The Chartered Financial Analyst Institute in the USA started the CFA course in 1947. Soon, it reached out to 165 countries and became a globally recognized course. So, what is CFA?
The CFA course is one of the reputed courses in the investment, finance and accounting fields. The course trains the candidates in financial analysis through topics like economics, accounting, security analysis, management, ethics, and money. This article will discuss the details of CFA in different ways.
CFA Eligibility
If you wish to pursue the CFA course, you should match these eminent eligibility criteria.
- A graduation degree in commerce and accounting background or a higher education degree like an MBA in finance.
- A background in investment and finance for working professionals and professors who wish to pursue the course for higher career opportunities.
The CFA degree is perfect for those who wish to start a career in investment and finance or even for those who already have a career and wish to gain more expertise in it for a better salary package.
CFA Course Curriculum and Syllabus
The first step to knowing what CFA is is to know its curriculum and syllabus. CFA-pursuing candidates must cross three levels to get certification. The candidates will learn 10 subjects in all three levels and these subjects are:
- Ethical and Professional Standards
- Quantitative Methods
- Economics
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Corporate Finance
- Equity Investments
- Fixed Income
- Derivatives
- Alternative Investments
- Portfolio management and Wealth Planning
The first CFA level offers an introduction to all these subjects while Levels 2 and 3 explain these subjects in depth and train candidates about their practical skills.
CFA Course Exam Pattern
When you want to know what CFA to pursue, you should check out its exam pattern and difficulty level. CFA offers flexibility to the aspirants to appear in the exams any of the four times in a year and these are February, May, August, and November.
All the level exams have two parts to attend. Each exam part duration is 132 minutes and both the parts are conducted on the same day.
The CFA Level 1 exam is based on MCQ questions from the syllabus. But as you progress to Level 2, the exam paper will have 21 case studies based on which you must answer the MCQ questions. The last level is the most difficult one as it has essay-type questions along with MCQ questions based on vignettes.
To pass the CFA exams and get certification, you have to score 70% in as many subjects as possible. The CFA exams are considered pretty tough and only an average of 40% of students crack the CFA exam in one attempt in India. So, CFA offers a maximum of 6 attempts to the candidates to clear the exams and get certification.
CFA Course Fee Structure
Cracking the CFA exam is tough. So, one of the best options is to get professional help in preparing for the exam. While you search for CFA course classes and details in India, you should not miss out on the fee structure. The fee structure has two elements and these are the initial registration fee which is somewhere around Rs. Rs. 37000 to Rs. 37,500 depending upon the dollar date in India.
The second element is the exam registration fee. Usually, the exam fee is Rs. 58,000 approximately. But if you delay in registering for the exams, you have to pay a fee of Rs. 120,250 approximately.
As CFA is one of the most expensive courses available, the CFA body supports financial aid to many candidates who wish to pursue the course but lack financial capability. CFA offers diverse scholarship programs for different candidates, and some of them are:
- Women’s Scholarship
- Access Scholarship
- Regulator Scholarship
- Professor Scholarship
- Student Scholarship
Candidates should be aware of the qualifications to get an accurate scholarship program. One of the best ways is to get in touch with a professional coaching class to understand the scholarship options and enroll in the CFA course.
Enrolling in the Best Coaching Center
Understanding what CFA is is not always convenient when you research alone. So, one of the best ways is to enroll in the best coaching center. Zell Education is one of the most professional coaching classes that has a team of faculties and trainers who are CFA-qualified to train aspiring candidates.
While the CFA body offers study materials to all the registered candidates, Zell also offers additional study resources to the candidates. Candidates also enjoy several other benefits at Zell. For example, the faculty team members train the candidates through different methods like classroom sessions, recorded lectures, and doubt-clearing sessions. The enrolled students take mock tests and the trainers offer feedback on the test results to prepare in the best way for the CFA exams.