Best Books for CFA: Which Books Should You Refer?

Preparing for CFA exams isn’t an easy task. You need to put in about 300 hours of study time to prepare for each CFA level. After you’ve cracked this professional course, the opportunities that you can expect would be endless. But to actually achieve the charterholder status, you’ll need a mix of hard work and sincerity. Along with the number of hours, you’ll also require reliable study materials such as guides, solved papers and mock test books. If you happen to prepare for your CFA exams through Zell education, learning material is entirely covered by the institution, but if you’re choosing self-study or any other mode of coaching then having reliable study material is a must. To simplify your search for the best books for CFA, here’s a list of books you should check out before you start your preparation for CFA exams. 

Best Books for Preparing for CFA

1. Wiley’s Level I CFA Program Study Guide 2020: Complete Set

The Wiley Study Guides for the Level I CFA Program exam are proven to help candidates understand, retain, and master the CFA Program Curriculum. Complete with colour-coded Study Guides and coverage of every Learning Outcome Statement on the exam. Created from the distilled knowledge of our staff of CFA charterholders and instructors, these books are a highly effective and proven study aid filled with exam tips, fundamental concepts, and in-depth examples.

The authors have used their years of personal teaching experience with students from a variety of backgrounds to develop study guides that improve the study experience of CFA Level I candidates and include practical and helpful tips and test-taking advice though-out the text. The colour-coding feature makes it easier for you to follow cases and examples that make references to graphs and sets of financial statements. Most subjects, especially Economics, Portfolio Management and Fixed Income use plenty of figures and diagrams to illustrate important concepts. The study guides include all those figures and additional commentary to make the material easily understandable.

2. 2020 CFA Level 1 Kaplan Schweser Notes

Absorbing the CFA Program curriculum in its entirety is easily the most challenging part of preparing for the exam. SchweserNotes helps you retain critical information by breaking the content into exam-focused study notes, complete with examples and quizzes covering every Learning Outcome Statement. SchweserNotes have evolved to meet your study needs by Integrating the online learning platform, so you can quickly reference a concept while reviewing practice questions. The content is delivered in bite-sized modules, making it easier to study in shorter segments. It includes online modules and topic quizzes designed to help you retain and practice every concept. These books are available in print, online, and eBook formats—giving you multiple ways to take in the content.

3. CFA Institute CFA Program Curriculum

CFA Institute researches and identifies trends that significantly affect the investment industry. These insights inform updates to our curriculum to reflect current practices and help charterholders succeed in a constantly changing profession. The curriculum and the study material are developed through an Education Advisory Committee that includes industry practitioners, security market regulators, university faculty, and policymakers. Involving financial thought leaders helps ensure that the institute provides the skills the industry wants. This approach, known as our Program Practice Analysis process, plays a key role in establishing the CFA Program as the global gold standard of investment credentials.

4. 2023 CFA Level 1 Study Material (Set of 5 Books)

These study notes are aligned with the curriculum and present the concepts in an easily understandable manner. The most important points of each section of the curriculum are highlighted and explained. Reading the notes helps to reinforce your understanding and grasp of concepts. For each Learning module, you will find detailed notes covering solved examples and summaries. Presented in 5 paperback books are Quantitative Methods & Ethical and Professional Standards, Economics & Alternative Investments, Financial Statement Analysis & Derivatives, Corporate Issuers & Portfolio Management and Equity Investments & Fixed Income.

5. Wiley’s Level I CFA Program 11th Hour Review Guide and Test Bank

Wiley’s 11th Hour Final Review Guide for the 2020 Level I CFA Exam compacts all readings tested on the 2020 CFA exam into one portable volume. Organized in order, this best-selling guide has helped thousands of candidates from over one hundred countries pass the CFA exam.

Designed to boil it all down to the crucial concepts, formulas and rules, this guide ensures candidates are familiar with the most important testable information. It’s difficult to go over multiple books in the last few weeks before the exam, so Wiley’s 11th Hour Review Guide does the work for you—condensing each reading down to two- to five pages. Enter the exam room with confidence and reinforce your knowledge and preparation! This comprehensive guide complements Wiley’s CFA Study Guides sold separately but may be used with any review course. An effective, efficient study guide, this book prepares you to reach the next level in your career.

We hope that with this comprehensive guide on the best books for preparing for CFA, you’ve gotten a fair idea of the helpful guides that contribute to your CFA preparation. However, you can simplify your learning journey further by joining Zell classes for CFA. Zell offers relevant study material curated by industry experts along with regular mock tests. To know more about our CFA program, click on the WhatsApp icon at the side of this blog and get in touch with our experts directly.

FAQ

Which CFA books are the best?
Study books by the CFA institute, Zell’s industry experts curated CFA books, Wiley’s Level I CFA Program Study Guide 2020: Complete Set and 2020 CFA Level 1 Kaplan Schweser Notes are the best books for CFA.

Where can I get CFA Level 1 study material?
You can buy books for CFA level 1 online on Amazon, Eduyush or other E-retail sites. You could also join a coaching institute like Zell Education that provides you with its own curated study material.

Is CFA Level 1 Easy?
CFA level one is quite difficult to crack. To make it a seamless journey, you’ll need a coaching institute like Zell education to help you with registrations to exam preparations.

Do CFA books change every year?
Yes, since finance is a dynamic field the CFA committee needs to update the study material and curriculum as per the latest market trends.

Partham Barot is an ACCA-certified professional. showcasing his expertise in finance and accountancy. he’s revolutionising education by focusing on practical, real-world skills. Partham’s achievements underscore his commitment to elevating educational standards and empowering the next generation of professionals.