Cert Prep: CFA Exam Level 1
Sharpen core CFA Level I knowledge and exam strategies.
Cert Prep: CFA Exam Level 1 is a compact, exam-focused review course on LinkedIn Learning taught by Professor Michael McDonald that guides candidates through the core Level I topics and practical test strategies.
It targets candidates and early-career finance professionals seeking a structured refresher across ethics, quantitative methods, financial statement analysis, valuation, derivatives, and portfolio management. Lessons are delivered as short video modules with quizzes and an exercise file to reinforce concepts, and learners are advised to combine this course with extensive practice question banks and mock exams for comprehensive preparation.
At a Glance
Cert Prep: CFA Exam Level 1 is a LinkedIn Learning course taught by Professor Michael McDonald that guides candidates through the core topic areas and exam strategies for CFA Level I.
The course presents concise, exam-focused lessons across ethics, quantitative methods, economics, financial statement analysis, corporate finance, equity and fixed income, derivatives, alternative investments, and portfolio management.
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Duration | 4+ hours |
| Languages | English |
| Certificate | Certificate of Completion |
| Access | Access for as long as your LinkedIn Learning subscription is active |
| Course includes |
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| Price | Subscription-based; included with LinkedIn Learning membership (monthly or annual plans) |
What This Course Teaches
Students will develop measurable competencies aligned to CFA Level I, enabling them to analyze and value securities, interpret financial statements, and apply quantitative techniques in exam-style problems. You’ll learn to implement industry-standard valuation and risk tools and to apply professional ethics and exam strategies in practice scenarios.
How the Course Is Structured
Cert Prep: CFA Exam Level 1 is arranged as a sequence of short, focused video lessons grouped into an introductory unit, ten topic sections that follow the CFA Level I syllabus, and a concluding unit; the full course contains dozens of brief lectures and runs about 4.5 hours in total.
Curriculum overview
01Introduction: The CFA Exam▾
Overview of the CFA program, exam structure, and what to expect from this prep course.
02Mastering the CFA▾
Introduces an approach to studying and organizing CFA Level I material effectively.
03What is the CFA?▾
Explains the CFA credential and its relevance for finance professionals and analysts.
04Test strategies for the CFA exams▾
Practical exam-taking techniques, time management, and question-approach tips for multiple-choice items.
051. CFA Section 1: Ethics and Professional Standards▾
Section overview and the role of ethics in investment practice.
06Ethics in the investments industry▾
Covers core ethical concepts and their application within investment organizations.
07Ethics and professional standards▾
Explains professional conduct expectations and standard-setting frameworks.
08CFA guidance standards▾
Summarizes guidance documents and how they inform ethical decision-making on the exam.
09Global investment performance standards▾
Introduces the Global Investment Performance Standards and their relevance to performance reporting.
102. CFA Section 2: Quantitative Methods▾
Section overview on quantitative tools commonly tested at Level I.
11Time value of money on the CFA▾
Explains present and future value concepts and their use in valuation problems.
12Discounted cash flow and investments▾
Walks through DCF techniques for valuing cash flows and simple investment decisions.
13Statistics in financial markets▾
Introduces basic statistical measures and their interpretation in market data.
14Probability distributions in investments▾
Covers common probability distributions and their application to risk assessment.
15Sampling and estimation▾
Explains sampling methods and estimation concepts for statistical inference.
16Technical analysis▾
Summarizes basic technical analysis tools and their limitations for investments.
17Key topics in quantitative methods▾
A concise recap of the quantitative principles emphasized for the exam.
183. CFA Section 3: Economics▾
Section overview introducing core macro and microeconomic topics relevant to Level I.
19Supply and demand analysis on the CFA▾
Explains supply/demand dynamics and their implications for markets and pricing.
20Competition and market structures▾
Covers different market structures and how they affect firm behavior and pricing.
21GDP and economic growth on the CFA▾
Outlines measures of aggregate output and drivers of economic growth used on the exam.
22International trade and capital flows▾
Discusses trade balances, capital movements, and their effects on national economies.
23Currencies and foreign exchange rates▾
Explains drivers of exchange-rate movements and implications for international investing.
24Key topics: Economics▾
Summarizes the economics concepts to prioritize for Level I study.
254. CFA Section 4: Financial Statement Analysis▾
Section overview on analyzing company financial reports and ratios.
26Financial statement reporting standards▾
Introduces reporting frameworks and how accounting policies affect statements.
27Income statement essentials on the CFA▾
Covers income statement structure and key metrics for assessing profitability.
28Balance sheet basics on the CFA▾
Explains balance-sheet components and how to evaluate financial position and liquidity.
29Cash flow statement fundamentals▾
Walks through operating, investing, and financing cash flows and their interpretation.
30Ratios in financial statement analysis▾
Introduces key ratios to evaluate profitability, solvency, and efficiency.
