Key facts
- Prep and careers websites suggest at least 300 study hours for Level I of the CFA® Program – about 12 hours a week for six months.
- From 2 November 2026, the May 2027 window, 11–17 May 2027 (check the official website), leaves 27 full weeks: 324 hours at 12 hours a week.
- US full-time workers averaged 3.99 hours of leisure a day in 2025, about 28 hours a week (BLS American Time Use Survey).
- Soleadea’s advice for full-time workers: daily study beats weekend-only study.
- With a busy season at work, Soleadea suggests stretching to eight or nine months at 8–9 hours a week.
Level I of the CFA® Program fits beside a full-time job if you give it about six months. Prep websites suggest at least 300 study hours – 12 hours a week for 25 weeks. Starting on 2 November 2026, that points to the May 2027 window, 11–17 May 2027 (check the official website), rather than February. (Soleadea, study hours (secondary source)) (300Hours, preparing for Level I (secondary source))
Studying after a full working day is tiring, and evenings you used to have for yourself become study time. Level I is the first of three levels of the CFA® Program, run by CFA Institute (CFA Institute, Level I exam). Much of what decides whether it works beside a job is arithmetic: how many hours your week really holds, and whether the plan survives the weeks that go wrong. This page gives you the numbers, three weekly templates and a six-month plan.
How many hours a week does Level I take beside a job?
The 300 hours are a planning figure from prep and careers websites, not a CFA Institute requirement. Soleadea suggests 12–13 hours a week over six months and says candidates without a finance background typically need more (Soleadea, study hours (secondary source)); 300Hours works with about 11.5 hours a week over six months (300Hours, preparing for Level I (secondary source)). From 2 November 2026, the 2027 windows give you:
| Window | Exam days | Full weeks | Hours a week for 300 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2027 | 22–28 February 2027 (check the official website) | 16 | 18.8 |
| May 2027 | 11–17 May 2027 (check the official website) | 27 | 11.1 |
| August 2027 | 15–22 August 2027 (check the official website) | 40 | 7.5 |
Registration closes before each window: the standard deadline is 10 February 2027 (check the official website) for May and 29 April 2027 (check the official website) for August.
Where do 12 hours a week come from?
Government statistics put the cost in perspective. In the US, full-time workers spent on average 3.99 hours a day on leisure and sports in 2025 – about 28 hours a week – of which 1.92 hours a day went on television (US BLS, American Time Use Survey 2025). In the UK, the median full-time employee is paid for 37.5 hours a week, before commuting (ONS, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14). Studying 12 hours a week takes about 43% of that average leisure time: possible, but you will notice it. The study-time budget calculator does the same sum with your own job, commute, care and sleep.
What does a study week look like?
Short sessions on most days beat one long weekend – Soleadea’s advice for people in full-time work is that daily beats weekend-only (Soleadea, study hours (secondary source)). Three templates, hours per day:
| Day | 10 hours | 12 hours | 15 hours | What the session is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | New material in one topic area, then 15–20 questions |
| Tuesday | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | Questions on the commute or at lunch; note every wrong answer |
| Wednesday | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | New material, then questions |
| Thursday | – | 1 | 1.5 | Short review of the week’s wrong answers |
| Friday | – | – | – | Rest |
| Saturday | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | Long block: new material and a timed set of questions |
| Sunday | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | Mixed review of earlier topic areas; plan the next week |
Practising with questions from the first week, and coming back to old topic areas at intervals, follows what learning research finds most effective (Dunlosky et al., 2013) (Cepeda et al., 2006). Keep Friday – or another evening – free on purpose: it is the reserve for a late meeting or a bad night.
What does a six-month plan look like?
From 2 November 2026 to the May 2027 window, 12 hours a week give 27 weeks and 324 hours. The Level I study planner splits those weeks with its own phase rule:
| Phase | Weeks | Hours | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learn | 14 | 168 | The ten topic areas one after another, each with questions from the start |
| Catch-up | 2 | 24 | Whatever a busy work week pushed back; no new topic areas |
| Review | 7 | 84 | Mixed questions across all topic areas, extra time for the hardest |
| Mock exams | 4 | 48 | One timed full mock a week, then the mistakes |
300Hours keeps the last four to eight weeks for practice exams and revision and suggests three to five days of leave in the final two weeks (300Hours, preparing for Level I (secondary source)). If your job has a busy season, Soleadea suggests stretching to eight or nine months at 8–9 hours a week (Soleadea, study hours (secondary source)) – from the same start, the August window gives 40 weeks at 7.5 hours a week.
