CFA exam registered name vs passport name – how different is different enough to not be accepted?

Thanks for the info fairy. my situation isn’t covered by the examples, and I’m not sure whether to use the name change form (it seems to be for actual legal name changes) but will email them to clarify. 

Thanks for the help everyone!

Want to apply, but my name on passport is without any surname and surname column in the form is compulsory. Please suggest how to fill it without surname

From the CFA website:

• Is issued by a national government which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, your identity and nationality (learn more about unacceptable forms of identification);

• Is an original document (photocopies are not allowed) and is current (not expired);

• Contains your name,* date of birth, passport number, expiration date, and the name of the country that issued the passport;

• Is machine readable** (handwritten passports will not be accepted); and

• Includes a recognizable photograph on the passport data page.

> @kalalah said:
> Thanks for the info fairy. my situation isn’t covered by the examples, and I’m not sure whether to use the name change form (it seems to be for actual legal name changes) but will email them to clarify. 
>
> Thanks for the help everyone!

Hey, was this resolved? I would like to hear more about this information.

Thanks for the help everyone!

kalalah said:

wv0178 said:

> @kalalah said:
> Thanks for the info fairy. my situation isn’t covered by the examples, and I’m not sure whether to use the name change form (it seems to be for actual legal name changes) but will email them to clarify. 
>
> Thanks for the help everyone!

Hey, was this resolved? I would like to hear more about this information.

Yep, in the end. My issue was due to hyphenation and capitalisation, so sometimes my name has three ‘words’, and sometimes ‘four’, so wasn’t sure whether that was acceptable. Didn’t need to fill out a name change form in the end.

I have a similar situation. My last name has a space on my passport but not on the CFA website. Suggestions?

lugnuts said:

Right – so if I’ve registered for the exams under Francis Joseph Underwood, but my passport says Francis Underwood Joseph, is that OK? Last name is Underwood, but due to weird passport conventions my last name ended up in the middle. This sometimes confuses authorities in airports so I’m wondering whether it’ll cause issues during the exam.

Similar issue here – does anyone have an official guidance on this? Couldn’t find anything on the CFA Institute website…

I have a friend that completed all three exams with a similar name difference, so no problems for her there.

If you want to 100% confirm you can always email CFA Institute to check for your specific name.

Personally I think it’s amazing that you’re taking the time from running the country to focus on the CFA, Mr President – really shows how important the CFA is to personal self improvement!

situation*

wv0178 said:

> @kalalah said:
> Thanks for the info fairy. my situation isn’t covered by the examples, and I’m not sure whether to use the name change form (it seems to be for actual legal name changes) but will email them to clarify. 
>
> Thanks for the help everyone!

Hey, was this resolved? I would like to hear more about this information.

Yep, in the end. My issue was due to hyphenation and capitalisation, so sometimes my name has three ‘words’, and sometimes ‘four’, so wasn’t sure whether that was acceptable. Didn’t need to fill out a name change form in the end.

Double-check with the CFA Institute (I emailed), but in my case I didn’t need to do anything.

As long as the first and last names match, it’s usually not a problem. You can bring both documents to be safe.

From what I know, the CFA exam registration process can be a bit picky about names matching exactly. It’s like when you’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—sometimes, even a small difference can cause a big fuss. Here’s the deal: If your registered name and passport name aren’t a perfect match, you might run into issues. The exam folks want to make sure you are who you say you are, which is fair enough. So, my advice would be to make sure your registered name matches your passport name as closely as possible. If there are any differences, like a middle name missing or a nickname used, it’s best to contact the CFA Institute directly or use an identity validation service to get it sorted out before exam day.