Chartered financial analyst

Introduction

The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program is a professional credential offered by the CFA Institute (formerly AIMR) to investment and financial professionals. A candidate who successfully completes the program and meets other professional requirements is awarded a "CFA charter" and becomes a "CFA charterholder."

The CFA® charter was first awarded in 1963 and since then the Program has become the benchmark of excellence in the investment industry worldwide. The Program has now grown to more than 170,000 candidates (with over 160 nationalities) being registered for the exam each year. The number of CFA® charterholders has increased to around 80,000 now.

In three successive exams you will be assessed on a wide range of subjects including ethics, quantitative techniques, economics, financial statement analysis, corporate finance, equity, debt, derivatives, alternative investments and portfolio management. The knowledge you gain while studying will be invaluable to your future career and the CFA® charter has become universally recognised by employers and investors as a mark of excellence and integrity within their profession.

Program description

The CFA Program Certification has three different Levels and the minimum time required to clear all three is around 1.5 years (although the overall average is around 4 years). CFA® charter holder membership requirements include, but not limited to 48 months of acceptable professional work experience and passing the Level I, Level II, and Level III exams.

The Level 1 exam is conducted twice a year, in June and December, while Levels 2 and 3 are just once a year in June.

Hence for candidates sitting Level 1 in June of a particular year, the fastest route would be Level 2 in June the following year and Level 3 the June after that.

For candidates sitting Level 1 in December, the results will be known in time to register for Level 2 the following June, with Level 3 a year later.

Who should attend?

• Securities Analyst
• Finance Manager
• Investment Advisor
• Fund Manager
• Corporate Financial Advisor
• Research Analyst
• Quantitative Analyst
• Financial Controller
• Product Support Manager
• Anyone who is interested in portfolio management, investment research, advisory services, or investment banking

Entry requirements

In order to enrol on the Program you need to have either:

• a US bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) OR
• four years of professional work experience OR
• a combination of the two that totals four years.

It is possible to enrol for Level 1 if you are in your final year of a degree course, though you will need to have received the degree before enrolling for Level 2. As well as the academic or work experience you must sign a statement of professional conduct and pay the exam fees to CFA Institute.

Why should you become a cfa charterholder?

Over 90,000 investment professionals globally have achieved charterholder status to date, the program is known for these benefits:

• Portable reputation – a charter remains a mark of quality, whether you change company or move country. Instant access to a global network of investment professionals
• Globally relevant – an international standard for measuring competence and integrity. Principles that are common to any market
• Career-enhancing – demonstrate your commitment to knowledge and high ethical standard to employers and clients
• Credible – praised and supported by the clients, employers and regulators; the investment community at large

What are the requirements to become a cfa charterholder?

In order to receive your CFA® charter you must have achieved the following:

• You must pass all three levels of the CFA® exam.
• You need to have 48 months of relevant work experience.
• You must become a regular member of CFA Institute.

The work experience can be gained before, during or after studying for the exams. This experience can be in a wide range of activities, including financial, economic or statistical analysis as part of the investment decision-making process, supervising staff who are performing these activities or teaching the skills involved. At least 50 percent of your time must be spent in these activities and part-time roles are excluded. Job titles themselves are less important than the nature of the activity when assessing work experience.

What score do I need to pass the exam? This is a difficult question to answer. First, CFA Institute does not tell you your exam score. They give you feedback on your performance in the different body of knowledge areas. The feedback is in the form of where you scored greater than 70%, less than 50%, or between 50% and 70% in each of the body of knowledge areas. Second, CFA Institute does not give a total score for the exam nor do they disclose what the required score for passing is.

The pass rates have varied over time. According to CFA Institute′s web site, the pass rates for the past seven years are:

AFC Institute of Financial Management – AFC Vietnam
Address: 3rd – 10th Floor, Thang Long Building, 105 Lang Ha Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi city
Phone: +84 4 3562 7486
Fax: +84 3562 7487
Email: info@afc.edu.vn
Website: //afc.edu.vn/      //acca.edu.vn/      //financialpro.vn/