CFA Mock Exams
A mock exam shows you where you stand before exam day does. Sit a full session in the format your level uses, then use your results to focus your next study session on the topics still costing you marks.
Pick your level below to see the format, how long a session takes, and how to start.
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Choose Your CFA Level
Each level tests you in a different way, so your mock should too. Pick the exam you’re sitting next to see what the practice covers and what it will show you.
CFA Level I
Level I tests breadth across the whole curriculum. A timed mock shows which topics hold up under pressure and where your pace slips, so you know what to review first.
CFA Level II
Level II asks you to apply what you know inside a vignette. Practice pulling the right facts from each case and find out which item sets eat your time before exam day does.
CFA Level III
Level III mixes item sets with written responses. A mock helps you answer exactly what each command word asks and link your reasoning to the case, within the pathway you chose.
What Does a CFA Mock Exam Show You?
Topic quizzes test what you know one chapter at a time. A full mock mixes every topic into one timed session, which is much closer to how you’ll be tested on exam day, and it shows you problems that topic practice never will.
Where Your Time Goes
One hard question can drain the minutes you needed for several easier ones. A mock shows you where that happens, so you can practice moving on before it costs you on exam day.
Whether You Can Spot the Method
On exam day, no chapter heading tells you which formula to use. A mock tests whether you can pick the right approach from the question alone.
Gaps Your Score Hides
A lucky guess counts the same as a confident answer in your final percentage. Review your guesses and unfinished questions too, because that’s where the weak spots your score misses usually sit.
What to Study Next
Turn each repeated mistake into one specific task, like checking units, revisiting a formula, or rereading a case constraint. Your next study session then starts with a clear target instead of a guess.
How Do Mock Exams and Practice Questions Work Together?
Practice questions build your skills one topic at a time. Mock exams test whether those skills hold up together under exam conditions. You get the most from both by using practice questions while you learn, then moving to mocks once you’ve covered most of the curriculum.
Practice Questions: While You Learn
Use short sets as you work through each topic, or when one skill keeps tripping you up. They let you focus on a single method and check it before you move on.
Mock Exams: Once You’ve Covered the Curriculum
A full mock shows how your knowledge, pacing, and focus hold up across a whole session. Go back to targeted practice questions for the gaps it finds, and leave time to review each attempt properly. One mock you learn from is worth more than two you rush through.
When Should You Take a CFA Mock Exam?
Take your first mock once you’ve covered most of the curriculum, with 4 to 6 weeks left before exam day. That leaves time to review the attempt and fix what it finds. You don’t need perfect recall before you start, because finding the gaps is the whole point.
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01
Build Your Foundation
Work through the curriculum and use topic questions to check each new concept as you go.
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02
Sit Your First Mock
Block out uninterrupted time, put your notes away, and use your approved calculator so your results reflect real exam conditions.
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03
Review and Repair
Work through every mistake and lucky guess before you attempt another full mock. If you skip this step, the next attempt usually repeats the same errors.
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04
Test With a Fresh Mock
Sit a mock you haven’t seen before. A repeated paper only tests what you remember, while a new one shows whether your fixes actually hold up.
How to Turn Your CFA Mock Results Into a Review Plan
A low mock score tells you what to fix while there’s still time to fix it. Find out why each mistake happened before you decide what to study next.
Flag Every Shaky Answer
Mark wrong answers, lucky guesses, unfinished questions, and anything that took too long. Your score only counts the first group, but they all point to gaps.
Find the Cause
Decide whether you were missing the concept, used the wrong input, overlooked a case detail, or rushed the calculation. Each cause needs a different fix.
Pick One Next Task
Go back to the concept in your CFA study notes, rework the step you missed, then try a fresh question that tests the same skill.
What to Note After Every Mock
FAQs About CFA Mock Exams
A CFA mock exam is a full-length practice exam that follows the format, timing, and question style of the level you’re sitting. It shows how you perform when every topic comes at you in one session, which topic quizzes can’t do.
Yes. Your CFA Program registration includes two official mock exams, released about eight weeks before your exam. CFA Institute sells extra mocks through its paid Practice Pack. Take the official mocks either way, and use third-party mocks if you want more fresh practice before and after them.
It depends on who wrote them, because difficulty varies by provider. The official CFA Institute mocks are your closest benchmark, since they’re written by the same teams that write the real exam. Compare your results across several mocks rather than reading too much into one.
Take as many as you can review properly. For many candidates studying around work, that means a few mocks spread across the final weeks, not one every weekend. Each one needs time afterward to fix what it shows, plus a fresh mock to check that the fix worked.
There’s no official benchmark. CFA Institute doesn’t publish the minimum passing score, and mock scores vary by provider. A rising score across fresh mocks, with fewer weak topics each time, tells you more about your readiness than any single result.
Nothing, except that you’ve found your gaps early. A mock score doesn’t count toward your result, and a weak one tells you what to fix while there’s still time. Use it to build your review plan.
Start with the free official mocks that come with your registration. Pay for more if you want extra fresh practice, especially if you plan several timed sessions before exam day. When you compare paid options, check how many mocks you get, whether they match your level’s format, and what your results show you afterward.
A retake can help you check your pacing, but use a fresh mock to test what you’ve learned, since you’ll remember some of the answers.
No. CFA Institute does not endorse, promote, or warrant the accuracy or quality of the products or services offered by KeyPoint Learning Inc. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.