What is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)? 

The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is a designation awarded by the American-based CFA Institute to finance professionals with careers in Investment Banking, Equity Research, Capital Market, Portfolio Management, Corporate Finance and others.

A CFA applicant must comply with one of the following requirements:

• Four years of professional work experience or a bachelor’s degree or a combination of both in the final year of the bachelor’s degree program.
• The bachelor’s degree must be completed before qualifying for the level II test for undergraduate qualification.
• Have an international passport
• Complete assessment in English
• Live in a participating country.

The CFA exam consists of three exams:

• Level I
• Level II
• Level III

The Level I exam comprises of investment basic knowledge and comprehension questions. 

Level II exam focuses on valuing assets. 

The Level III exam combines both I and II for effective portfolio management and wealth planning. 

Each exam level is taken annually in June at test centers all over the world.