What should you ask your employer?
Before you register, it is worth finding out:
- Does the firm pay the registration fee or study materials, and does that cover a retake?
- Is there study leave, or can you take exam days and a few days before the exam as leave?
- Does a busy period – a year end, a fund launch, a reporting cycle – fall in your last six weeks?
- Could you shift hours in the final month, for example starting earlier and leaving earlier?
Which mistakes are common?
- Planning with the hours of a quiet week. Plan with a normal week and keep the catch-up weeks.
- Weekend-only study. Two or three short weekday sessions keep the thread between weekends and leave the weekend for longer blocks.
- Reading first, practising later. Questions from week one show what you have not understood yet.
- Missing the deadline. Pick the window when you start, and register before the standard deadline.
- Leaving mocks to the last week. A mock helps only with time to work through the mistakes.
When should you get support?
If the combination of job and exam leaves you struggling to cope, ask early: adjust the plan, choose a later window, and talk to someone. In England, a GP can help, and you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies if you are 18 or over; Samaritans answer on 116 123 if you need someone to talk to (NHS, stress). If your employer has an employee assistance programme, HR can tell you how to reach it. If an exam does not go to plan, read what to do after failing Level I.
What does this page cover?
- Last updated
- Based on
- Study-hour planning figures from prep and careers websites (secondary sources)
- US BLS American Time Use Survey 2025 and ONS ASHE 2026 (provisional)
- Exam windows and deadlines from our fact register, linked to CFA Institute
- Includes
- Hours a week for each 2027 window from a November 2026 start
- Three weekly templates and a six-month plan
- Questions for your employer
- Not included
- Employment law or your employer’s policies
- Medical advice
Frequently asked questions
Can you prepare for Level I of the CFA® Program while working full time?
Yes, if you plan about six months. Prep websites suggest at least 300 study hours; at 12 hours a week that is 25 weeks, plus a week or two for catching up.
How many hours a week should I study for Level I beside a job?
About 11.5 to 13 hours a week over six months, according to 300Hours and Soleadea. Fewer weeks mean more hours: the February 2027 window leaves 16 weeks from 2 November 2026, 18.8 hours a week for 300 hours.
Is studying only at weekends enough?
It is risky. Soleadea’s advice for full-time workers is that daily study beats weekend-only study. Two or three short weekday sessions plus two weekend blocks keep the material fresh.
Which window should I choose if I start in November 2026?
For a steady 11.1 hours a week, the May 2027 window, 11–17 May 2027 (check the official website); the standard registration deadline is 10 February 2027 (check the official website). February 2027 needs 18.8 hours a week.
What if my job has a busy season?
Stretch the plan. Soleadea suggests eight to nine months at 8–9 hours a week; from 2 November 2026, the August 2027 window, 15–22 August 2027 (check the official website), leaves 40 weeks, 7.5 hours a week for 300 hours.
Should I tell my employer?
That is your choice, but it is worth asking whether the firm pays fees or materials, offers study leave, and whether a busy period falls in your last six weeks before the exam.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- Soleadea (exam prep provider, secondary source): How Many Study Hours Does the CFA® Exam Really Take? (3 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- 300Hours (finance careers website, secondary source): CFA Level 1: How to Prepare & Pass CFA in 18 Months (9 September 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): American Time Use Survey — 2025 Results, Table 11A: Time spent in leisure and sports activities for the civilian population by selected characteristics, averages per day (25 June 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0): Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14 – 2026 provisional, Tables 14.7a (annual pay, gross), 14.7b (coefficients of variation) and 14.9a (paid hours worked, total), full-time employee jobs, United Kingdom (22 October 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J. & Willingham, D. T., Psychological Science in the Public Interest 14(1), 4–58: Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques (2013).
- Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T. & Rohrer, D., Psychological Bulletin 132(3), 354–380: Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis (2006).
- NHS (nhs.uk): Stress – symptoms, things you can try, and when to get help (GP, NHS talking therapies, NHS 111, Samaritans) (6 March 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- CFA Institute: CFA Program Level I exam: format and topic weights. Accessed 26 October 2026.
- UWorld Finance (exam prep provider, secondary source): CFA Exam Fees and Registration Guide for 2027. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- CFA Institute: CFA exam dates and fees. Accessed 26 October 2026.
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