- 20th May 2021: May 2021 CFA exams in Buenos Aires, Argentina changed to partial closure
- 17th May 2021: Full closure in Taipei, Taiwan
- 14th May 2021: Partial closings in 5 more locations
- 13th May 2021: Kathmandu full closure and partial closing in Vietnam and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- 11th May 2021: Partial closings in 6 more locations
- 7th May 2021: Reduced capacity in some US test centers, with impacted candidates being rescheduled to Aug or Nov exams.
- 6th May 2021: Partial closing in Hamburg, Germany
- 4th May 2021: Kathmandu added, all other cities in India, more clarification on partial closings and optional deferrals
- 30th Apr 2021: Updated to include 5 more cancelled locations + Ontario, Canada update
- 23rd Apr 2021: Initial cancellation announcements for 7 cities in India
Here is the complete list of cities where May 2021 CFA exams have partial or full cancellations:
Optional deferral
- Ontario, Canada
Partial closures
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Agilitics, Singapore
- Ankara, Turkey
- Curitiba, Brazil
- Scottsbluff, Nebraska, US
- Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Halifax, Canada
- Cali, Colombia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Pakistan
- Malaysia
- Atlanta, Georgia, US
- College Station, Texas, US
- La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
- Los Angeles, California, US
- McAlester, Oklahoma, US
- Mountlake Terrace, Washington, US
- Portland, Oregon, US
- San Jose, California, US
- Santa Maria, California, US
- Hamburg, Germany
- Mauritius
- Kenya
- Doha, Qatar
- Santiago, Chile
- Lima, Peru
Full Closure
- Kathmandu
- Taipei, Taiwan
- India (all locations)
What does a ‘partially’ closed location mean? Candidates in cities with partial closings will be contacted via email if their exam appointments have been cancelled. If you have not received an email the assumption is that the exam is going ahead.
If your city is listed as ‘optional deferral’, you will be emailed by CFA Institute offering an option to defer your May 2021 exam to November 2021.
This is due to the increase in COVID cases in these regions. With so many other worries, hopefully this will come as a relief to the candidates in these cities.
More cities and locations may be affected in the coming days and weeks – we will keep updating this page as we learn more.
May 2021 CFA Exam Cancellations FAQ
We will keep this page updated as we learn more, but meanwhile, here are some FAQs on next steps:
How do I reschedule my cancelled CFA exam?
Candidates affected will be contacted via email “in the next few days” to arrange rescheduling to the November 2021 exam window.
This may be different from CFA Institute’s existing rescheduling policy.
Will my CFA exam location be cancelled?
CFA Institute have not ruled out more cancellations.
In fact they’ve stated that they are “actively monitoring all exam centers” and it’s “possible that additional cities will be impacted”. We will keep this page updated as we learn more.
What CFA exam window will I be deferred to?
Most affected candidates (except US locations) will be deferred to the November 2021 exam window. There won’t be a choice in exam windows as “space is limited”.
For partial closings in certain US test centers, impacted candidates will be notified to reschedule to August or November exam cycle.
Can I get a refund instead?
CFA Institute has not directly confirmed this, but a policy consistent with previous CFA exams is that if your exams have been twice-impacted or more (i.e. this exam has been postponed or cancelled by CFA Institute more than once), you should be given an option to cancel for a full refund.
Welp, I’ve got some free time now. Any recommendations on courses to take while I wait for my CFA exams?
We have a list of alternative, COVID-proof qualifications that CFA candidates might be interested in, which includes financial modelling, programming, data science, languages and well-being courses.
Alternatively – you could also take a break. Spend some time with your family and friends, practice some yoga, and focus on yourself. And stay safe out there.
Hi, since my exam has been cancelled twice due to covid-19, I requested a refund on the 7th of june of 2021. Then I received an e-mail saying: “We have received your CFA Program exam refund request. If approved, it may take up to 120 days to process your refund”. I understand that the refund may take a long time. But I haven´t yet received an e-mail telling that my request has been approved or asking for my personal details to proceed with the refund. I believe it will be approved. But if they don´t approve it, I must know as soon as possible because, alternatively, I could register for free for another exam this year (since my exam has been cancelled) and the deadline is approaching. Do you know how long they take to answer if the refund has been approved and to ask for personal details to make the refund? Do I need to contact them or it is just the way it is? Another question: do you know anyone that was able to get the refund through credit card? It seems they won´ t refund through credit card, the way I paid for the exam. But I totally prefer they could refund me through credit card. I paid an extra fee (local taxes) to make this payment through credit card. If the refund was through credit, then I would have this extra fee reimbursed. Besides, I am afraid that the local bank may charge some amount of money to receive the refund the way they propose. I would appreciate if anyone can answer those questions.
