The CFA Level 1 Ethics chapter that wins the ethics adjustment.
Ethics is 15–20% of Level 1 — the highest-weighted topic on the exam — and the section CFA Institute reviews when your total score falls in the borderline pass/fail band. A strong ethics score can turn a marginal fail into a pass. The Ethics Chapter is built to make sure yours is strong.
Use it alongside whatever you already own
You don't need to switch providers to fix ethics. The Ethics Chapter is designed as a supplement — it drops in next to Kaplan Schweser, Mark Meldrum, Bloomberg Exam Prep, UWorld, Wiley, or the official CFA curriculum and covers the ethics-specific patterns those providers tend to rush through.
- §Pairs with Schweser / Kaplan. When Schweser's ethics chapter feels dense, use ours as the plain-English second pass.
- §Pairs with Mark Meldrum or Bloomberg. Video-based providers under-invest in written ethics reference. Ours is built to be re-read the week of the exam.
- §Pairs with the official curriculum. Same 22 Standards, same source material, condensed and re-explained by a candidate who just took the exam.
- §Pairs with QBanks (UWorld, Wiley, official). Read the chapter, then hit your existing bank. The framework carries.
What's inside
- §All 22 CFA Standards — walked concept → example → exam application
- §~30 practice questions with worked explanations
- §Exam-day cheat sheet — the gifts / independence / priority framework in one page
- §The "two-close-answers" tie-breaker most candidates lose points on
- §Secure web access · 6 months
- §Two lessons free with any account — preview the writing before you buy
The ethics adjustment, in plain English
CFA Institute doesn't publish exact pass marks, but the mechanism is well documented: for candidates near the Minimum Passing Score, the ethics section is reviewed separately. Score well on Ethics and a borderline result can flip to a pass. Score poorly and a borderline result flips the other way.
The fair way to read that: on a section this heavily weighted, and this often decisive, the marginal hour spent on Ethics is probably the highest-return hour on your entire study plan. That's the reason to buy this chapter, whether or not you use Totten Prep for anything else.
Frequently asked
How heavily is Ethics weighted on CFA Level 1?
15–20% of the exam — the highest single topic weight. It's also the section used to adjust borderline scores.
Can I use this with Kaplan, Schweser, or Mark Meldrum?
Yes. It's designed as a supplement. Read it next to whatever main provider you already own — the framework carries into any QBank.
Do I get practice questions?
Roughly 30 worked ethics practice questions inside the chapter, plus a free 90-question topic-weighted mock exam on the site.
How much is it?
$29 one-time. Two lessons free before you buy.
All 7 Standards, one page each.
Free deep-dive on every Standard — sub-standards, exam traps, and worked scenarios.
CFA®, Chartered Financial Analyst®, and the CFA Institute logo are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute. Totten Prep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by CFA Institute. CFA Institute does not endorse, promote, or warrant the accuracy or quality of Totten Prep. Kaplan, Schweser, Mark Meldrum, Bloomberg, UWorld, and Wiley are trademarks of their respective owners; references are for compatibility/comparison purposes only.