CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Level 1,2 & 3

CFA full form is Chartered Financial Analyst. CFA is one of the most sought-after designations for investment professionals. It is a globally-recognised professional credential in Financial Management & investment offered by CFA Institute. The CFA course is regarded as the world’s most respected and recognised designation in investment management. 

Candidates who pursue the course gain in-depth knowledge of the investment industry which increases their probability of landing into a high paying job. Industrialisation and globalisation are increasing the demand for CFAs in India. 

Candidates who go for CFA institute certificate need to qualify in three levels of examination conducted by CFA Institute:

CFA Level 1,

CFA Level 2 and

CFA Level 3

These exams are conducted in areas related to Economics, Accounting, Security Analysis, and Money Management. Level I exams are conducted in June and December, and Levels II and III are only offered in June. 

The programme is beneficial for those willing to build a long-term career in domains like banking, corporate or financial services. Apart from this, taking up independent practice is also an option after pursuing the course. Candidates do not require to attend regular classes as CFA is a self-study program. 

The CFA curriculum is inclusive of academic theory as well as field practice which an individual gains through work experience. Candidates learn to gain knowledge on investing & making money in stocks, industries, companies, and also at an individual level.

CFA exam is challenging, and the journey of becoming a CFA charter holder not only tests one’s knowledge of the subject, but also an individual’s diligence, willpower & endurance. CFA is a holistic profession, thus only clearing all the levels of exams is not enough. In order to be a professional who people can rely on, one needs to possess the below-mentioned skill-set:

 

Discipline	Time Management
Diligence	Integrity
Attention to Detail	Focus
Curiosity	Self-motivation
Agility	Communication skills

Aspirants willing to pursue CFA must comply by the eligibility criteria. The eligibility of CFA programme is as follows:

• Candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline
• A candidate who is in the final year of Bachelor’s programme at the time of registration can also apply for CFA programme
• Applicants need to have at least 4 years of work experience

To get an idea of what one will have to study if they were to take up a course in CFA, we have listed down the course curriculum. The candidate needs to clear three levels of examination conducted by CFA Institute: Level I, Level II, and Level III 

Level I

The CFA Level I syllabus focuses on introducing various concepts of the finance and investment world to the candidate. The topics covered in Level I are as follows:

Topic	Sub-topic
Financial reporting analysis	Financial reporting mechanics & Standards Understanding income statements Understanding the balance sheet
Ethics	Standards of professional conduct Global Investment Performance standard
Quantitative analysis	Time value of money Discounted cash flow applications Statistical concepts and market returns
Fixed income analysis	Fixed income securities Fixed income markets Introduction to fixed income valuation
Equity Investment	Market organization and structure Security market indices Market efficiency
Economics	Demand & supply analysis The Firm & market structures Aggregate output, Prices, Economic growth
Corporate finance	Capital budgeting Cost of capital
Portfolio management and wealth planning	Portfolio management Basics of portfolio planning and construction
Derivatives	Derivatives market and instruments Basics of derivative pricing and valuation
Alternative investment	Mutual funds Real Estate

 

Aspirants willing to go for CFA need to clear three levels of Chartered Financial Analyst Exam: Level I, II and II conducted by CFA Institute. The exams are conducted every year in the month of June. Level I exam is also conducted in December. Aspirants need to clear each exam sequentially. 

Aspirants who appear for Level I and II exams can check their result within 60 days from the date of exam, and Level III candidates can access their result within 90 days from the date of examination.

A CFA charter holder gets the opportunity of fetching a plethora of career options. A CFA has the benefit of working at various fields like: 

Asset Management	Investment banking M&A
Equities	Private equity
Risk management	Corporate banking
Wealth management	Research
Capital Markets	Derivatives
Trading	Quantitative analytics

Looking at the job opportunities, generally, CFA charter holders opt to work as a Research Analysts, Portfolio Managers, Investment Banking Analysts, and Chief-level Executives to name just a few. 

Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters are: 

JP Morgan Chase	HSBC
Wells Fargo	CitiGroup
Ernst & Young	UBS
Bank of America	RBC
Wells Fargo	Morgan Stanley
Pricewaterhouse Coopers	Crisil
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.	Credit Suisse

Following are the most popular CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Level 1,2 & 3 Colleges in India. Learn more about these CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Level 1,2 & 3 colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.

Following are the most popular CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Level 1,2 & 3 Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.