CFA Level 1 November 2026 Exam: Final Week Plan and Exam Day Checklist

The CFA Level 1 November 2026 exam window runs from 11 to 17 November 2026, and thousands of candidates sit their exam this week, many of them on 14 November. The final week is not the time to start new material. It is the time to convert months of study into a calm, timed performance: full mocks, honest error review, a tight formula pass, and a clean exam day routine. This guide gives you a day by day plan for the last six days, the pacing math for the exam itself, and a timed checklist for exam day. For topic notes while you revise, start from the CFA notes hub.

CFA Level 1 November 2026 exam format, in one view

The Level 1 exam has 180 multiple choice questions in two sessions of 2 hours 15 minutes each, 90 questions per session, with an optional break between sessions. That works out to 90 seconds per question, and it rewards candidates who keep moving.

Two facts shape the whole final week. First, the exam is a pacing test as much as a knowledge test: 180 questions in 270 minutes leaves no room to wrestle with one question for five minutes. Second, exam day runs on documents and rules, not on hope. A valid international passport is the ID you must bring, and the name on it must match your CFA Institute registration name exactly. Only two calculator families are allowed in the room: the Texas Instruments BA II Plus, including the BA II Plus Professional, and the Hewlett Packard 12C, including the HP 12C Platinum.

Personal items are not allowed in the testing room. Test centers provide storage and scratch materials under center rules, so plan to travel light and use what the center gives you. Arrive early for check-in, because late arrivals may not be admitted. The six day plan below builds all of this into your week, so nothing on exam day is new.

Your final 6-day revision plan

Count back from your exam date. A candidate sitting on 14 November starts this plan on 8 November; a candidate sitting on 17 November starts on 11 November. Each day has one main job. Resist the urge to add a second one.

Day 6: a full mock under real conditions

Sit one complete mock in a single day: both sessions, 90 questions each, 2 hours 15 minutes per session, with one break between them. Use your exam calculator and no phone. The score matters less than the data. Mark every question you got wrong, every question you guessed, and every question where you ran over two minutes. That list becomes your error log, and it drives the rest of the week.

Day 5: error log review and Financial Reporting repair

Work through the error log question by question. For each error, write one line on why it happened: concept gap, formula slip, misread question, or time pressure. Then spend the study block on Financial Reporting and Analysis repair, because long accounting cases punish slow reading. Redo the questions you missed instead of reading the solutions passively. A question you solve twice is worth more than ten you only read.

Day 4: second mock, then Ethics

Sit a second full mock, or two timed half mocks if a full day is not possible, and hold the same 90 seconds per question discipline. In the evening, switch to Ethics. Read the Code and Standards with fresh eyes and work short case questions. Ethics rewards careful reading of who did what, and it is one of the best topics to sharpen late because the gains come from precision, not from new theory.

Day 3: formula sheet pass and weak topic drills

Do one full pass of your formula sheet, topic by topic, and say each formula out loud with its inputs before you look at the answer. Then drill your two weakest topics with timed question sets of 20 to 30 questions. Stop each set at the time limit even if you have not finished. The goal is retrieval speed: see the question type, pick the method, compute, move on.

Day 2: light review and logistics

Cut the volume in half. Skim your error log one last time, read your Ethics summaries, and review the formulas you flagged as shaky. Then switch to logistics. Check that the name on your passport matches your registration name letter for letter. Test your calculator, fit fresh batteries if your model allows it, and clear any stored settings you do not need. Plan your route to the test center and your arrival time, with a buffer for traffic and check-in queues.

Day 1: almost nothing

The day before the exam is for rest, not rescue. A short formula skim in the morning is enough. Lay out your passport and calculator, prepare simple clothes with pockets you can empty fast, and eat a normal dinner. Stop studying in the evening and protect your sleep. A fresh mind at 90 seconds per question beats a tired mind with one extra chapter read at midnight.

Exam day checklist, timed

The night before: passport checked against your registration name, calculator tested and packed, route and arrival time decided, alarm set. Nothing else goes in the bag that you cannot leave in center storage.

Leaving home: passport and calculator in hand, phone ready to be switched off and stored, no notes, no extra devices, no personal items you expect to carry into the testing room. Personal items stay out of the testing room, so assume everything except your passport and approved calculator goes into storage.

At the center: arrive early, check in calmly, and follow the center staff on storage and scratch materials. Use the minutes before Session 1 to slow your breathing, not to cram. When the session starts, work in waves: answer the questions you know, flag the slow ones, and return to flagged questions only after the full pass.

Between sessions: take the optional break. Leave the room, drink water, eat something light, and do not replay Session 1 question by question. Session 2 is a separate 90 questions with its own clock, and it deserves a fresh head.

Pacing during each session: each session gives you 135 minutes for 90 questions, which is 90 seconds per question. Set three checkpoints: about 30 questions done by 45 minutes, about 45 questions by the halfway mark, and about 60 questions by 90 minutes. If one question eats two minutes without progress, mark it, guess, and move. A flagged question costs you 90 seconds; a stuck question can cost you five questions.

Common last week mistakes to avoid

Starting a new topic. A brand new reading in the final week rarely sticks and it steals time from review that would have scored. Your error log and formula sheet are worth more now.

Practicing without a timer. Untimed practice feels productive and teaches the wrong skill. The exam pays for correct answers at 90 seconds each, so every practice set this week runs against a clock.

Reading solutions instead of redoing questions. Recognition is not recall. If you missed a question, close the solution and solve it again the next day.

Ignoring the documents. Every year, strong candidates create avoidable stress with simple logistics: a passport name that does not match the registration, a calculator outside the two approved families, or a late arrival. Check all three on Day 2, not on exam morning.

Sacrificing sleep for one more mock. A third mock on the final night has a poor trade. Bank the sleep and spend the energy inside the two sessions instead.

After this window: the next dates to know

Level 2 candidates follow right after this window, from 18 to 22 November 2026. If you are planning a February attempt instead, the Level 1 February 2027 window runs from 22 to 28 February 2027, and the scheduling deadline for that window is 10 November 2026, so February candidates should confirm their seat early. If you are sitting in 2027, read our CFA 2027 guide before you rebuild your plan. Whenever you sit, the pattern is the same: timed practice, honest error review, clean logistics. Keep building with the notes and guides on the CFA notes hub.

Frequently asked questions

What ID do I need for the CFA Level 1 exam?

You must bring a valid international passport. The name on the passport must match your CFA Institute registration name exactly, so check both names side by side before exam day and contact CFA Institute at once if they differ.

Which calculators are allowed in the exam room?

Only two calculator families are allowed: the Texas Instruments BA II Plus, including the BA II Plus Professional, and the Hewlett Packard 12C, including the HP 12C Platinum. Test your calculator in the final week and fit fresh batteries if your model allows it.

How much time do I get per question?

The exam has 180 questions and 270 minutes of testing time across two sessions, which is 90 seconds per question on average. Each session holds 90 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes. Use checkpoints of about 30 questions every 45 minutes to stay on pace.

Can I take a break during the exam?

Yes. There is an optional break between Session 1 and Session 2. Use it to rest, drink water and reset. Do not use it to review notes, because personal items stay in storage outside the testing room.

When is the next CFA Level 1 window after November 2026?

The February 2027 Level 1 window runs from 22 to 28 February 2027. The scheduling deadline for that window is 10 November 2026, so candidates aiming for February should schedule early rather than wait.