CFA Institute prep providers
In addition to the study support provided by CFA Institute, candidates can benefit from extra exam prep courses and materials from third party providers.
Why use a CFA Institute prep provider?
All CFA Institute prep provider tutors are CFA charterholders, and agree to follow CFA Institute guidelines and standards in their offerings, as well as update their materials yearly.
Selecting your exam prep provider
Exam prep providers can be a valuable supplement to your studies. While we have CFA Institute prep providers, each provider may offer different prep courses and may operate on different schedules. Review the below tips on finding the best provider for you. Note that candidates must register individually for their exam; third parties cannot register on your behalf.
- Are you a CFA Institute prep provider? If they say yes, check our website.
- Look for the CFA Institute logo on their website. CFA logo use is forbidden by any and all prep providers.
- What is the average pass rate of your customers? CFA Institute Prep Providers are forbidden from answering this question due to the risk of cherry picking their best candidates.
- Where can I find the biographies of the trainers? All CFA Institute Prep Providers provide it.
- Do you cover all topics on the exam? Cross reference topic outline to validate.
- Have you updated all your materials to the latest curriculum year? ALL CFA Institute Prep Providers are required to do so.
- What is the size of your question bank and how many mocks do you have? Prep providers often compete on this number. The total numbers of questions and mock exams offered by a CFA Institute Prep Provider should not include questions/mocks exams created by CFA Institute. It should only include questions/mocks created by the CFA Institute Prep Provider.
- How responsive are you to the questions I may have? Many candidates have questions about exam questions and this is a key service offered by CFA Institute Prep Providers.
- Do you have a feature to enable me to focus on my weaknesses? Many digital platforms offer this helpful service.
- How many hours will it take me to pass the exam with your service? Be wary of anybody giving a number of less than 300 hours.
Other important information
- Only CFA Institute prep providers can use Learning Outcome Statements (LOS) in their materials.
- All prep provider tutors are CFA® charterholders and must update their materials yearly to reflect the latest curriculum.
- If the provider you're considering is not listed, they are NOT a CFA Institute prep providers.
- British Armed Forces members can find prep providers approved as ELCAS providers.
- Third party firms such as exam preparation providers or employers may make an exam fee payment on behalf of prospective or registered candidates. You will be classified as a registered candidate for the CFA Program when CFA Institute has received full payment of your enrollment and registration fees.
- The CFA Institute Prep Provider Program was launched as an effort to help improve candidate preparation for the exams and establishes a set of principles that are considered best practices for prep providers. CFA Institute does not endorse, promote, or warrant the accuracy of the products or services offered by prep courses. We do not verify or endorse the pass rates or other claims these organizations make.
CFA Program Practice Pack
Prep providers offer a wide range of services to candidates including extensive video content, summarized curriculum, their own printed versions of the curriculum and more. The Practice Pack is designed to complement what a prep provider can offer at a more accessible price point.
Thinking about pursuing the CFA Program?
Take our readiness assessment to learn whether becoming a CFA charterholder is right for you.
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