The recent acquisition of Wiley CPA by UWorld, a leader in medical test prep, has raised concerns about Wiley’s ongoing support and updates. 2024 courses are not available for purchase and until things become clearer, we’re holding back our endorsement.
Wiley CFA® Review is one of the most common choice for any student looking to become a CFA® charter holder. Although they are on the more expensive side, their comprehensive materials, bite-sized lessons, portability, and weekly virtual classes are well worth the cost, especially if you’re able to pass each level of the three-part CFA® exam on your first try.
And that’s exactly what Wiley’s prep course is designed to do: prepare you beyond a shadow of a doubt to pass your exam, with the assistance of their virtual classes, thousands of practice questions, and video content in the hundreds of hours.
Keep reading to find out why Wiley CFA® Review is our #1 choice when it comes to preparing for this challenging set of tests!
Why Choose Wiley CFA® Review?
Wiley has an impressive record of helping thousands of students pass various standardized exams and certification tests, including the CFA® exam. For more than 40 years, Wiley has fine-tuned its approach to making a large body of material accessible to students in manageable, “bite-sized” lessons.
Wiley’s flexible options include a self-study course on its own or several that include weekly live online virtual classes. Depending on which Wiley course you pick, you’ll have access to thousands of practice questions, hundreds of short instructional videos, several mock exams for each level, and access to communicate with professional Chartered Financial Analysts when you have questions.
In addition to their popular 11th Hour Final Review Course (included in the Platinum course but also available for purchase as a separate add-on), live online final review weekend workshops and boot camps are available for those who need a last-minute cram session.
What’s Included with Wiley CFA® Review?
You can choose from various packages, including Platinum, Gold, and Silver review courses for each of the three levels of the exam. These tiered courses will come in handy for all types of students, depending on how much preparation is needed. The most comprehensive option is their Platinum course, which includes:
- 14-16 weeks of live virtual classes
- Adaptive exam planner & personalized study schedule
- 90+ pages of formula sheets
- Professional online mentoring – CFA®s respond to questions within 24-48 hours
- 200+ hours of lecture videos (Level I 90+ hrs; Level II 100+ Hours; Level III 50+ Hours)
- 3 full-length mock exams
- Study guides
- 7000+ questions (Level I 5000+; Level II 2000+; Level III 900+)
- Customized exam plan schedule
- Course outlines
- Metrics and data analysis to track progress
- 11th Hour Final Review Course
- Access until you pass
- Mobile app
- Physical or electronic textbooks
Top Wiley CFA® Course Features
Short Instructional Videos
Wiley offers an impressive number of instructional videos, but the best part is that they are short! Lessons are built around a 30- to 45-minute “bite-sized” content design, including text and multimedia elements. Each lesson is followed by practice questions that serve as mini-diagnostic assessments. This means that you can squeeze in a video whenever you have a short amount of time and still feel like you are making progress.
Engaging and Effective Instructors
Students in countries all over the world consistently praise the energy and effectiveness of the talented instructors who make Wiley’s complex financial material accessible and easy to understand. In the pre-recorded online lectures and live virtual classes, instructors explain difficult concepts in clear terms and demonstrate genuine care for the success of their students. Many students report that Wiley’s instructors make the virtual classroom sessions fun, interactive, and engaging. And if you miss a virtual class, you can always catch up by watching the recorded version later.
Wiley CFA Final Review Course
Wiley wants to make sure students are fully prepared on exam day, so it offers additional prep on top of the extra online practice questions and mock exams. The 11th Hour Final Review Course includes an additional 40 hours of lecture videos for review and a mock exam seminar. If you complete the entire review course plus the 11th Hour Final Review, you should be highly confident in your abilities when you go to take the actual exam.
Access Until You Pass & Free Updates
Wiley’s Partner Until You Pass promise guarantees that you will have access to your study materials until you have passed the CFA® exam. You won’t have to pay extra to extend your study time, and you won’t be charged for updates and upgrades to the course. Wiley updates practice questions on its mock exams at least once a year in order to stay current; however, you’ll only pay once and will have complete freedom to decide when you no longer need access to your study materials.
