Administered by CFA Institute, the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Program is a graduate-level, self-study curriculum and examination program for investment specialists.

Established in 1962, the CFA Program sets the global standard for investment knowledge, standards, and ethics. Earning the credential can serve as a passport to entry or advancement within the investment profession around the world. The designation tells clients, employers, and colleagues that the charterholder has mastered a rigorous curriculum covering a broad range of investment topics and that he or she is committed to the highest ethical standards in the profession.

Our society encourages its members to earn the CFA charter and supports candidates by sponsoring CFA exam study groups and other programs. Many of our members hold the esteemed CFA designation.

To learn more about the CFA designation and its significance, visit the CFA Institute website.

To earn the CFA charter, you must successfully pass through the CFA Program, a graduate-level self-study program that combines a broad curriculum with professional conduct requirements, culminating in a series of three sequential exams. Level I exams are held in June and December. Levels II and III are only held in June.

As a CFA Program candidate, your course of study is determined by the Candidate Body of Knowledge™  (CBOK). The CBOK is grounded in practice. This means that panels and surveys of current investment professionals have determined the knowledge, skills, and abilities you’ll need to succeed in the workplace. This practice analysis involves thousands of charterholders across the world and helps determine the CBOK, which is the framework for the curriculum and exams.

We believe that candidates need to commit to a minimum of 250 hours reading and reviewing the curriculum and taking online sample and mock exams to master the material (learn more about scheduling your time). This recommendation, however, may substantially underestimate the hours needed for appropriate exam preparation depending on individual circumstances and academic background. 

To get more insight into the level of rigor that’s required on the CFA Program exams, read the following:

• Sample questions
• CBOK topic outline
• Exam topic area weights

Mastery of the CBOK is the major purpose of the CFA Program. This mastery is achieved by using

• The curriculum 
• ​Learning outcome statements (LOS)
• Online sample and mock exams

Read more about the curriculum development (PDF). ​