If your exams were cancelled twice by CFA Institute without you requesting them, then you will be eligible, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that and just let that go through the process. If you wish to follow up you could try calling them up directly (try their US number rather than the regional one).
As far as I know refunds are made through the original payment method. Do you have a source on the theory that CFAI doesn’t process credit card refunds?
I don’t have here their exact words. But I believe it was written, when I requested the refund, that the refund would be through HSBC and I would have to give later details to receive it in my bank account or PayPal account (there was no credit card option, although I believe it would be an easy and reasonable option).
has anyone successfully got a refund? Tomo, 21june 2021 is the last day of the refund window so maybe after that it might come, but just checking if anyone till now has actually got their money back… ?
It’s unlikely that you’ll actually get your money back that quickly. According to CFA Institute:
Will CFAI defer level 1 july exams in India, what’s the probability of the same?
We don’t have any information on likelihood of cancellations, although experience tells us that local rules and regulations are the clearest indicator. If the rules state it can go ahead, it will. You’ll have the best idea on these.
I am a June 2020 and Dec 2020 cancelled Candidate. The time to request a refund was 7-21 Dec. I had not requested a refund back then. Currently, I have not scheduled for any 2021 exam after that. Am I eligible to request for a refund?
You’ll have to contact CFA Institute (info@cfainstitute.org) for that. If I’m not mistaken this means you won’t qualify for a refund and will have to schedule an exam, but best to check with CFA Institute directly (and also ask if they can refund you anyway even if you’re not eligible).
CFA institute saying that the candidates who could not schedule exam for may window in India will not be offered the deferral to november. But this is unjust as it affects the candidates hard earned money and career. It is the institute cancelling/rescheduling the exam and not the candidate. Accepted that if the exam was conducted as per the schedule the institute does not allow candidate to register once the scheduling deadline is passed. But in this case, since the institute is rescheduling the exam due to COVID everyone should be given an opportunity. Also, the institute says that such candidates can apply for another exam after the results of exam for which she registered is out. Now in this case of covid, may exam is rescheduled to Nov and may defer further. So the candidate cannot re-apply untill for mid 2022 exam. This is like putting to risk someone’s career. Please provide your thoughts and any help steps that can be taken for this situation
I totally agree with your points. Waiting for another years is too long to grab career chance. If it’s your case, you should looking for other course or certificate which also may support your career.
Whether the CFA Institute can hold a window exam for all deferred candidates denpend on their capacity. That why the organization may want the defered ones to wait for the exam ressult before scheduling. Because this wat allows it to optimize resources.
BTW: I’m deferred one too, due to travel restriction in my area. At least you got the reponse which i’m desperately waitting for.
I’m not sure if I understand your issue. Are you saying that candidates that registered for May 2021, but did not schedule their exam, are not eligible for deferral to Nov 2021?
If that’s the case, what was the issue that led you to register for May 2021 but not schedule your exam?
Yes candidates with exam registered and not scheduled are not eligible for deferral
Yes that would make sense. It is clear during registration that if you do not schedule your exam you forfeit your registration fee. Whether or not May 2021 is deferred is a separate issue.
Hi Zee,
I have been deferred 3 times and now registered for July 2021 level I, but I am not able to give the exam. I have been trying to call CFA but no luck, neither got an email reply 10days now.
I just want to reschedule for any other time during the year or al least get a refund. Can you advise?
CFA Institute’s default response would be since you agreed to reschedule for July 2021, they’re not obliged to give you a refund. However, you can try and contact CFA Institute to see if they can sort you out. Call wait times and email response times are unfortunately currently a bit crazy, but candidates eventually do get through.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
Melbourne, Australia has just initiated a lockdown from 27th May to 3rd June. My exam is scheduled for 28th May, I’m not sure if CFA is able to update us on Melbourne cancellations in time to know whether I should be attending tomorrow. Any feedback from your experience?
Might be worth calling Prometric as well to see if due to the lockdown everything is off? Also worth trying to get hold of CFA Institute on the phone. You may have to wait a long time (up to 1+ hour) but likely your only option given the timelines.
If, because of the lockdown, it’s illegal for you to attend the exam, I can’t imagine how CFA Institute can expect you to go ahead with it.
The scheduling was missed because of some unavoidable circumstances
Will the MPS be affected because of the high number of test centres being closed? I.e. India closing test centres and many of the CFA L1 candidates are based in India
In theory, no. The MPS should be independent of the test sample.
