Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA course) is one of the most in-demand certifications in the field of finance and provides lucrative career opportunities. To be certified as a Chartered Financial Analyst, a candidate needs to clear all the three levels of the CFA Program ‘“ Level I CFA,
Level II CFA and
Level III CFA. The first level of the
CFA course is a vital one as it strengthens the foundation in the various
CFA Syllabus topics. As such, it is highly recommended that a student opts for the
Full-Time CFA course since it will provide more exposure and understanding of the CFA course Subjects. Full-Time Level I CFA course provides extensive knowledge covering topics like quantitative methods, economics, financial reporting and analysis, tax analysis, equity investments, portfolio management, and performance measurements. Level I CFA is the least difficult among all three levels of the CFA course, but it requires more focus and time for a better understanding of the topics. Full-Time Level I CFA course is designed to inculcate a strategic and analytical thought process among students.
Full-Time Level I CFA course helps students understand the topics on a deeper level thus preparing them with a stronger foundation and grip in finance. According to the CFA Institute, the CFA course duration consists of:
- Over 300 hours of study for each CFA level
- Minimum 6 months of preparation for each CFA level
- Over 4 years on an average to complete the entire CFA course
To be eligible for the Full-Time Level I CFA
® Course
- The candidate needs to have a bachelor’™s degree or should be in the final year of the bachelor’™s degree at the time of registration
- Have a combination of four years (or 48 months) of full-time work experience and/or college/university education are also eligible
It takes a minimum of two years to complete all the levels of CFA, provided you clear all the CFA levels in the first attempt and consecutively. You need a minimum of 6 months to prepare for the Level I CFA®.
- In-depth training specifically designed for non-working students with less/no work experience
- Finish course faster with batches running on weekdays from Monday to Friday
- Dedicated faculty to devote more time to the students and answer individual queries
- 1-year validity for you to attend classes as many times as required
- 300+ hours of intensive study to ensure you clear the exams in 1st attempt
- Training in Classroom and LVC format by experienced and qualified CFAs
- Career Services with placement in top companies like CRISIL, KPMG, Deloitte, etc
A candidate can appear for the
Level I CFA® exams in the month of February, May, August, and November starting from 2021. But to proceed to the next level, the previous level has to be cleared first. The exams are in a Multiple Choice Questions format, and the candidate has to answer all the 180 multiple-choice questions. The exam is held in two sessions, the morning session, and the Afternoon session. Both the sessions are 2 hours 15 minutes long and contain 90 questions each. All the questions, in both the sessions, are equally weighted and are based on all the ten topics. There are no penalties or negative marking for wrong answers in the exams. The Level I CFA® Pass rate for June 2019 was 41%, and the Pass rate for December 2019 was 42%. The average Level I CFA® Pass rate for the past 10 years is 41%.
Full-Time Level I CFA® Syllabus
The
Full-Time Level I CFA® Syllabus consists of 10 key areas of study which are as follows:
- Ethical and Professional Standards
- Corporate Finance
- Economics
- Financial Reporting and Analysis
- Quantitative Methods
- Alternative Investments
- Derivatives
- Equity Investments
- Fixed Income
- Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning
Full Time Level I CFA® Subjects weightage
Each of the Full Time Level I CFA® subject has a different weightage in the exams as given below:
Full Time Level I CFA® Topics | Full Time Level I CFA® topic Weightage |
| Ethical and Professional Standards | 15-20% |
| Quantitative Methods | 8’“12% |
| Economics | 8’“12% |
| Financial Reporting and Analysis | 13-17% |
| Corporate Finance | 8’“12% |
| Portfolio Management and Wealth Management | 5-8% |
| Equity Investments | 10-12% |
| Fixed Income | 10-12% |
| Derivative Investments | 5-8% |
| Alternative Investments | 5-8% |
| Total | 100% |
Level I CFA® Exam dates are scheduled usually in the month of June and December. But owing to the current conditions due to the pandemic, the June 2020 exams have been postponed. The December 2020 Level I CFA exams are scheduled to happen on 6th December 2020 in India and other countries in the APAC region. The exams will be conducted in the month of February, May, August, and November starting from 2021. There will be no paper-based exams from 2021, and all students will have to
compulsorily opt for computer-based exams. The Level I CFA® Results are declared within 60 days from the exam dates.
Full-Time Level I CFA® Study material can be availed as a digital version or the print version. The Print version provides a set of six volumes and can be availed by paying an additional fee of USD 150, which is non-refundable, plus the applicable shipping and customs fees. The digital version charges are covered in the
Level I CFA® exam registration fee. For latest updates on Level I CFA® registration and exam dates, visit
Exam Dates, Cost, and Registration Fees EduPristine provides experiential and practical CFA course training. For details on CFA, Program Training click here