The CFA Institute designates the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. The course offers specialized accounting knowledge to candidates, making them appropriate for finance companies. These candidates make into several portfolios like risk management, portfolio management, and consulting. Due to a steep learning curve, the certified candidates keep on evolving in the field, exploring new dimensions and benefitting the organization. Let us check out the CFA course details in India and its worth.
CFA Course Eligibility:
Candidates should pass the CFA exams in levels to complete the course. Hence, it is ideal to check out the eligibility and other CFA course details in India while joining the course and also throughout the journey.
- To join the CFA course, the only eligibility that a candidate requires is to have a Bachelor’s degree from any reputed university.
- During the course, the candidates should also invest in an article-ship or internship of 4000 hours.
- Most importantly, the pursuing candidate should stay in a country participating in the CFA program.
- After completion of the course and work internship, the candidate also needs to provide a Professional Conduct Statement to achieve the certificate.
The eligibility criteria may seem a bit confusing to many candidates. So, one of the best ways is to get in touch with a good coaching center like Zell Education to understand CFA course details in India better.
CFA Syllabus
There are a total of 10 topics in the CFA course that have to be completed in 3 levels simultaneously. So, in Level 1, the candidates are introduced to these 10 topics, and then higher approaches are offered to these topics in the next two levels. The 10 CFA topics are:
- Ethical and Professional Standards
- Quantitative Methods
- Economics
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Corporate Finance
- Equity Investments
- Fixed Income
- Derivatives
- Alternative Investments
- Portfolio management and Wealth Planning
CFA Exam Dates and Pattern
While looking for CFA course details in India, it is crucial to understand the exam pattern. The CFA exams are conducted four times a year in February, May, August, and November. Candidates can appear in the exams in any of these four schedules according to their convenience.
The CFA exam pattern differs level-wise.
The CFA Level 1 will have 2 exams of 135 minutes each. Both the exams are conducted on a single day with a break of 2 hours. The candidate must answer a total of 180 MCQs in CFA Level 1.
The CFA Level 2 also has 2 papers of 132 minutes each. Each paper will have MCQs based on case studies. There can be as many as 21 case studies in total based on which the candidates must answer the questions.
Similar to the first 2 levels, Level 3 also has two papers of 132 minutes each. The first paper generally has essay-type questions while the 2nd paper should have MCQs based on different vignettes.
CFA Opportunities and Scope in India
Apart from understanding CFA course details in India in terms of eligibility and exam pattern, you should also check CFA opportunities and scope in India.
The CFA course opens the path for candidates in different financial areas. Some of the job positions that certified candidates can go for in India are:
- Portfolio Manager
- Risk Manager
- Investment Banking Analyst
- Research Analyst
- Corporate Financial Analyst
The CFA course trains the candidates in some of the most professional skills like strategic analysis and decision-making. Such skills are in high demand today in the Indian market. Some of the top multinational companies like PwC, Deutsche Bank, KPMG, Deloitte, and JP Morgan prefer to recruit CFA candidates. Also, some Indian firms like Anand Rathi and Motilal Oswal now hire CFA candidates from a crowd of other candidates.
When the candidates join reputed firms, they also seek handsome salary packages. Usually, CAs are known to be earning the highest in India. But today, even CFA candidates use their skills and experience to reach a salary package equivalent to a CA or even higher.
On average, a CFA’s annual salary package is between 6 lacs to 9 lakhs in India, according to Glassdoor. But several factors decide the salary package. A fresher CFA may even get a salary of 1 lac per annum. However, if the company profile is huge and the candidate showcases some great skills during the interview, then the starting salary can be 3 lacs per annum too.
Similarly, with experience and time, a CFA can start earning well. An experienced CFA with great skills and company recommendations can even pocket a salary of Rs. 21 lacs per annum or even more.
Conclusion
Today CFA candidates have great opportunities and a future in India. Proper guidance and support like that from Zell can help them pursue the course better and fetch good career options. With the CFA course explained properly, candidates can make decisions on their next step in the course.