31Key topics: Financial statement analysis▾
A concise recap of the financial-statement concepts emphasized for the exam.
325. CFA Section 5: Corporate Finance/Issuers▾
Section overview on corporate finance topics tested at Level I.
33Capital budgeting on the CFA▾
Covers capital-budgeting techniques such as NPV and IRR for project evaluation.
34Weighted average cost of capital (WACC)▾
Explains WACC calculation and its use in discounting cash flows.
35Leverage and risk management on the CFA▾
Discusses how leverage affects firm risk and considerations for managing financial risk.
36Key topics: Corporate finance problems▾
Summarizes corporate-finance problem types and calculation priorities.
376. CFA Section 6: Equity Investments▾
Section overview on equity markets, valuation, and market structure topics.
38Market structure on the CFA▾
Explains how equity markets operate and the roles of exchanges and intermediaries.
39Equity market indexes on the CFA▾
Covers index construction and how indexes are used as benchmarks and investment vehicles.
40Market efficiency on the CFA▾
Discusses efficient-market concepts and implications for security valuation.
41Equity securities▾
Introduces common and preferred shares and features relevant to valuation and analysis.
42Stock valuation methods on the CFA▾
Explains dividend discount and relative-valuation techniques used to value equities.
43Key topic: Equity markets▾
Recaps the equity-market concepts and valuation priorities for exam readiness.
447. CFA Section 7: Fixed Income▾
Section overview covering bond markets, valuation, and credit analysis.
45Fixed income markets on the CFA▾
Introduces the structure of fixed-income markets and key instruments.
46Fixed income analysis and bond valuation▾
Walks through pricing bonds, yield measures, and valuation mechanics.
47Fixed income risk and return on the CFA▾
Covers interest-rate risk, reinvestment risk, and measures of return for bonds.
48Credit analysis on the CFA▾
Introduces fundamentals of credit assessment and issuer creditworthiness.
49Key topics: Fixed income▾
A concise recap of the fixed-income concepts prioritized for the exam.
508. CFA Section 8: Derivatives▾
Section overview introducing derivative instruments and pricing fundamentals.
51Derivative markets basics▾
Explains the primary derivative markets and common contract types.
52Derivative pricing fundamentals▾
Introduces pricing concepts used for forwards, futures, and basic derivative valuation.
53Options valuation on the CFA▾
Covers foundational option concepts and elementary approaches to option valuation.
54Forward contracts on the CFA▾
Explains forward contracts, settlement mechanics, and pricing considerations.
55Key topics: Derivatives▾
Recaps the derivative concepts and pricing ideas most likely to appear on Level I.
569. CFA Section 9: Alternative Investments▾
Section overview on alternative asset classes and their role in portfolios.
57Hedge funds and private equity funds▾
Introduces structure, strategies, and characteristics of hedge funds and private equity.
58Alternative investments on the CFA▾
Covers different alternative asset types and their distinguishing features.
59Alternative investments in a portfolio▾
Discusses how alternative investments can be incorporated into diversified portfolios.
60Fees on alternative investments▾
Explains typical fee structures and their impact on net returns for alternatives.
61Key topics: Alternative investments▾
A brief recap of alternative-investment topics to focus on for exam preparation.
6210. CFA Section 10: Portfolio Management▾
Section overview on portfolio concepts, performance, and risk management.
63Investment performance metrics▾
Covers metrics used to evaluate portfolio performance and returns.
64Understanding beta and CAPM on the CFA▾
Explains beta, CAPM concepts, and how they are applied in asset-pricing questions.
Audience & Requirements
The course targets candidates preparing for CFA Level I and finance professionals seeking a compact, exam-focused refresher across the Level I curriculum. It is positioned for early-career analysts, students preparing for the CFA exam, and professionals who want a structured review of core investment topics.
- CFA Level I candidates wanting targeted exam preparation.
- Early-career financial analysts reviewing foundational finance topics.
- Graduate students and career changers building investment knowledge.
- Professionals seeking a structured refresher across ethics, valuation, and portfolio concepts.
- LinkedIn Learning subscription to access course content.
- No formal prerequisites; basic numeracy and familiarity with financial statements recommended.
Note: Although prerequisites are minimal, the syllabus covers technical, exam-level topics; learners without prior exposure to accounting or quantitative methods should plan extra review to fully absorb problem-solving material.
Final Verdict
Cert Prep: CFA Exam Level 1 is a concise, exam-focused review that serves well as a targeted supplement to broader study plans. Given its strong platform rating, certificate of completion, and subscription access model, it represents a practical, cost-effective way for candidates to reinforce core concepts and test-taking strategies.
Recommend it for CFA Level I candidates and early-career finance professionals who need a structured refresher or quick-topic review alongside primary study materials; learners seeking a comprehensive, practice-heavy program should combine this course with fuller question banks and mock exams.
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