CFA Institute, said that 148,927 candidates from 179 countries have registered for Level I, II and III CFA exams, which was administered on June 7 worldwide. Candidates will take the next step towards earning the CFA charter, the mark of excellence within the investment profession, in a commitment to uphold the highest standards of investment practice and to serve investors and the global economy.
The Middle East saw a strong representation from investment professionals in the region choosing the CFA exam: a total of 4193 investment professionals from nine GCC and Middle East countries reaffirmed their commitment to the highest level of professionalism by enrolling for the CFA exams across the Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. This represents a 5% increase from last year.
The number of exam registrations for this year’s exam cycle (December 2013 and June 2014) totals more than 211,000 registrations. Regionally, Asia Pacific continues to be the largest source of candidates, with 63,021 registered for the June 2014 exam, accounting for 42 percent of the total. The Americas saw the registration of 53,089 candidates, 36 percent of the total, and 32,798 candidates registered in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), accounting for 22 percent of the total. The United Arab Emirates remains the largest source of new registrations from the Middle East, representing 37% of the regional total, followed by Saudi Arabia 17% and Lebanon and Egypt with 11%.
“Candidates dedicating themselves to the CFA Program are committed to shaping an investment industry that is a force for good,” John Bowman, CFA, managing director and co-lead of Education at CFA Institute, said.
“These investment professionals are vowing to place their clients’ interests first through the highest standards of professional ethics, and education. In addition, they are laying a strong foundation for a wide range of career paths. Earning the CFA charter gives players in today’s industry credibility and distinguishes them within the industry as focused on rebuilding public trust.”
The CFA Programme is a self-study program, considered to be the most rigorous credentialing program in the investment industry. The CFA curriculum is grounded in the practice of the investment profession and is methodically updated with knowledge, skills, and abilities (competencies) that are relevant to the profession. The three-level exam process covers topics including Ethical and Professional Standards, Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Corporate Finance, Investment Tools, Asset Classes, and Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning.