CFA Certified Financial Analyst

CFA Certified Financial Analyst What Is The CFA Institute? ChaptersWhere Can A CFA Qualification Take Me?What Are The CFA Exams Like?Boost Your Career With The CFAThe CFA Institute is, according to their website, “the premier global association for investment management professionals.”The CFA Institute offers the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification, which is a designation held by over 150,000 people worldwide. The CFA is considered a standard-bearer for professionals within the investment management industry, and all CFAs have to meet rigorous examination and work experience standards before they can add the letters to their name.The CFA Institute also has a large number of societies around the world. In the UK, the society is called the CFA Society United Kingdom or the CFA United Kingdom for short.Having the CFA qualification can be a huge asset to anyone working in the investment management industry. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, ColiN00B, Pixabay)Financial analyst;Portfolio manager; orRisk manager.When it comes to when you shou ld undertake the CFA qualification, the answer is again dependent on your own circumstances. Typically, many CFA candidates begin the Level I qualification and progress through the levels either before starting their career or within the first four years of working within a relevant industry, but equally, those with many years of work experience also undertake the CFA later in their career.The main obstacle that students face is the time requirements needed to successfully study for the CFA (which run into the hundreds of hours) and also the funding requirements needed to pay for exam entry. You may find that your employer, or a potential employer, is willing to pay for your CFA exams, but it is worth confirming with them before undertaking the qualification.Join the discussion: is the Chartered Accountant examination a necessary qualification?It pays to research just what the CFA qualification entails. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, PDPics, Pixabay)What Are The CFA Exams Like?The CFA prog ram is divided into three separate levels:The Level I;The Level II; andThe Level III.Candidates must pass the Level I exam before moving on to Level II, and Level III students must have passed both the Level I and Level II before completing Level III.Each Level has its own examination structure, as outlined below.Level IThe exam for the Level I qualification comprises 240 multiple-choice questions, which are answered over two exam sessions that add up to six hours in total.Level IIThe exam for the Level II qualification comprises “20 item set questions”, half of which are answered during a morning examination session, with the remainder answered during the afternoon examination session.Level IIIThe exam for the final Level of the CFA qualification comprises a mixture of item set and essay questions.As mentioned above, it can be really difficult to pass each level of the CFA qualification, and even having passed just the Level I is usually regarded as quite an achievement.For som e context, the CFA Institute has the pass rates for the June 2018 and June 2017 exam sittings listed on its website.It stated that, in the June 2018 sitting, 43% of candidates passed the Level I, 45% passed the Level II, and 56% passed the Level III.This is compared to 43% of candidates passing the Level I, 47% passing the Level II, and 54% passing the Level III in June 2017.There are many reasons for the relatively low pass rates. For instance:The courses are predominantly self-study, although some study assistance is available through sources, such as the CFA Society in the United Kingdom;It requires a very high level of time commitment, which, for work, personal, or other issues, can be difficult for everyone to meet; andThe course material itself can be challenging to learn for some.If that is the case, you might want to learn accounting with a tutor...There are, of course, other qualifications  those in the investment management industry may consider if they don’t wish to com plete all three levels of the CFA.For example, there is also a qualification known as the Investment Management Certificate (IMC), which is awarded by FCA UK.The IMC is considered to be on par with the difficulty of a first-year undergraduate degree and can be a wonderful qualification for those working or wanting to work within the investment management profession, especially if it is combined with the Level I CFA.It can help those working in a wide variety of roles, including:Risk management;Relationship management;Portfolio management; andResearch analysis, to name a few.The IMC qualification is made up of two separate units. Unit one is about the investment environment, while unit two is about investment practice. Overall, the qualification covers a wide range of topics, including accounting and economics to regulations and ethics.Have you been wondering if the role of Certified Management Accountant is right for you?You can really help unlock your future earning potential if yo u have the CFA qualification. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, 472301, Pixabay)Boost Your Career With The CFAEven if you’re still at school or university, it really helps to be informed about potential qualifications that you can work towards once your studies have been completed. This is because there are so many qualifications out there - from the ACA and CPA to the MBA - that it can be really confusing to understand and decide which qualification, if any, is the right one for you after you've graduated and entered the working world.If you’re thinking about working within the investment management industry, then the CFA is certainly a qualification that’s worth researching in greater detail to see if it would be for you.You may also consider becoming a Chartered Accountant...As with any qualification, if you can speak to someone that has already completed the CFA and ask them to provide their thoughts and experiences of going through the qualification, then that can be a real help wh en it comes to giving you relevant and useful information that you can use to decide whether or not the CFA sounds right for you.There are a number of factors when it comes to being successful in the CFA examinations, such as your academic aptitude, commitment, and hard work, but having the qualification can be worth it in the long run when you think about your future career prospects and earning potential.If you feel that you may need some training to help ensure that your knowledge of maths, economics, or accounting is at a level where you feel good enough to start preparing for the CFA, then it may be worthwhile hiring a tutor from Superprof in the areas that you need help in, whether that is maths, accounting or economics.Simply enter your postcode today to be matched with local tutors  who are happy to work with you in person, or who could work with you as part of a wider group workshop. Equally, if you'd rather work with a tutor remotely, then Superprof's database of tutors al so contains tutors who are happy to offer remote lessons. It's just a case of deciding which tuition method works for you, and starting the search for your potential new tutor!Now discover the many exciting accounting sub-specialities...