Level I calendar · checked Sep 19, 2026
Every Level I exam window, early and standard registration deadline, and scheduling cut-off for 2026 & 2027 in one table, plus how many study weeks each window actually leaves you.
No published deadlines remain for the confirmed windows — check CFA Institute for the next cycle's registration opening.
Based on CFA Master registered accounts and sign-in countries, September 2026.
Quick answer
The CFA Level 1 exam is offered four times a year, in February, May, August, and November, each as a roughly one-week window at Prometric test centres. The 2026 Level I windows are Feb 16–22, May 13–19, Aug 19–25 and Nov 11–17, 2026. The 2027 windows are expected in the same four months; confirm the exact dates on CFA Institute's calendar before registering. Registration for each window closes about three and a half months before it opens, with a cheaper early-registration deadline roughly seven months out.
Level I runs every February, May, August, November: a one-week window, you pick the day.
Early registration (cheaper), standard registration (last chance), then the Prometric scheduling cut-off.
What successful candidates report. Count backwards from your window to see the weekly load.
All 2026 Level I exam windows with the early registration, standard registration, and Prometric scheduling deadlines.
| Window | Exam dates | Early registration deadline | Registration deadline | Scheduling deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | Feb 16–22, 2026 | Jul 15, 2025 | Nov 4, 2025 | Nov 18, 2025 | Completed |
| May 2026 | May 13–19, 2026 | Oct 15, 2025 | Feb 3, 2026 | Feb 17, 2026 | Completed |
| August 2026 | Aug 19–25, 2026 | Jan 21, 2026 | May 12, 2026 | May 26, 2026 | Completed |
| November 2026Next | Nov 11–17, 2026 | Apr 15, 2026 | Aug 4, 2026 | Aug 18, 2026 | Registration closed |
Expected 2027 Level I windows. CFA Institute confirms each window about a year ahead; deadlines shown are typical lead times, not published dates.
| Window | Exam dates | Early registration deadline | Registration deadline | Scheduling deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2027 | Feb 15–21, 2027 (expected)* | ≈ July 2026* | ≈ November 2026* | ≈ November 2026* | Expected · dates pending confirmation |
| May 2027 | May 12–18, 2027 (expected)* | ≈ October 2026* | ≈ January 2027* | ≈ February 2027* | Expected · dates pending confirmation |
| August 2027 | Aug 18–24, 2027 (expected)* | ≈ January 2027* | ≈ May 2027* | ≈ May 2027* | Expected · dates pending confirmation |
| November 2027 | Nov 10–16, 2027 (expected)* | ≈ April 2027* | ≈ July 2027* | ≈ August 2027* | Expected · dates pending confirmation |
* Expected: projected from CFA Institute's fixed four-window pattern and typical lead times. CFA Institute publishes each window's exact dates and deadlines roughly a year ahead — confirm before you register.
Counted from today (September 19, 2026) to the first exam day, against the ~300 hours successful candidates report. Pick the window whose weekly load you can actually sustain.
Nov 11–17, 2026
Weeks left
7
Hrs / week
43
Plan
Compressed
Only workable if most of the reading is already done. Otherwise the next window is the safer bet.Registration for this window has closed; the plan applies if you are already registered.
Feb 15–21, 2027
Weeks left
21
Hrs / week
15
Plan
3-month plan
Realistic with consistent weekly hours, especially with a finance or accounting background.
May 12–18, 2027
Weeks left
33
Hrs / week
10
Plan
6-month plan
Comfortable pace: cover every subject once, then keep the final six weeks for mocks and revision.
Aug 18–24, 2027
Weeks left
47
Hrs / week
7
Plan
6-month plan
Comfortable pace: cover every subject once, then keep the final six weeks for mocks and revision.
Save your target window in your study profile and the dashboard keeps your revision organised module by module — notes, cheat sheets, formula sheet, flashcards, and the mock exam in one place.
Registering is a five-step process with three separate cut-offs. Most missed exams are missed at step three.
First-time candidates create a CFA Institute account, confirm they meet the entry requirements (a bachelor's degree, final-year undergraduate status, or qualifying work experience), and pay the one-time enrollment fee. Returning candidates skip this step.
Pick a window and pay the registration fee. Registering before the early deadline (about seven months out) is markedly cheaper than registering before the standard deadline (about three and a half months out). After the standard deadline the window is closed.
Registration alone does not give you a seat. Book a specific day and test centre through Prometric before the scheduling deadline, usually about two weeks after the standard registration deadline. Popular centres fill early in the window.
You can move your appointment within the same window, for a rescheduling fee, up to the rescheduling deadline CFA Institute sets for that window. Moving to a later window is a deferral and is only granted in limited circumstances.
Count the weeks between today and your window, divide the roughly 300 hours successful candidates report by that number, and keep the final four to six weeks for mock exams and revision rather than new material.
Confirm before you pay
CFA Master is an independent revision tool and is not affiliated with CFA Institute. The dates above were last checked on September 19, 2026; CFA Institute occasionally adjusts a deadline, and fees change between cycles. Always confirm your window, deadlines, and fee in the official CFA Institute calendar before registering.
Study from your curriculum or provider, capture what matters in editable cheat sheets and the formula sheet, and revise from your own repository in the final weeks before the November 2026 window.
CFA Institute runs four Level I windows in 2026: Feb 16–22, May 13–19, Aug 19–25 and Nov 11–17, 2026. You sit the exam on one day of your choice within the window you registered for, subject to seat availability at your Prometric centre.
CFA Institute keeps Level I on a fixed four-window rhythm, so the 2027 exams fall in February, May, August, and November 2027, in the same weeks as the 2026 windows. Treat the exact days as expected until you have confirmed them in the CFA Institute exam calendar; registration for the early-2027 windows typically opens around ten months ahead.
Level I is offered four times a year, in February, May, August, and November. You can register for one window at a time, and if you do not pass you must wait for the window after next, so at most two Level I attempts in a rolling twelve months.
Each window has three cut-offs. The early registration deadline, about seven months before the window, locks in the lower fee. The standard registration deadline, about three and a half months before, is the last day to register at all. The scheduling deadline, roughly two weeks after that, is the last day a registered candidate can book a Prometric seat. Missing the scheduling deadline forfeits your registration.
First-time candidates pay a one-time enrollment fee plus the exam registration fee; returning candidates pay only the registration fee. Early registration is several hundred US dollars cheaper than standard registration, which is why the early deadline matters. CFA Institute publishes the current fee schedule, and it changes between cycles, so check the figure for your window before you pay.
Yes, within the same window. You can move your appointment to another day or centre, for a rescheduling fee, up to the rescheduling deadline CFA Institute sets for that window, usually about a month before it starts. Moving to a different window is a deferral, which CFA Institute only grants in limited circumstances.
Level I results are typically emailed five to eight weeks after the window closes, so a February window reports in late March or April, May in late June or July, August in late September or October, and November in late December or January. CFA Institute announces the exact date a few weeks in advance.
Successful Level I candidates report around 300 study hours. Six months out that is about 12 hours a week; three months out it is about 25. If your window is less than twelve weeks away and you have not started, the safer decision is usually the next window rather than a compressed schedule.