The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) is a professional designation not merely an academic qualification. It means that in addition to acquiring the required knowledge (as outlined in CFA® Candidate Body of Knowledge), you would need to meet equally important certain minimum relevant experience and ongoing ethical conduct and professional development requirements.
Your CFA® designation would rest on four pillars:
- Prior education and/or professional experience;
- Passing scores in all three levels of the CFA® program; and
- 48 months of qualifying experience; and
- Continuous compliance with the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
Prior education and/or professional experience
The CFA® program sets certain minimum entry requirements which you must meet before you can embark on your CFA journey. These broadly include a requirement to have a bachelors degree and/or 48-months of sequential combination of college education and/or paid full-time professional experience. The following flowchart would help you decide whether you meet the entry requirements:
