CFA Institute, the global association of investment management professionals, reports that 43 percent of the 52,315 candidates that took the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level I exam in December 2015 have passed. The exam was administered in 102 test centers in 71 cities across 40 countries worldwide.
Nearly 1900 candidates sat for the Level I exam in Australia and New Zealand, an increase of more than 10 percent on 2014.
The CFA Program is a globally recognized, graduate level curriculum that links theory and practice with real-world investment analysis, and emphasizes the highest ethical and professional standards. These successful candidates now progress to Level II of the CFA Program, having taken the first step towards leading the way in building a sustainable investment profession.
The December 2015 exam saw a record number of Level I candidates tested, an increase of 11 percent from the previous year. Additionally, in June and December of 2015 the highest total number of more than 103,000 candidates sat for Level I of the CFA Program, an increase of nearly 10 percent on 2014. These record numbers of candidates reflect the increasing credibility of the exam and the growing demand from employers and regulators for the CFA designation.
Mr Anthony Serhan, President of CFA Society Sydney, said for more than 50 years CFA had minted the most rigorously credentialed industry professionals, who adhere to the highest educational, professional and ethical standards.
“I congratulate today’s successful candidates who are now one step closer to earning the CFA designation, the mark of distinction that is globally recognized as the definitive standard for industry ethics and education. We are committed to developing future professionals with the necessary technical skills, knowledge, integrity and understanding of their mandate to put investor interests first.”
To earn the CFA designation, candidates must pass all three levels of exam; meet the work experience requirements of four years in the investment industry; and sign a commitment to abide by the CFA Institute ‘Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct’.
The CFA Program curriculum covers ethical and professional standards, securities analysis and valuation, international financial statement analysis, quantitative methods, economics, corporate finance, portfolio management, wealth management and portfolio analysis. (View historic pass rates)
