top of page

This Is How Can You Prepare For Your CFA Exams


The Charter Financial Analyst exam is one of the most difficult positions to secure. The passing rates are about 20%. But don’t get discouraged by this, if you work hard enough, follow the CFA study guide, and maintain a solid study schedule you will definitely do well.

Firstly, what is CFA qualification?

Before we begin, let’s look at the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. The CFA is considered one of the hardest credentials to achieve in business; it’s also known as the ‘Gold Standard’ of professional designations.

Students interested in acquiring the CFA designation are told that doing so requires upwards of 800 hours of graduate level study. In addition, three examinations need to be passed, each requiring a significant amount of preparation and hard work.

Although the exams are a non-negotiable part of the CFA process, the study can be shortened and optimized by applying some simple principles and study materials to your process of preparing for the CFA.

Breakdown of the CFA exams:

All 3 exams are designed to be studied for independently, but because these assessments are extremely difficult students mostly take the help of a tutor or study course.

The three sequential exams each cover different aspects of financial analysis and decision making. From Level I to Level III, the exams focus on:

  • Testing your basic knowledge of investment tools and analysis

  • Testing your knowledge of advanced analysis and asset valuation

  • Synthesizing all of the analytical methods that make up the CFA program in a wide variety of different applications targeted around portfolio management and wealth planning

As part of the exam curriculum, CFA students need to answer questions related to ethics and professional behavior, you can take a look on your CFA study guide. The ethics tested in all exams are the same, with the format and type of questions changing from one exam to the next:

  • In Level I, students are tested on their knowledge of the ethics curriculum

  • In Level II, students are tested on how well they can apply these ethics to a diverse range of situations an analyst might face

  • In Level III, students are tested on how they would apply these standards to a portfolio management or compliance situation

CFA Study Material: Theoretically it is possible to attempt all 3 exams in 18 months but this is rare. Students prepare for at least 6 months for each exam which means studying for at least 10 hours a week.

One of the best ways to prepare for CFA exams in using online resources and following the GFA study guide also couching courses have proven to be very helpful.

Prepare for the CFA Level I exams by enrolling in our course, Complete CFA Level I – 2014 Curriculum. In over 196 lectures, this in-depth course covers all aspects of the Level I curriculum, from asset classes to ethics and professional standards.

It’s also essential to prepare for the CFA Level I Ethical and Professional Standards exam. This is one of the most important modules of the CFA Level I, with a weight-age of 15% in the exam itself. Go through the CFA study guide thoroughly for this.

Prepare for the CFA Level I Ethics Module with our course, CFA – CFA Level I Ethics Module. This in-depth preparation course contains over seven hours of content and 52 lectures showing you how to prepare for the important Level I Ethics module.

You may also want to prepare for the separate modules that make up the CFA Level I program using focused workshops and guides. Fitch Learning, a leading finance and economics training company, offers several in-depth CFA preparation courses:

  • A free introduction to the CFA program, which covers whether or not the CFA Program and its demanding study and exam schedule is right for you.

  • An exam preparation workshop for the CFA Level I Ethics and Quantitative Methods module.

  • A learning workshop for the CFA Level I Financial Reporting and Analysis module.

  • Another learning workshop, which continues on the lessons in Workshop 2 to help you prepare for the CFA Level I Financial Reporting and Analysis module.

  • A detailed workshop and question practice course for the CFA Level I Fixed Income and Equity module.

  • An expert workshop for the CFA Level I Corporate Finance, Quantitative Methods II, and Derivatives module.

  • A final workshop for the CFA Level I Alternative Investments, Portfolio Management, and Economics module.

Whether you like to study for the entire CFA Level I exam as a whole or break it into separate sections for independent study, these workshops and courses give you the study materials to successfully enter one of the finance world’s toughest exams.

How you can improve your finance and economic skills

If you are to pass the CFA exams you need to be ready to take in an excruciating amount of information. Before focusing on studying for the exams as whole brush up on your basic finance skills, trust us it will be very helpful.

How to develop a study plan for success

The CFA qualification is one of the most difficult in the finance world to achieve, and it’s easy to see why. With an estimated 800 hours of study required, the three exams challenge even the most dedicated students.

Because of this, it’s essential to have a dedicated study plan to help you stick to your schedule, master the content of the CFA Level I, II, and the III and the CFA study guide and prepare for exams well in advance of your exam dates.

You can use a time and productivity management tool to make the process easier for you, lastly remember to sit down with former candidates for advice. They’ve have been through it and can give you the best advice on what you need to do.

The bottom line

The CFA exams are extremely challenging, and there’s a reason for the notoriously low pass rates. However, with the right combination of focus, strategy, and CFA study material, you can pass the CFA exams and become a Chartered Financial Analyst.

bottom of page