CIPM
CIPM Program Main

Expert Candidate Bulletin

 

1 July 2008

 

Congratulations on your decision to continue working toward the CIPM credential. As head of the only study and exam program designed specifically for investment performance professionals, I am pleased to welcome you personally to a new phase in your professional development. Please take a moment to read through this message in order to familiarize yourself with the resources available to you.

 

Schedule Your Exam Appointment
The final date for scheduling and rescheduling an exam appointment with Pearson VUE is 23 October. (Exams are administered through 31 October.) However, I strongly encourage you to contact Pearson VUE and schedule your appointment as soon as possible.

 

Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so by reserving a seat now, you are more likely to be accommodated at the time and place of your choosing.

 

In addition, making the appointment establishes a deadline for completing your preparation. Committing to sit for the exam on a specific date will help you adhere to your study plan.

 

Advancing to the Expert Level
 By successfully preparing for the Principles exam, you have already demonstrated your ability to manage time effectively. However, you may find that preparing for the Expert exam takes longer. We have developed study plans that break each study session into subtopics, and we have structured the online courseware accordingly. The suggested study plans — presented under the heading "Planning Your Study" in the Resources section of the courseware — will help you manage your preparation time.

 

You may also find the Expert curriculum appreciably harder. In particular, many of the concepts and analytical techniques you will encounter in the area of performance measurement, attribution, and appraisal are more advanced. In order to help you gain confidence in applying new skills, the Expert courseware in the quantitatively oriented Study Sessions II through VII is problem-centered rather than expository. When addressing these topics, I strongly recommend that you study the readings carefully, plan to read them more than once, and use the exercises in the courseware to practice and to test your understanding of the concepts and calculations.

 

Similarly, correctly applying the GIPS standards in complex situations requires a deeper understanding of their provisions. Thorough study of the GIPS Guidance Statements, along with the commentary and examples in the GIPS Handbook, will enable you to consolidate and extend your knowledge of the Standards. In the online courseware, Study Sessions VIII through XIII focus on the GIPS standards; there you will find new content and interactive exercises in more familiar formats.

 

Interactive Courseware Features
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of studying the readings. The online courseware alone does not fully equip you to master the CIPM candidate body of knowledge.

 

However, the online courseware does include additional learning tools that can be extremely advantageous, so a smart study plan will use all the available resources.

 

For example, in addition to interactive exercises and practice questions with feedback throughout the online courseware, there are short videos introducing each study session, navigational aids including bookmarking and go-to-section/page shortcuts, a note-taking feature, print functionality for individual screens and entire study sessions, and self-evaluation checklists at the close of each study session.

 

Sample Exam
 Your enrollment in the CIPM program includes unlimited access at no additional charge to an online sample exam through 31 October 2008. The sample exam is accessible through the online courseware.

 

The online sample exam consists of questions that previously appeared on actual CIPM exams. Taking the sample exam will familiarize you with the format of the Expert exam, and reviewing the feedback may help you identify topics or concepts that merit further study.

 

Please bear in mind that the CIPM exams do not include questions on every concept in the curriculum. Thus a concept that is tested on the sample exam may not appear on the actual exam, and concepts that appear on the actual exam may not be among those tested on the sample exam.

 

Remember that the Learning Outcome Statements are the best guide to the knowledge you may be asked to demonstrate when you sit for the actual exam.

 

Exam Administration Policies

  • Identification: You must provide two forms of identification that meet certain requirements.
  • Calculator use: Review the calculator policy to ensure your calculator will be allowed into the test center. 
  • Security: A digital fingerprint, photograph, and signature may be taken when you check in for the exam.
  • Exam length: You will have 180 minutes to take the exam. We schedule 210 minutes at the test center to provide you with ample time, up to half an hour, to read and sign the candidate pledge and answer a survey. The three-hour exam clock starts when you open the actual exam.
  • Breaks: There are no scheduled breaks during the exam. You can take an unscheduled break, but the 180-minute clock will continue to run for the duration of the break.
  • Scrap paper: No scrap paper is allowed. You will receive a dry-erase tablet and a writing instrument for use during the exam. You can have only one tablet at a time. If you run out of space, another tablet will be provided.

 

Conferences and Speaking Engagements
The CIPM program actively participates in speaking engagements and industry conferences throughout the world. We encourage you to visit our events calendar to learn more about these conferences. In some cases, you can receive discounted registration fees.

Your Candidacy in the CIPM Program
 The CIPM designation is a mark of accomplishment, and earning the right to use it requires serious, disciplined effort. At the same time, I hope that you will find the experience of studying the curriculum and preparing for the Expert exam inherently rewarding. If you haven't already started, I encourage you to get under way as soon as possible. Then, keep moving ahead, and you may find that you have a little extra time to review before exam day.


Finally, be sure to revisit the candidate resources section of the CIPM website. It contains useful information on what to expect when you schedule, prepare for, and take the exam.


Best wishes in your study, and please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Philip Lawton, CFA, CIPM
Head, CIPM Program