Just looked into CFA exam prep and honestly it's wild how many options there are out there. Everyone's got a different take on what works best for CFA Level 1 preparation material.

So I found that most people are spending anywhere from 300+ hours studying, which is no joke. The big names everyone talks about are Kaplan Schweser, Wiley, and Princeton Review. Schweser seems to be the go-to for a lot of folks - they've got different package tiers depending on how hands-on you want it. If you want live classes and mentoring it's pricier, but if you're doing solo study they've got cheaper options too.

Wiley's another solid choice. Their packages range from full platinum with mock exams and live mentoring down to basic self-study if you just want the books and practice questions. The Princeton Review one caught my eye because they're offering a money-back guarantee on Level 1 and Level 2 courses right now - if you don't pass, you get your fee back. That's pretty interesting.

For people who just want to buy CFA Level 1 preparation material without courses, there's the CFA Institute box set which covers everything officially. Wiley's got a five-book study guide too. SchweserNotes are popular because they break things into smaller chunks instead of marathon study sessions.

The real question is figuring out what fits your schedule and budget. Like if you've only got 10 hours a week to study but a program needs 20, that's gonna be a problem. And some of these courses aren't cheap so you gotta weigh whether the extra features actually help or if you're just paying for the brand name.

Anyone here done CFA Level 1 prep yet? Which materials actually helped you stick with it?