CFA Level II Study Guide

Topic-area Level II guide built around current official CFA coverage boundaries and vignette-style application.

The CFA Level II guide on AnalystMastery is built for vignette reading, valuation judgment, and cross-reading application. Level II is where candidates stop getting credit for recognizing a term and start getting tested on whether they can connect the accounting, valuation, curve, spread, or portfolio implication hidden inside an item set.

As of April 7, 2026, the structure below follows the official 2026 CFA Program Level II topic areas published by CFA Institute. The official readings and learning outcomes still define the coverage boundary, but the public lessons group related material into stronger online sections instead of turning every small outcome into its own page.

Level II questions often feel harder because the exam hides the real task inside a plausible narrative. The stronger reader asks: which variable actually moved, which framework governs the comparison, and which detail is there only to distract me from the first-order decision?

Level II Topic Map

Official topic areaPublic chapter rootWhat the chapter is forCurrent status
Ethical and Professional StandardsEthical and Professional StandardsScenario judgment, research conduct, conflicts, and market-integrity pressure under vignette conditions.Chapter root live
Quantitative MethodsQuantitative MethodsRegression, time-series interpretation, and evidence quality in investment settings.Chapter root live
EconomicsEconomicsCurrency logic, macro transmission, and economic signals that feed valuation and portfolio choices.Chapter root live
Financial Statement AnalysisFinancial Statement AnalysisAccounting treatments that alter valuation inputs, peer comparisons, and quality judgments.Chapter root live
Corporate IssuersCorporate IssuersCapital allocation, governance, payout, and issuer decision logic.Chapter root live
Equity InvestmentsEquity InvestmentsCompany analysis and valuation frameworks that matter once assumptions start to interact.Chapter root live
Fixed IncomeFixed IncomeTerm-structure reading, spread analysis, credit logic, and securitized-product interpretation.First lesson batch live
DerivativesDerivativesPricing logic, arbitrage relationships, and how derivative exposures alter risk or value.Chapter root live
Alternative InvestmentsAlternative InvestmentsPrivate-market, hedge-fund, and real-asset structures viewed through analyst judgment.Chapter root live
Portfolio Management and Wealth PlanningPortfolio Management and Wealth PlanningFactor thinking, active risk, implementation choices, and investor-specific portfolio interpretation.Chapter root live

How To Use This Guide

  • Start with the chapter root when you need the whole topic frame before reading an item set.
  • Use lesson pages when the real problem is analytical, not navigational.
  • Treat formulas as valuation and interpretation tools, not as isolated memory targets.
  • Expect grouped lessons to cross official reading boundaries when the vignette logic is stronger that way.

In this section