CFA LEVEL III: Results Day

In previous years I had no idea when to expect that heart-stopping email from the CFA Institute. I was generally blindsided some summer morning. This year I got several emails reminding me about the big day, each one subjecting me to a mild stroke -- but containing no actual exam results. Those reminder emails told me to expect my results "sometime after 9:00 am ET" on Tuesday, Aug 16 (or 7:00 am local time).

At 7:00 am this morning I suddenly panicked. From that moment I started refreshing my email inbox every minute or two, except for the 30 minutes when I had to climb on my bike for the ride to work. Riding alone in the elevator from the parkade I retrieved my phone from my bag and checked my inbox again to see the subject line: "Your CFA Exam Results".

Is that burning toast I smell? I think I'm losing feeling in the left side of my body.

I opened the email and my eyes scattered all over the text looking for the all-important information. The search lasted less than a second, but I distinctly remember how my eyes had raced on while my brain registered the leading phrase: "I am very pleased to inform you that you..."

Wait, that sounds pretty upbeat for a fail-message!

On the next line I saw the words "...passed the June Level III CFA exam." --Full-blown stroke meets victory dance in the privacy of the elevator-- The full implications of this news washed over me as the 9th floor doors opened to my post-exam life.

I am now looking forward to spring 2012 like never before. The last time I had a decent May long weekend was in 2007, when Scott was just 1 month old and Katie was but a twinkle. Every spring since then I have dedicated every weekend and most evenings for the months of April and May to the CFA exams. It seems incredible to think that my wife and I will not have that painful conversation in February when she asks me when I am going to start studying. Instead, when she got the news this morning she said that she started crying.

I still need about 1.5 years until I have the work experience to qualify for the charter, but this part of the journey is OVER.