BUSINESS AND MONEY
CFA charterholder (investment)
Investment analysis and portfolio management — a global qualification, popular in India.
Facts checked 17/10/2026
- Class 11–12 subjects
- Any stream. Comfort with numbers matters.
- First degree
- A bachelor's degree (you can start Level I in the last 23 months of your degree).
- Entrance exams
- CFA Program Levels I, II and III (CFA Institute, global).
- Licence or registration
- The CFA charter (not an Indian licence; SEBI rules apply separately to some advisory roles).
What the work is like
Equity research, portfolio management, investment banking, wealth management.
Professional qualificationRun by CFA Institute (global). You can start after: Final 2 years of any degree. Minimum time: Usually 2½–4 years for the exams; charter needs 36 months of work.
The full route: exams, training, registration
- Level ICan be taken up to 23 months before you graduate. Usually held in February, May, August and November.
- Level IIMust be within 11 months of graduating, or have the degree. Usually May, August, November.
- Level IIINeeds the degree (or 4,000 hours of work). Usually February and August.
- CharterPass all three, have 4,000 hours of relevant work over at least 36 months, and join CFA Institute.
Good to know
- At most 6 attempts per level and 2 a year.
- Fees are paid in US dollars — check the current fees on cfainstitute.org.
About pay: it varies a lot by city, employer and skill, and changes year to year, so we don't print salary numbers. Ask us in a session and we'll show you current, sourced figures for your case.
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