CFA

CFA full form is Chartered Financial Analyst. CFA is one of the most sought-after designations for investment professionals across the globe. CFA Institute offers the globally recognised professional credential in Financial Management & investment. The CFA course is regarded as the world’s most respected and recognised designation in finance and investment management. Candidates pursuing the course gain insights into the finance and investment industry to add value to their skills. This in turn leads to an increase in the probability of landing a high-paying job in the field of finance and investment management.

With the boom in industrialisation and globalisation, India has been encountering a surge in the jobs for CFAs. Candidates who qualify the exam for all three course levels mentioned below will be awarded the charter holder designation by the CFA Institute:

• CFA Level 1
• CFA Level 2
• CFA Level 3

Exams for all three levels are conducted asking questions related to Economics, Security Analysis, Accounting, and Money Management. CFA exam for all three levels are held in June. In addition, CFA Level 1 exam is also held in December.

CFA programme benefits people willing to build a career in the field of banking, corporate or financial services. Besides, taking up independent practice also becomes an option after completing the course. It is a self-study programme, hence, candidates need not attend regular classes to complete CFA.

The CFA curriculum comprises both academic theory topics, as well as, field practice which can be obtained via the relevant work experience. CFA programme helps candidates gain knowledge on investing and making money in the stock market, industries, companies, and also at an individual level.

Aspirants willing to pursue CFA must meet specific eligibility conditions beforehand. Space below mentions the CFA eligibility criteria.

• Being a postgraduate certification, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (irrespective of the discipline) before enrolling on a CFA course
• Candidates in the final year of the bachelor’s programme at the time of the CFA registration are also eligible for the course
• Candidates must have a relevant work experience of not less than four years at the time of registration

Aspirants willing to get a CFA certification must qualify all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst Exam conducted by the CFA Institute. Candidates fulfilling the eligibility conditions laid down by the institute can register for level 1 of the CFA exam. In contrast, only the candidates qualifying CFA level 1 are eligible for the CFA level 2 exam; only the candidates qualifying level 2 exam are eligible for the CFA level 3 exam.

• CFA level 1 exam is conducted quarterly
• CFA level 2 exam is conducted thrice in each calendar year
• CFA level 3 exam is conducted twice in each calendar year

CFA level 1 exam has as many as 180 multiple choice questions conducted in a computer-based mode. The CFA exam result is made available online within 60-90 days of the test date.

Also Check: CFA exam dates

CFA exam is challenging, and the journey of becoming a CFA charter holder tests one’s knowledge of the subject along with the individual’s diligence, willpower and endurance. CFA is a holistic profession; thus, only clearing all the levels of exams is not enough will grant certification and not the skill set. In order to be a professional Chartered Financial Analyst, one needs to possess the following skill-set:

CFA Skill Set

To get an idea of what one will have to study if they were to take up a course in CFA, we have listed down the course curriculum. The candidate needs to clear three levels of the examination conducted by the CFA Institute: Level I, Level II, and Level III. CFA syllabus for all three sections is identical. The difference lies in the weightage given to each topic in a particular exam level.

Space below mentions the CFA syllabus along with the topic weightage in the exam.

Also Check:

• CFA Exam Pattern
• CFA Syllabus

A CFA charter holder gets the opportunity of fetching a plethora of career options. A Chartered Financial Analyst has the benefit of working in various fields like:

Looking at the job opportunities, generally, CFA charter holders choose to work as Research Analysts, Portfolio Managers, Investment Banking Analysts, and Chief-level Executive, among other job roles

Some of the job profile offered to a Chartered Financial Analyst are as follows. In addition, find the starting salary offered to these job profiles.

Also Read: All you should know about CFA Placement

Read More:

• Cost and Management Accountant

• Financial Modelling

• Financial Risk Manager

Q: What is the exam structure of Level I?

A: The CFA Level I exam comprises a total of 180 multiple-choice questions to be answered in two sessions of 135 minute each.

Q: What is the exam pattern of Level II?

A: Level 2 of the CFA exam comprises 88 item set based MCQs. Candidates need to answer all the questions within two 132 minute windows.

Q: What is the structure of level III?

A: CFA level 3 exam have MCQ questions along with constructed response questions. The exam comprises 20-30 vignettes supporting a variable number of constructed-response and multiple-choice questions.

Q: What is the duration of the CFA exam?

A: Exam duration for all three levels of CFA exams varies from each other. Level 1 exam is shall have two sessions of 2 hours 15 minutes each. Both level 2 and level 3 exams shall be conducted for a duration of 4.5 hours divided into two sessions each.

Q: When is CFA Level 1 exam conducted?

A: Typically, CFA Level 1 exam is conducted twice a year. As per the schedule trends, the exam is conducted in June and December of every year.

Q: What is the mode of CFA exams?

Q: When is the result for CFA declared?

A: CFA Institute releases the Level 1 and Level 2 CFA result in approximately 60 days. Whereas, Level 3 result is typically declared in 90 days.

Q: Is there any change in the exam pattern of Level I as it will be held in computer-based mode?

Q: What are the qualifying criteria of Level I as per the new CFA exam pattern?

Q: When is the first computer-based test of CFA Level I?

A: The first computer-based test of CFA Level I has been conducted in February 2021.

Q: Is CFA harder than CA?

A: CA is considered the toughest course with an average passing percentage of 0.5 per cent. CFA exam is much easier as compared to the CA exam.