The SchweserNotes™ are a distilled version of the official CFA Institute curriculum, which can exceed 3,000 pages. The Kaplan books break this massive amount of information into five or six manageable volumes that focus strictly on the Learning Outcome Statements (LOS) required for the exam.
For hammering thousands of practice questions to build muscle memory.
"The Ethics section in Schweser is too light. I failed Ethics by a hair in my first attempt. Second attempt, I read the CFAI official handbook and passed." – kaplan schweser cfa level 1 book
Which (e.g., February, May, August, November) are you targeting?
Beyond the text, Kaplan materials emphasize a "Prepare, Practice, Perform" methodology: SchweserNotes™ The SchweserNotes™ are a distilled version of the
| Feature | Kaplan Schweser | CFA Institute Books | Mark Meldrum (MM) | Wiley | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | 1,500 | 3,500+ | 0 (Video + notes) | 2,000 | | Cost (Books only) | $299 - $399 | $150 (eBook) | $199 (videos) | $249 | | Best For | Speed & structure | Perfectionists | Auditory learners | Visual learners | | Weakness | Oversimplifies Ethics | Too verbose | No physical book | Dense writing |
Cost-effective option focused on classes and core online tools. "The Ethics section in Schweser is too light
: Include up to 6 mock exams, instructional videos, and "PassProtection™". Is it Enough?
The books are broken down into bite-sized modules. Each module takes 20 to 40 minutes to read and ends with "Concept Checks"—short quizzes to verify your understanding before moving forward. 3. Clear Visuals and Formats
, which are traditionally the most difficult subjects for Level 1 candidates. Structured Modules