Banking, Finance & Insurance

Pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is a significant step in the field of finance and investment. To pursue the CFA programme, candidates must hold a valid bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution. Alternatively, they can qualify through a combination of education and work experience.Candidates then need to enroll in the CFA programme by filling the CFA registration form. The CFA programme consists of three levels: Level I, Level II, and Level III. Each level has a separate exam. Prepare for each level by studying the CFA Institute's curriculum. Aspirants need to pass all the three exam levels in sequential order to become a  CAF charterholder. The CFA exam levels are known for their rigor. The minimum passing score for each level is determined by the CFA Institute and can vary from year to year.Students need to acquire at least four years of relevant work experience before they can be awarded the CFA charter. The work experience should be in areas like investment management, financial analysis, or portfolio management. The work experience can be gained before, during or after passing Level I exam. The minimum duration to complete the CFA programme varies depending on how quickly you progress through the exams and meet the work experience requirement. On average, candidates take about four years to complete all three levels and gain the necessary work experience. It's important to note that the CFA programme is challenging, and candidates often dedicate hundreds of hours to study for each exam. The pass rates for the exams tend to be relatively low, especially for Level III, which includes constructed response (essay) questions.

The registration fee for the CFA programme exam is USD 940 for early registration and USD 1,250 for standard registration. The one-time enrollment fee is USD 350. The CFA registration fee can be paid online through Credit cards, such as American Express, Diner’s Club, Discover, JCB,   MasterCard, UnionPay, or Visa or offline through wire transfer, ACH, check money order, or postal order. Receipt of payment of the fees will be emailed to the candidates.Now, the CFA candidates residing in India can also pay the CFA fee through EMIs. CFA Institute has partnered with education loan provider Eduvanz to offer EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) option for candidates who are interested in registering for the CFA programme (interest rate to be applied). This EMI payment option can only be availed by applicants residing in India, using the “Pay by Invoice” option during the checkout process, and submitting the invoice along with the EMI payment method. The “Pay by invoice” option is available up to 40 days before the close of registration. However, availability of EMI payment is subject to approval and documentation requirements of Eduvanz.

The CFA Institute has made major changes in the CFA program pricing. The one-time enrollment will be scrapped for the year 2026 exams. Changes have also been made in the CFA registration fee. The other changes which have been introduced include the Practical Skills Module (PSM) which is mandatory to view the CFA result and the three specialized pathways which have been included in the Level 3 curriculum. The content from the testable portion of the exam has been reduced so that candidates can concentrate on the content that is highly relevant in the rapidly changing global economy and financial markets. This allows to establish the base knowledge that is needed to begin studying for the exam. It also keeps study time to 300 hours at each level while maintaining the rigor of the Program. The curriculum was updated from February 2024 exam onwards.

No, the CFA application form can only be filled online on the official website CFA Institute. There is no option to submit the CFA form in offline mode. Candidates will have to create an account on CFA website once the registrations begin and fill the CFA registration form through that candidate account. Candidates must also note that no other website hosts the CFA application form other than the official website of CFA Institute. The CFA registration fee can be paid online through Credit cards, such as American Express, Diner’s Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay, or Visa or offline through wire transfer, ACH, check money order, or postal order. Receipt of payment of the fees will be emailed to the candidates.Candidates have to simply follow the instructions to pay the fee. Candidates must note that fee payment is mandatory for CFA form filling. Until the fee is paid successfully, the form will not be accepted. Thus, candidates must check the fee payment acknowledgement slip after making the payment.