Investment professionals take rigorous CFA examinations in Sri Lanka

CFA EXAMS: 224 candidates in Sri Lanka are among the 84,491 candidates worldwide enrolled to take one of three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) examination during the June 3-4 weekend, the CFA Sri Lanka said.

Administered by CFA Institute, the CFA Programme is a graduate-level, self-study curriculum and series of examinations that test candidates around the world in ethical and professional standards, financial statement analysis, economics, portfolio management and analysis and valuation of debt, equity and alternative investments.

While the CFA examination is one of the world's largest simultaneously administered professional exams - the June 2006 exam will be administered at more than 180 test centres worldwide - it is also widely considered the investment profession's most rigourous credentialing programme.

The CFA Programme provides a self-study education and is administered in three levels, each of which culminates in an examination.

Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide.

In addition to passing the three exams, candidates must also gain at least three years of relevant investment decision making work experience and must commit to abide by the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and standards of Professional Conduct.

On average, candidates take a little more than four years from initial enrollment to the time they complete all requirements for the CFA designation.

"The CFA designation is highly respected worldwide, from Australia to Zurich, as a symbol of professional excellence," President of the CFA Sri Lanka Ravi Abeysuriya said.