1. How valuable is the CFA qualification?
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- The CFA Program is a globally recognized, graduate-level curriculum that provides a strong foundation of the real- world investment analysis, portfolio management skills and practical knowledge needed to succeed in today’s investment industry.
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| 2. Who employs CFA charterholders? |
- Asset Management Companies
- Sovereign Wealth Funds
- Private Banks
- Commercial Banks
- Brokerage Firms
- Investment Banks
- Big 4 consultancy firms
- Financial Advisory Firms
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| 3. Why should I pursue this qualification? |
- Global Recognition- The CFA Program is the most widely known and respected investment credential in the world.
- Credibility
- Career Advantage- Employers recognize the CFA charter as the definitive standard by which to measure the competence, integrity, and dedication of investment professionals.
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| 4. What are the eligibility criteria for the CFA Program? |
- Yes, a student needs to meet any of the below eligibility requirements to sit for the exams:
- Have a bachelor's (or equivalent) degree- or be in the final year of your bachelor's degree program at the time of registration
- or have four years of professional work experience (does not have to be investment related)
- Or have a combination of professional work and college experience that totals at least four years. Part-time positions do not qualify, and the four-year total must be accrued prior to enrollment.
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5. Can I be exempted from writing any of the CFA papers?
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- No, there are no exemptions regardless of the qualifications or the work experience they possess. Students must write all three levels.
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| 6. What are the steps in earning the CFA charter? |
- The steps to be followed are:
- Sequentially pass all 3 Exams
- 4 years of qualifying work experience in activities that consist to a majority extent of evaluating or applying financial, economic, and/or statistical data as part of the investment decision-making process involving securities or similar investments.
- Join the CFA Institute as a regular member
- Join the CFA Local Society chapter as a member
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| 7. When are the exams held for each level? |
- Level I- June and December of the year
- Level II- Every June
- Level III- Every June
- Exams are held on the first Saturday of June & December
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| 8. What is the focus of each level? |
- Level I- Introduction to financial Tools and Investment analysis
- Level II- Focus is on valuation. In depth treatment of each topic in Level 1
- Level III- Portfolio Management is the most important topic in this level. Level 3 brings together the concepts & tools studied in Level 1 & 2 and applies them in a practical context
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| 9. What are the Topics covered in each of the levels? |
- Level I & Level II covers the below 10 topic areas:
- Ethics
- Quantitative Methods
- Economics
- Financial Reporting & Analysis
- Corporate Finance
- Equities
- Fixed Income
- Alternative Investments
- Derivatives
- Portfolio Management
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- Level III covers the below topic areas:
- Equities
- Fixed Income
- Alternative Investments
- Derivatives
- Portfolio Management
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| 10. What is the topic area weightage for each of the levels? |
| Topic Area |
Level I |
Level II |
Level III |
| Ethical and Professional Standards (total) |
15 |
10 |
10 |
| Quantitative Methods |
12 |
5-10 |
0 |
| Economics |
10 |
5-10 |
0 |
| Financial Reporting and Analysis |
20 |
15-25 |
0 |
| Corporate Finance |
8 |
5-15 |
0 |
| Investment Tools (total) |
50 |
30-60 |
0 |
| Equity Investments |
10 |
20-30 |
5-15 |
| Fixed Income |
12 |
5-15 |
10-20 |
| Derivatives |
5 |
5-15 |
5-15 |
| Alternative Investments |
3 |
5-15 |
5-15 |
| Asset Classes (total) |
30 |
35-75 |
35-45 |
| Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning (total) |
5 |
5-15 |
45-55 |
| Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
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| 11. What is the exam duration & format for each of the levels? |
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Level I |
Level II |
Level III |
| Exam Duration |
6 Hours Morning: 3 Hours Afternoon: 3 Hours
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6 Hours Morning: 3 Hours Afternoon: 3 Hours |
6 Hours Morning: 3 Hours Afternoon: 3 Hours |
| Number of Questions |
240 Multiple Choice Questions |
20 Item Sets Each Item Set has 6 questions. Total of 120 questions |
10- 15 Essay type questions in the morning followed by item sets in the afternoon |
| Number of Exams in a year |
June & December |
June |
June |
| Exam Locations |
Testing Centers in Dubai & Abu Dhabi |
Testing Centers in Dubai & Abu Dhabi |
Testing Centers in Dubai & Abu Dhabi |
| Registration |
www.cfainstitute.org |
www.cfainstitute.org |
www.cfainstitute.org |
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| 12. What are the examination fees? |
- There are usually 3 deadlines for registration for each level. The total fees varies, out of which this is divided into:
- Program Enrolment (Level I only)
- Exam Registration
- Curriculum E-Book or Printed version
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| 13. Do I get any Study Materials from the CFA Institute upon Registration? |
- Yes, the CFA Institute provides 6 books for the curriculum for each level which are divided into 18 Study sessions with assigned readings and Learning Outcome Statements (LOS). These books are given to students by default and are crucial from the examination point of view.
