Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) - Course Overview

Duration: 3.0 yrs | Mode: Part-time| Avg. Fees: 40,000 / Year

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About Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

CFA Institute or the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute provides distinctive and most diverse programmes for candidates who want to become investment professionals. Through its programmes and exams, the CFA Institute offers quality investment education.

The flagship course offered by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute is the CFA Programme for aspiring financial analysts. The institute conducts exams for these programs and the candidates are offered Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential on clearing these exams.

The credential offered by CFA institutes are globally recognized and is one of the most respected designations in the world. The CFA Program has been designed to provide you with a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis along with the real-world portfolio management skills. The programme is meant to enhance your career prospects in the investment analysis field.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Eligiblity Criteria

Min. Qualification Required: Graduation (Full-time any field)

CFA Selection Process:

  • In order to appear for the Level I exam, candidates must either be in the final year of their graduation or must have completed graduation. Only those candidates who have pursued graduation will be able to take the CFA Programme Level II programme. OR
  • Candidates must have a work experience of at least 4 years in a professional environment. OR
  • Candidates must possess a combination of education and work experience that sums up a duration of four years (part-time jobs are not evaluated).

Note: Candidates must have a passport in order to appear for the CFA programme exams.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Syllabus

The CFA Programme comprises three levels and each level comprises a six-hour exam. Candidates have to pass these three extensive exams in order to get the CFA credentials. There is a specific weightage given to every subject at different levels of the course. Following are the levels and subject weightage:

Level I: Basic aspects of the investment analysis are covered at this level. The level comprises a total of ten topics that will be covered using investment tools.

Level II: This phase comprises the application of investment tools and topics that are focused on the valuation of different types of assets.

Level III: In this level, an emphasis is laid on synthesizing all of the concepts and analytical methods in order to learn their applications for wealth planning and effective portfolio management.

CFA Subject Weightage:

Topic Area

Level I

Level II

Level III

Ethical and Professional Standards

15

10 to 15

10 to 15

Equity Investments

10

15 to 25

5 to 15

Quantitative Methods

12

5 to 10

0

Fixed Income

10

10 to 20

10 to 20

Economics

10

5 to 10

5 to 15

Derivatives

5

5 to 15

5 to 15

Financial Reporting and Analysis

20

15 to 20

0

Alternative Investments

4

5 to 10

5 to 15

Corporate Finance

7

5 to 15

0

Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning

7

5 to 10

40 to 55

Total

100

100

100

 

Note: CFA Institute may change or update the syllabus depending on the requirements of the industry and suggestion of investment professionals. Students are notified regarding all changes and recent practice analysis methods.

Popular Specializations of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Career Options and Job Prospects

Chartered Financial Analysts attract a lot of job opportunities as their credentials are well identified across the world. A global recognition also opens up international opportunities and chances for a better salary. Depending on the talent of the candidate, CFA certified professionals can earn an annual salary varying from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh at the beginning of their career. Salary prospects improve after gaining a certain amount of experience.

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