Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 3 days ago

No, CFA Level 1 exam only have 180 multiple choice questions. Students have to choose the correct option from the given options. 

A

Abhishek Kumar

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 3 days ago

CFA Level 1 exam is conducted for a total of 4.5 hours. The exam is spread in 2 sessions. Each session duration is 2 hours and 15 minutes.

R

Rohini Bhatnagar

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

A candidate who has scored really well could have a high confidence interval. They will have grey line with the confidence interval box above MPS. 

A candidate who has scored poorly can have a high confidence interval, they would not have passed under any circumstances and would need to study more in

...Read more

S

Shiksha Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

The light blue box around or over and above the MPS is the confidence interval in CFA result card. 

N

Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

CFA result cum scorecard includes a purple dashed line, which indicates 90th percentile. This means that 10 per cent of students scored higher than this. 

R

Rohini Bhatnagar

Contributor-Level 6