CFA Program

Who is CFA for?

Candidates for the CFA Program include students entering the investment field, professionals increasing their expertise and marketability, and people making a career change into the investment profession from other disciplines. It is of interest to accountants, auditors, financial advisors, and financial managers, executives of listed companies and banks, free-lancers.

Professional benefits of CFA

• Real-world skills and unmatched expertise in complex investment analysis and management.
• Increased career advancement opportunities and earning potential.
• Instant enhanced credibility, respect, and trust for commitment to ethics.
• Access to a powerful global network of top industry professionals
• Access to career-advancing tools and education

CFA charter overview

The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charter is a designation awarded to those who have passed the three exam levels of the CFA® Program and completed 4000 hours acceptable work experience.

The CFA Program includes a series of three exams: Levels I, II, and III. Each level of the curriculum builds on the prior level and becomes increasingly complex.

Level 1 Exam: Emphasizes knowledge and understanding of investment tools and concepts.

| Duration: 4.5 hours | 180 multiple choice
Level 2 Exam: Emphasizes application of the tools and concepts and analysis in

asset valuation.| Duration: 4.0 hours 24 mins | 88 multiple choice questions on 22 item-sets (mini-cases).
Level 3 Exam: Emphasizes portfolio management and wealth planning, and requires the candidate to synthesize all the concepts and analytical methods in the entire curriculum.| Duration: 4.0 hours 24 mins | 44 multiple choice questions on 12 item-sets and essays.

The CFA exams are delivered in English through computer-based testing.

Duration

The length of the entire CFA program varies according to the candidate’s availability to complete the three exam levels and the work experience. The CFA charter typically takes 3-5 years to complete.  

Eligibility requirements

Eligibility requires one of the following:

• Have a Bachelor's Degree
• Be in the final year of your bachelor's degree program at the time of registration.
• Have 4,000 hours of professional work experience (does not have to be investment related).
• Have a combination of professional experience and higher education that totals at least 4000 hours. Part-time positions do not qualify, and the dates of education and work experience cannot overlap.

CFA Program Structure

A guided learning program by professionals for professionals with best-in-class material and built-in motivation for preparation and exam practice.

Altium Training offers preparation courses for all 3 CFA levels.

CFA Level I | 165 class hours

CFA Level II | BPP online course (10% discount through Altium)

CFA Level III | BPP online course (10% discount through Altium)

All Altium Training classes may be attended in person, live online, recorded online, or blended (a combination).      

CFA Level 1 Program

The Altium Training program has the right combination of focused instruction and exam skill development. It consists of 116 curriculum tuition hours, 20 hours revision, 23 hours question practice & analysis, 5 hours mock exams.

Level I emphasizes knowledge of the tools and concepts across 10 knowledge domains and the exam tests understanding according to the weightings below.

• Ethical & Professional Standards (15% - 20%)
• Quantitative Methods (8% - 12%)
• Economics (8% - 12%)
• Financial Reporting and Analysis (13% - 17%)
• Corporate Issuers (8% - 12%)
• Equity Investments (10% - 12%)
• Fixed Income (10% - 12%)
• Derivatives (5% - 8%)
• Alternative Investments (5% - 8%)
• Portfolio Management (5% - 8%)

The exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions, in two 2.15-hour sessions with a break in between: 90 questions per session.