Sophie Macon 
Ethics represents 15-20% of CFA Level 1 (27-36 questions) and uses identical content across all three levels, making it highly efficient to master. This CFA Level 1 Ethics cheat sheet covers the 6 Code of Ethics components, all 7 Standards of Professional Conduct with 22 sub-standards, GIPS basics, and exam strategies. Key insight: Ethics can …
The Ethical and Professional Standards section is challenging for most CFA candidates given the more subjective nature of the topic and questions (vs. the rest of the curriculum), and the sheer amount of readings to go through. Regardless whether you’re new to CFA exams or a seasoned CFA Level 3 candidate, CFA Ethics section plays …
As a CFA candidate, you may have heard occasional horror stories about some candidates being subjected to CFA Professional Conduct investigations due to a misconduct (perceived or actual). To help alleviate your concerns, this article explains: Let’s dive in! What is CFA Institute’s Professional Conduct Program? CFA Institute upholds the Code of Ethics and Standards …
The week before CFA Level 1 must feel pretty daunting, as it still feels the same for most Level 2 and 3 candidates too. Back then, I still remember feeling what can best be described as equal parts of zen and zombie. How are you feeling? Tired of all this studying, and just want this …
Latest CFA pass rates (Nov 2025): Level 1 43%, Level 2 42%, Level 3 50%. Historical averages since 2014: L1 41%, L2 45%, L3 50%. Pass rates dropped dramatically during pandemic (L1 hit 22% low in July 2021) but are recovering toward pre-pandemic norms. First-time test takers pass at significantly higher rates than deferred candidates …
This is a SUPER detailed guide to enhancing your memory retention for studying. In this guide, I’ll show you 18 actionable ways on how to improve memory for studying any exams, with CFA-exam-specific examples. So if you want to increase your chances of passing any exams, this list is for you. Let’s get started! What is the …
There are at least 3 million professional accountants around the world. This isn’t surprising considering how vital the accounting industry is to our society, from small businesses, large corporations and even governmental organizations. If you’re interested in pursuing accounting as a career, you’ll find a broad range of opportunities. From working for one of the …
Finance certifications such as CFA and FRM are a cost effective way (compared to an MBA) to give your finance career a boost. We do receive a lot of questions from our readers trying to understand the core differences between them in deciding whether to pursue CFA or FRM. Hence, for those still on the …
Note: this cheat sheet is updated for the latest 2026’s curriculum. Derivatives. Perhaps no single word has a greater ability to strike fear in the hearts of CFA candidates. The readings on this topic are replete with graphs, formulas, all of which seem indecipherable, and gratuitous references to Greek letters. However, it doesn’t need to …
Note: this cheat sheet is updated for the latest 2026 curriculum. Whilst a relatively smaller topic weight in the overall Level 1 exams, CFA Alternative Investments is an important topic career-wise if you work in asset management as it is expected to capture 57% of global asset management revenue by 2028. I personally found this …