In practice, no one knows for sure. But if I had to guess, I don’t think it will.
I am from India-CFA Level1 aspirant. I had received the cancellation mail on 7th May’21. My exam was postponed twice (now and earlier in December 20). I postponed the exam to Nov’21. But I realized I have another exam upcoming in November, so need to postpone it to Feb’22. It is still written on the website that you can CANCEL your exam by ET 11:59 PM 21st May with a full refund, but due to a technical glitch, the request is not proceeding.
I’m not sure if you are technically not eligible for a refund anymore since you rescheduled your exam for November 2021, but it’s definitely worth contacting CFA Institute to see if they can process your refund. I would email info@cfainstitute.org ASAP. Fingers crossed – let us know how it turns out!
Hello Zee!
Highly grateful for your consideration.
Did you receive any update on this. I had mailed to info@cfainstitute.com too.
I just want the exam to be shifted to Feb 2022.
I had already got my exams cancelled twice and now one of my other exams is recently scheduled to be in Nov 2021 due to Covid again. It will not be possible to give both at the same time. A brief gap is required to revise things.
I have emailed them too and I didn’t get a response.
My Exam window is May 28. Unfortunately, I ‘m under travel restriction due to new positive covid cases in my building. It’s very likely that the restriction will not be released on May 28.
I have sent email to Info.cfainstitution.com three days ago but did not receive answer yet.
If I have to delay the exam. can you tell me what type of documents I need to attach. and how long I have to wait for a reschedule exam window.
Thank you
It’s info@cfainstitute.org. In any case they’re taking more than three days to reply these days anyway. You’ll need to prove that you’re under government-stipulated travel restrictions, so any documentation that you have on that would help. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!
Its been a week. They have not replied yet.
Same to me and tried to cal them but no luck
for update purpose, The Institution has received my case and allow me to delay the exam window.
Excellent, thanks for letting us know!
hi there, thank you for the update, now long have you been waiting for? Did you reach out to them by email? thanks again.
Has the mail for rescheduling the cancelled May 21 level exam in India has been floated out?
Many candidates are still waiting – hang in there!
I scheduled the examination for the May-2020 term, which got postponed at two instances and I was due to appear for the May-2021 term. As you would be aware that currently, for the May-2021 Level II CFA examination full cancellations have been announced in India.
Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak and the ongoing uncertainties in the examination, it became tough to track the various scheduling timelines which were unfortunately missed on my end. I was also tested COVID-19 positive on the 11th of March-2021. What should I do?
It’s not clear from your description what your issue is. I’m assuming you initially were meant to take the June 2020 exam.
If you were due to take your exams in May 2021 in India, yes, they’ve all been cancelled and you will be offered a postponement to November 2021.
Hello Zee, I am CFA level 1 exam candidate. My CFA exams scheduled in July 2021 India are clashing with CA (ICAI)exams. What are my deferral options? Could you please guide me.
I don’t think there are many cost-free options I’m afraid. You can see this thread for your options on what to do next: I want to postpone my CFA exam. What are my options?
Hi, I am a candidate in Pakistan and have been twice impacted by the reschedule done in 2020. Currently my exam is scheduled for 29th May 2021 but for some reasons i do not want to give the exam, instead i would like to have a refund. The CFA guideline states ‘candidates twice impacted by COVID-19 circumstances will have the option to defer again or to request a refund. The refund request window for May 2021 candidates will be open from 07 June through 21 June 2021.’
My question is that am i eligible for a refund? If yes, should i go ahead and give the exam on 29th May, or not give the exam and then request the refund. Please note that i have not been medically impacted by covid19.
Hi Saad, there was a window to request for the refund if you’re twice impacted in 2020, but now that has passed unfortunately. The right to refund was waived once you rescheduled to May 2021.
So you’re not eligible for a refund under their current policy, unless your 29th May 2021 exam was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Hi,
I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina and my appointment has not been cancelled yet, I can see it in the CFA page (19 on May) and I can’t reschedule. I’m worried because I have not received any email from prometric or CFA.
What should I expect?
The Test Center Updates page clearly states that Buenos Aires has been completely cancelled, so it should be fine. CFA Institute likely taking a while to go through all the locations, or even waiting until the exams are over so that they can confirm numbers before figuring out what to do.
Meanwhile I would also email CFA Institute (info@cfainstitute.org) to follow up on your case.
Hi, I had applied for CFA L1 exam for June 2020 it got deferred to Dec 2020 and again got deferred then I have re-applied for August 2021 L1 exams, but now looking at rising covid cases in India its too risky to be in a crowded place,i.e exam center. Do you think refund can be initiated by CFA institute in this case. Kindly guide. I email the institute and tried calling them but received no response on this. I have read their refund policy but then its a bit confusing as it says two time deferred candidate are eligible June & Dec 2020 further it says -“ The refund request window for twice impacted May 2021 candidates”.
