About the CFA® Program
THE CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST (CFA®) Program is designed to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete and excel in today’s complex and evolving investment industry.
It is a self study, three-level exam that tests the fundamentals of investment tools, company valuation, portfolio management, and wealth planning.
Whether an individual is an aspiring or practicing investment professional, the CFA Program offers a way to move forward and achieve professional goals. The curriculum is developed by CFA Institute, one of the world’s leading associations of investment professionals. By enlisting the investment industry’s brightest minds to continually improve the CFA Program, CFA Institute ensures that the curriculum is always relevant and provides real-world skills in investment analysis.
The CFA charter is a designation awarded by CFA Institute to those who have completed the CFA Program and achieved CFA Institute regular membership. As the highest distinction in the investment industry, the CFA charter is the gold standard. It is globally recognized and held by over 190,000 professionals worldwide in over 160 markets. CFA charterholders are qualified to work in senior management positions across the investment industry.
AVERAGE COMMITMENT
YEARS
The average time it takes to complete the program.
TIME REQUIRED
HOURS
The average amount of hours of study per exam level.
PROGRAM EXAMS
EXAMS
You must pass an exam for each level of curriculum.
Enrollment criteria and requirements
To enroll in the CFA Program and register for the first level of the CFA exam (Level I), a candidate must have a valid international travel passport, be prepared to take the exams in English, meet the Professional Conduct Admission criteria, and meet one of the following entrance requirements:
Bachelor's Degree
Complete a bachelor’s program or equivalent program and received a university/college degree. If you’re not sure if your program is comparable, ask your college or university.
Undergraduate Student
Complete a bachelor’s program or equivalent program and received a university/college degree. If you’re not sure if your program is comparable, ask your college or university.
Professional Work Experience
Have a combination of 4,000 hours of work experience and/or higher education that was acquired over a minimum of three sequential years and achieved by the date of registering for the Level I exam. The dates of education and professional work experience cannot be overlapping. If you have a combination of work experience and higher education to achieve the minimum hours and years, assume that higher education takes 1,000 hours per year.
Professional work experience does not need to be investment related. Internships/articleships are accepted if they are paid. Work experience with your own business or your family business will qualify only if it is professional experience for which you are paid.
What does professional work experience mean? Professional work experience requires specialized knowledge, education, or advanced skills. Professional work experience requires the application of higher-level judgement and business skills, including:
- Leadership and teamwork
- Business communications
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Time management
- Professional judgement
- Analytical skills
- Adaptability
Candidates applying to register for CFA Program without completing a bachelor’s degree must honestly evaluate whether their professional work experience has equipped them for the significant volume and depth of study demanded by CFA Program.
Please note that CFA Institute may request proof of education (copy of diploma, marksheet, any other relevant documents) and/or work experience (letter of employment, salary slips, any other relevant documents) to be submitted at any stage of your journey as a candidate or even after becoming a member in order to demonstrate entrance requirements were met. Failure to provide requested documentation relevant to entrance requirements may result in cancellation of a current exam registration, withholding of exam results, voiding of past exam results, and may lead to investigation and disciplinary action by the CFA Institute Professional Conduct Program.
CFA PROGRAM CURRICULUM, STRUCTURE & CONTENT
Industry Practitioner Input at Every Stage
The curriculum is developed through an Education Advisory Committee that includes industry practitioners, security market regulators, university faculty, and policymakers. Involving financial thought leaders helps ensure that CFA Institute provides the skills the industry wants. This approach, known as the Program Practice Analysis process, plays a key role in establishing the CFA Program as the global gold standard of investment credentials.
CFA PROGRAM Costs
Registration costs vary depending on when a candidate decides to register for the exam. An early registration period is available for all three levels, which reduces the exam cost from USD 1,250 to USD 900. There is a one-time enrollment fee of USD 350 the first time a candidate registers for the Level I exam. An enrollment fee is not charged for subsequent exams. All fees must be paid in US dollars.
One-Time Enrollment Fee
USD 350
Early Registration
USD 900
Standard Registration
USD 1,200
EXAM DATES
CFA Program includes a series of three exams: Levels I, II, and III. Use the calendar to view upcoming exams and other important dates leading up to the exam. Dates are subject to change as conditions warrant. Each exam is administered within an exam window, while the exam dates available to each candidate may vary based on appointment availability at the time of scheduling. All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. ET. CFA Institute reserves the right to close registration and scheduling dates earlier than previously announced as conditions warrant. For the latest information on upcoming exams, please visit our CFA Exam Updates page.
Are you ready to take the next step?
Take our assessment to learn whether becoming a charterholder — and joining the ranks of elite investment professionals — is right for you.
CFA Society Singapore preparatory programme
Get prepped with the best
CFA Society Singapore is dedicated to providing candidates the support needed to exam success. As an exclusive CFA® Program training provider in Singapore, CFA Society Singapore has put together a compelling combination in CFA® Program training.
CURRICULUM TOPICS
ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS:
QUANTITATIVE METHODS:
i.e. Machine Learning and Backtesting & Simulation
ECONOMICS:
i.e. Technical Analysis
FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS:
CORPORATE ISSUERS
EQUITY INVESTMENTS:
FIXED INCOME
DERIVATIVES:
ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT AND WEALTH PLANNING:
Contact CFA Institute
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