CFA Institute Welcomes New CIPM Certificants

Fifty-three percent of the candidates who sat for the final Expert level exam in the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM®) Program passed the April 2014 exam. Pending experience and membership requirements, these successful candidates will be able to use the CIPM designation, a mark of distinction for professionals seeking to increase their mastery of performance and risk evaluation principles and manager search and selection techniques. There are a total of 1,186 investment professionals who hold the CIPM designation, distinguishing them as accountable and deeply knowledgeable professionals committed to professional integrity and a client’s best interests.  

The CIPM Program promotes professional and ethical excellence in performance evaluation and presentation, enabling investors to confidently compare investment results across managers. Using globally comparable and consistent metrics, certificants can provide clients with more transparent and insightful communications and in doing so help build trust in the investment industry.  Successful CIPM candidates include investment consultants, portfolio managers, investment performance analysts, client relationship managers, marketing managers, compliance officers, and risk managers, among others. 

“In an environment of mis-trust and suspicion concerning areas within the industry, such as high frequency trading, the CIPM Program allows investors to trust that the results they see are properly earned instead of the product of manipulation,” said Rahul Keshap, head, Program Management . “CIPM certificants are making a difference in restoring trust in the profession, by putting investors first, safeguarding the system, and striving for transparency and fairness.”

In addition to the new certificants, 54 percent of 248 candidates in 35 countries who took the Principles level of the CIPM exam have passed. The Principles level exam emphasizes investment tools and inputs necessary for performance evaluation and the provisions of the GIPS standards. Candidates who passed the Principles level exam are eligible to enroll in the Expert level of the program. 

To earn the designation a candidate must enroll and pass two exams, become a regular member of the CIPM Association, and meet professional experience requirements. The CIPM Program applies best practices in investment analysis techniques through a self-directed curriculum and tests proficiency in professional ethics, performance evaluation, and investment reporting. Approximately 70 percent of the CIPM curriculum and readings cover advanced performance evaluation (measurement, attribution, appraisal, manager selection). The remaining 30 percent covers ethical and professional standards, including how to use the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). The CIPM Program provides investors with rigorous performance evaluation skills in order to ethically evaluate investment decision making and communicate performance results.

Registration for both levels in the October 2014 examination window remains open through July 31, 2014. The CIPM curriculum is offered online and examinations are administered during two periods each year at test centers worldwide.