Authentic CFA® Mock Exams
The best way to prepare for an exam is to practice under exam-like conditions. All course options, including the self-study course, come with 2 full-length mock exams (1 for the Level III exam), and the Platinum course includes an additional 11th-hour mock exam. Wiley keeps these exams current by updating the questions on the mock exams at least once a year, and many of the questions are actually even harder than those you’ll see on the actual exam!
Wiley CFA® Course Pricing
You can purchase Wiley’s Level I, Level II, and Level III Platinum courses for $895. The Gold course includes all the same materials except the 11th Hour Review and Extra Mock Exam and costs $995. Cheaper options include their Self-Study options. You can also purchase various components individually.
We recommend the Platinum or Gold options because they include 14-16 weeks of live online classes in addition to access to professional mentors for any questions you have, plus the 11th Hour Review materials, but only if you’re taking the test in 2023. 2024 options are no longer available for purchase.
Pros & Cons
Here’s a quick summary of Wiley’s pros and cons in addition to our favorite features above:
- Pro – Thousands of Practice Questions: Wiley offers more than 7000 CFA® practice questions for the three levels of the test combined. You’ll see questions after every lesson and every session to assess your knowledge and understanding. If you need even more practice after you’ve covered all the course material, you can practice with more questions from the online test bank, which includes a quiz builder. You can even get free practice questions emailed to you every Friday as part of their “pop quiz” program. Video explanations for the answers are also included.
- Pro – Mobile App: Wiley is serious about helping students fit in mini study sessions whenever and wherever they get the chance. You can access the short video lectures, practice questions, and all materials from your smartphone, tablet, or PC and move seamlessly among your devices because they are automatically synchronized.
- Con – Recent Sell Out: Recent developments have thrown a curveball into Wiley’s CFA® course trajectory. With the acquisition of Wiley by UWorld, there’s a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the brand’s future. While Wiley has been a steadfast name in the test-prep sphere, this recent sell-out leaves potential students wondering if the brand, as we’ve known it, will continue to be a part of the CFA prep landscape. This unpredictability is concerning for those investing time, effort, and money into their CFA preparations and makes us hesitant about recommending it until the waters are clearer.
- Con – Price: While Wiley undoubtedly brings a comprehensive package to the table, it comes with a hefty price tag. For many aspiring professionals, this can be a significant financial hurdle. The premium cost, especially when compared to other market players, might deter some potential students, making them reconsider their options even if they’re after the in-depth coverage that Wiley promises. It’s essential to weigh the course quality against the investment to determine if it’s the right fit for your budget.
- Con – Platform Navigation: Some users have reported challenges with Wiley’s online platform, finding it less intuitive than expected. While the content may be top-notch, navigating through the modules, accessing resources, or even tracking one’s progress can occasionally be cumbersome. For learners who value a seamless user experience, this might add an unexpected layer of complexity to their study routine.
Ideal Customer
Still not sure if this is the right course for you? Here’s a quick summary of which learners will benefit most from Wiley’s comprehensive review materials:
- If you are comfortable with online self-study courses and benefit from live online classes at regular intervals, this is the course for you.
- If practicing with questions that are harder than those on the actual exam is likely to frustrate you, this is NOT the CFA® prep course for you.
- If you already feel pretty well-prepared for one or more levels of the CFA® exam and you only need to brush up on your skills with a low-budget option, this is probably not the review course for you.
Final Recommendation
We’ve historically sung praises for Wiley’s CFA® review courses. Their timely materials, top-tier instructors, weekly virtual sessions, extensive practice questions, mock exams, and efficient prep tools are truly commendable. The addition of a mobile app and the division of content into digestible 30- to 45-minute chunks made the heavy content much more palatable.
However, recent changes, including the acquisition of Wiley, have introduced a degree of uncertainty. While they were a go-to recommendation in the past, the combination of some inherent cons and the potential impact of this acquisition gives us pause. Check out the other comprehensive CFA® review courses we recommend instead.
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