@Valueinvestor0909 i did it in 1998-2000, and passed all levels on the first attempt! quite proud of that since it is hard work. can't remember the $$ but the time involved will dwarf the cost.

when i did economics/accounting at uni there was really no finance/markets-type study so i felt that the CFA institute course filled a gap for me, which it certainly did.

i have read criticism that it is too US-centric and maybe that is right to a small degree. overall i thought it was great but a lot of time and work (more than uni) since i was working at the same time. i completed it a while ago so maybe the course material has changed as well, when i did it it certainly added to my knowledge, big time

hope that helps

A CFA is quite demanding, as I understand it @Valueinvestor0909. Some really good content, but also a lot of nonsense too, according to friends who have done it. And for the good stuff, well you can get all of that for free online if you're interested.

It's more about getting the credential if you wanted a career in finance. But even then it's not always necessary. Not trying to be negative, I'm sure it opens a lot of doors and can provide a lot of value.

I passed level 3 last year - thankfully did them all on the first attempt too.

They're changing the curriculum so there's electives now I believe - like you can do a unit on Python or portfolio management.

I think it gives a well-rounded intro to investments and portfolio management. It's not just equity analysis though if that's what you're looking for. I'd say it was worthwhile but it really depends on what you want to get out of it. There's ethics and statistics for example.

The financial cost is not major compared to uni course - the cost is in your time and be prepped for that - especially for level II.

Level 1 covers what you'd do in a commerce/business course at uni and not too hard.

Level II is the hardest for most people. It is actually calculation and learning some differences between IFRS and GAAP accounting etc.

Level III I found easier as it is more interpreting what you've learnt in Level II. More useful as a lot of ratios etc you can get from software/calculators these days. Level II gives you the understanding of what it is and the flaws though so still good.

I wouldn't say it is overly US focused as finance is international and the units cover intl. issues too. I guess finance as a whole is really US influenced in any case. It's there but I would never have thought to highlight it.

@Valueinvestor0909 My eldest daughter just completed level 3 in Aug last year (also all 3 on first attempt in about 19 months total). She said it was USD$350 to enrol + $1k USD per level (if you register early (3mths before exam) otherwise $1250 if you do it later). There are also preparation providers which are $500-1000 AUD ish per level if you want. Level 1 has exams 4 times a year, level 2 and 3 are 2-3 times per year

I'm happy to ask her any specific questions you might have (she also said she's happy to talk to you if you'd like), she seemed to put a decent amount of effort in (tho perhaps she isn't the best to judge by since she's a "perfectionist" and likely tried not just to pass but aimed for 100% (even tho they don't give you your actual scores - they do however give you a sort of graphical breakdown representation across each subject/topic showing where your scores sat relative to 50% and 70% lines, as well as where your total mark sat relative to the minimum pass mark))

What career are you looking to end up in out of interest?

I looked at it, but have ended up starting a Grad Dip of Financial Planning through Kaplan.

You’ve probably already seen this in your googling, but Investopedia has study guides for each level which break them down pretty comprehensively. I can’t say how accurate or up to date they are.

Thank you @Remorhazand to your daughter for the kind offer. I will reach out should i have specific questions but currently I am too early in my research and also not sure if i will probably choose to jump in but Thank you very much

Thank you @Strawman . Yes, I kind of agree with you. but my personality is such that I will drag completing study even if it's freely available unless there is pressure at my backside to do something.

I am an Engineer and probably continue to be one but this course will be helpful in the future for merging my engineering background with finance/business acumen.

Thanks @jimmybuffalino . No actually I didn't look at it so far. However, I found https://www.saltsolutions.com/ provides free education for level 1 and i started with that atm.

Thanks @Mujo . Congratulations on completing in first attempt.

Thanks @Solvetheriddle