How Do I Become a Chartered Financial Analyst?

CFA is a Chartered Financial Analyst Qualification Examination established by the American Institute of Investment Management and Research (AIMR) in 1963. The exam is held twice a year and is one of the largest vocational exams in the world. It is a professional title generally recognized by the world's securities investment and management community. CFA courses are based on the practices of the investment industry. To become a CFA certificate holder, you must pass a global unified exam organized by the American Institute of Investment Management and Research. There are three levels of primary, middle and high. Each person can only apply for one level each year. Only those who pass all three levels of the exam and have 4 years of experience in the financial industry can finally obtain the qualification certificate.

Basic Information

Chinese name

Chartered Financial Analyst

Foreign name

CFA

Set up time

1963

Set up an institution

CFA Institute regularly charters worldwide

The registration time for each level of the CFA exam is divided into three stages. This is because the CFA Association encourages candidates to register early and review early. The sooner the preparation is, the more adequate the examination will be.

US Charter

Multinational companies, foreign banks, the Big Four, financial securities and fund institutions, government departments, listed companies, etc.

Companies hiring CFA include: Bank of China, Hewlett-Packard, ABN AMRO, Ping An Insurance and other well-known companies. ^[1]

Top Ten Companies Hiring CFA Association Members: Bank of America CIBC Fidelity Investments Goldman Sachs Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. MorganStanley Prudential Capital Group RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Soloman Smith Barney Wellington Management Company

The CFA Level 3 exam course focuses on portfolio management, and also includes the use of investment tools, as well as the asset evaluation model for individuals or institutions to manage equity securities products, fixed income securities, financial derivatives and other investment products. The level 3 exam is a 50% essay writing and 50% case study analysis. Ethical and professional ethical standards are emphasized in the CFA three-level examination courses. CFA candidates can complete the 6-hour CFA exam in three stages.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recognizes CFA franchise status as equivalent to Series 7 legal qualifications for US securities practitioners.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) grants CFA charter holders the ability to obtain the professional qualification of the Supervisory Analyst by adding the securities rules section of the Supervisory Analyst Examination. .

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) grants CFA chartered holders only to take the half-day exam of the Accredited in Business Valuation held by them, so that they can get the AICPA business value assessment major Qualifications (ABV).

The Securities and Investment Institute of the United Kingdom (SII) grants CFA franchise holders the right to directly obtain the membership (MSI) of the British Securities and Investment Council (SII) or meet the relevant experience requirements to become a senior member (FSI).

Financial Analyst (Level I)

(1) Registration conditions

University degree or above, more than one year working experience in finance or finance field; or college degree or above, more than three years working experience in finance or finance field;

Able to ensure 250 hours of self-study during the study period.

(2) Enrollment target

Junior and intermediate professionals in the financial field; intermediate and above professionals in corporate finance and investment positions.

Financial Analyst (Level 2)

(1) Registration conditions

Master's degree or above, more than one year of work experience in the field of finance or finance; or University degree or above, three years of work experience in the field of finance or finance; or a college degree or above, five years of work experience in the field of finance or finance;

Students who register directly for Level 2 must pass the qualification exam (the difficulty of the test is equivalent to Level 1);

Professionals who have passed the first level of CRFA and CFA can also directly sign up for the second level of study;

If the second-level students find that they cannot keep up with the progress of the course during the learning process (cannot exceed the five-day course), they can apply to return to the first-level course. However, the authorized training institutions in different places will still charge the fees for the second-level registration. If the student continues to participate in the second-level study plan after passing the first-level exam, it will be charged at the first-level fee;

Able to ensure 250 hours of self-study during the study period.

(2) Enrollment target

Intermediate professionals in the financial field; intermediate and senior professionals in corporate finance and investment positions.