• Have four years of qualified investment work expe​rience
• ​Become a member of CFA​​​ Insti​​tute
• Pledge to adhere to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct​
• Complete the CFA Program 

The CFA Program is extremely rigorous. It is organized into three levels, each culminating in a six-hour exam. Completing the Program takes most candidates between two and a half and five years and covers some 8,000 pages of material. On average, a successful charter candidate will spend 5 years in the Program. The Program is self-paced, so candidates who successfully complete the program show tre​mendous discipline, commitment and a thorough knowledge of the profession. The Program reflects a broad Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) developed and continuously updated by active practitioners to ensure that charterholders possess knowledge grounded in the real world of today’s global investment industry. The CFA Program has been compared to the rigor of a masters degree. Many have even said the letters “CFA” can mean more than the letters “MBA.” Over the past two decades, the CFA charter has overtaken the MBA as the “must have” credential in the investment business.