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| 14. What study materials are used in class? |
- We refer and to and use the CFA Curriculum. This is the standard books used in all our classes
- These books are used to explain concepts and solve problems in all our CFA Classes
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| 15. Does Genesis offer supplementary study materials? |
- Genesis Institute is an official distributor of Kaplan Schweser which is the world’s largest publisher of CFA prep course materials since 1993.
- Essential Prep Package (EPP): One of the most popular packages used by students in class is the EPP. The EPP also comes along with the Schweser Pro, which is an online question bank of 4000+ multiple choice questions across the topic areas in different modes of difficulty. This question bank allows students to test themselves in the form of quizzes where the students have the liberty of choosing the topics areas where they would like to be tested upon across a range of difficulty. Some of the benefits include:
- 5 Study Guides
- 2 volumes of Practice exam workbooks (Consisting of 3 full length paper each)
- Online access to Q Bank
- Schweser Premium Instruction Package (PIP) includes:
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- Schweser Study Planner
- Schweser Notes™
- Schweser's Quick Sheet™
- Schweser Pro™ Q Bank (Online + Download)*
- Practice Exams, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
- Instructor Link
- vi. Instructor Link
- Schweser Library
- Exam-tips Blog
- Instructor-led Office Hours
- Searchable FAQs
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- Instructor Email Access
- Schweser Premium Plus Package (PPP) includes:
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- Schweser Study Planner
- Schweser Notes™
- Schweser's Quick Sheet™
- Schweser Pro™ Q Bank (Online + Download)*
- Practice Exams, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
- Instructor Link
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- Schweser Library
- Exam-tips Blog
- Instructor-led Office Hours
- Searchable FAQs
- Instructor Email Access
- Final Review Pack:
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- 3-Day Exam Workshop Online archived online, including 20+ hours of instruction
- Online Mock Exam for a simulated exam experience
- Multimedia Review, including a complete analysis of every Mock Exam question
- Schweser's Secret Sauce® - a compact book outlining what you need to know on exam day
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| 16. When should I start studying? |
- As per the CFA Institute, a student needs to put in at least 300 hours for the preparation of each level
- However students with no prior experience in Finance or Accounting will need to put in much more time and hence start studies earlier
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| 17. When will the exam results be released? |
- The Level I exam results are released approx 6 weeks after the exams are conducted
- The Level II & Level III exam results are released approx 8 weeks after the exams are conducted
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| 18. Which are the approved calculators? |
- Only two calculator models are authorized for use during CFA exams:
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- Texas Instruments BA II Plus (including BA II Plus Professional)
- Hewlett Packard 12C (including the HP 12C Platinum, 12C 25th anniversary edition, and 12C 30th anniversary edition)
- All students must bring their own calculators on the exam day as calculators will not be available in the testing center
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