DOWNLOAD THE CFA 2020 CURRICULUM 

Administered by CFA Institute from the USA, the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Program is  a graduate-level and globally recognised program for investment specialists. The credential (or professional designation) assures clients, employers, and colleagues that you, as a   charterholder, have mastered a rigorous finance and investment management curriculum; further that you are committed to the highest ethical standards in the profession. It is indeed, the most sort-after qualification by South African employers in the corporate finance and investments space.

The Program has 3 Levels, with a syllabus that follows a number of progressively challenging Learning Outcome Statements (LOS), structured around the following 10           syllabus topic areas: (1) Ethics & Professional Standards; (2) Quantitative Methods; (3) Economics; (4) Financial Reporting & Analysis; (5) Corporate Finance; (6) Equity Investments; (7) Fixed Income; (8) Derivatives; (9) Alternative Investments; and (10) Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning.   

The Program has 3 Levels, with a syllabus that follows a number of progressively challenging Learning Outcome Statements (LOS), structured around the following 10 syllabus topic areas: (1) Ethics & Professional Standards; (2) Quantitative Methods; (3) Economics; (4) Financial Reporting & Analysis; (5) Corporate Finance; (6) Equity Investments; (7) Fixed Income; (8) Derivatives; (9) Alternative Investments; and (10) Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning.   

The CFA exams (Levels 1, 2 & 3) are offered annually in June. Level 1 exams can also be taken in December. Each exam is a six-hour paper, consisting of 2-three-hour assessments. There are no exemptions from any level -and to be eligible to start at level 1, you must hold a bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree, or be in the final year of your bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree, or have four years of work experience (-not necessarily investment-related). You will, however, be required to submit 4 years of relevant work experience before being accorded the CFA Charter.

For each level, the 10 syllabus topic areas (as above) have been neatly demarcated into 5 books (volumes) based on our adopted and the world-renown WILEY study materials : 

1. Ethics & Quantitative Methods

2. Economics

3. Financial Reporting & Analysis

4. Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management, & Equity

5. Fixed Income, Derivatives, & Alternative Methods