I founded FreeFellow, and its CFA Level I bank, 1,800+ questions with worked solutions, is my first pick below. The full original question bank is free with an account, subject to usage limits. Worked solutions, written lessons, mixed practice, and your readiness score stay free. CFA Institute's Learning Ecosystem comes with exam registration. A separate comparison covers which other prep providers give away a question bank.

I passed all three CFA levels, and practice questions helped me most at Level I.

The best free CFA Level I resources, ranked

1. FreeFellow CFA Level I practice questions

All 1,800+ free CFA Level I practice questions come with worked solutions, so you can check your reasoning on each one, and the 105 written lessons are free too. You need an account, and usage limits apply. Topic-focused practice beyond one sample topic, full flashcard decks and timed mocks need Fellow. Start practicing CFA Level I.

2. CFA Institute Learning Ecosystem

CFA Institute's Learning Ecosystem comes with exam registration and has the curriculum readings and end-of-reading practice questions. Do every end-of-reading question. CFA Institute writes both the curriculum and the exam, so those questions are the closest thing you'll get to the real exam's style and difficulty.

3. Free video lectures

IFT's free videos include concept videos and full Level I lectures based on the 2021 curriculum. They help most when a reading doesn't click. Check a lecture against your current readings before relying on it, since the curriculum has changed since then.

4. Flashcards

Flashcards help with formulas and definitions you need to recall fast. This public Level I Anki deck is free to download, but it was last updated in January 2021, so check it against your current curriculum. FreeFellow shows a free preview of its cards, and the full spaced-repetition decks need Fellow.

5. Mock exams

Save full-length timed mocks for the last four to six weeks. CFA Institute's mock exam comes with your registration. FreeFellow's timed mock exams are part of Fellow, and Kaplan Schweser's paid packages include mocks too. Whichever you take, sit it under exam timing and go back through every question you missed.

How to combine them

Do the end-of-reading questions as you finish each curriculum reading, and add FreeFellow questions once a topic is done (topic-focused practice beyond the free sample topic needs Fellow). Read the worked solution for anything you missed or guessed. If a reading doesn't make sense, watch a lecture on it.

Once you've covered most of the curriculum, switch to timed, mixed-topic sets so you get used to changing topics against the clock. Keep an error log of what you missed and why, and use it to pick what to review. Finish with full timed mocks.

A paid course mostly adds a set schedule, video teaching and extra mock exams. Kaplan Schweser's Level I study packages, starting with Essential, include condensed study notes and mock exams. Mark Meldrum's CFA packages are built around in-depth video lectures, and his teaching is strong. Either is worth a look if you learn better from a teacher or want more mocks than registration gives you. Prices and access periods vary by package, so check the provider's page before you buy.