Kindly guide
If you’ve been deferred in Jun20 and again at Dec20 you’re definitely twice-impacted. However, if you’ve scheduled your exam for August 2021 you would not qualify for a refund right now – unless Aug21 is cancelled for you as well.
Ι am twice-impacted as well and I have registered for July 2021. What are my options? Maybe a postponement for a later day in the year or a refund if I can’t postpone.?
Just got CFA Institute on the phone that confirmed that they’ll be looking at later exam dates after they deal with the Nov 2021 postponements. Just thought you would like to know.
Hi Maya, does that mean they will look to offer at later dates possibly in 2022 for current deferred candidates?
CFA L1 December 2020 deferred candidate from India. Yet to opt for a 2021 exam testing window. Is there a way to obtain a refund / push to 2022?
All CFA May 2021 candidates in India are deferred so I’d imagine you would receive instructions to defer to Nov 2021 shortly. This should include candidates that did not manage to schedule the exam.
Hi, I am a Dec 2020 deferred candidate yet to select a 2021 exam window. Before May 13th 2021, I was being offered August and November 2021 as upcoming exam windows to choose from. Now the Feb 2022 window is also being offered in the registration window. Is it for sure that I am being offered a 2022 option and no fees will be charged? given that at the top a box says that fees for deferral candidates to be zero at checkout. how do I confirm this? Cant connect with the institute over phone tried several times.
When you’re offered a deferral you usually receive an email listing the exam windows available and instructions on how to schedule. If you have this for Feb 2022, you should be fine.
I havent got an email, but when I’m opening the registration box on CFAI website, earlier prior to 13th nov, only aug and nov 2021 options were given, now feb 2022 is also being offered. I’m assuming that means I’m being offered feb 2022 at no charge since I’m a deferral candidate
Hi,
I have registered for July 2021, however, I will not be able to make it. Are you aware if we will be able to or we will be given again the option to reschedule for another exam window in 2021?
Thank you,
Eleni
I’m afraid not. The only way you’ll have an option to reschedule for another exam window would be if CFA Institute had to cancel your exam due to Covid, and even then it would likely be a rescheduling to 2022, since the cancelled May 2021 candidates are being moved to Nov 2022.
Thank you for your response. If I will ask for a refund, could register for Nov 2021 then? is this an option for me?
I don’t see why not. It’ll obviously depend on Nov 2021 availability as well.
I am from India and i have my CFA level 1 in july.What are the chances that it will be cancelled?
I don’t think it’s much use speculating about July at the moment. There’s no way to predict how the Covid situation will be then, and even then CFA Institute will only make a decision at least a month before, likely right up few days before exam day.
I had registered for may 21 level 1 exam. But could not schedule the test. In the event of cancellation of exams in India, will I be eligible for the deferred exam in Nov?
I had registered for may exam but could not schedule the exam. In the event of of cancellation of the may exam in India, will I be Eligible for the deferred exam in Nov 2021?
All CFA May 2021 candidates in India are deferred so I’d imagine you would receive instructions to defer to Nov 2021 shortly. This should include candidates that did not manage to schedule the exam.
Hi,
I have cfa lvl 1 exam 18th May in Ankara but when i check prometric closure list it says that my center is closed from 27th April to 18th May
So does it mean my exam its going to be cancelled?
Hi,
I have cfa lvl 1 exam 18th May in Ankara but when i check prometric closure list it says that my center is closed from 27th April to 18th May
So does it mean my exam its going to be cancelled?
It could be. Turkey isn’t included (yet?) in the list of cancelled locations for CFA May 2021. You also might get rescheduled to another day, or relocated to a different test center.
Let us know how it turns out!
Hi
I am a candidate of level 1 and i am gonna take the exam in Turkey but since the Cfa institute still holds the early may review status, i am unsure to book a flight. I have also received the before exam schedule email. Would you think Turkey exams will be in place?
That’ll really depend on whether the lockdown will be extended – it’s currently until 17th May, isn’t it? Cases are going down so lockdown might be lifted by then, but needing to fly into Turkey unfortunately then puts you in a very iffy position.
Which day is your exam exactly?
Its 28th
Its 19th . In Istanbul
Hi!
Unfortunately, growing tendency of corona cases during last couple of weeks in my country hasn’t left me unimpacted and I tested positive for Covid today.. right before 2 weeks of my exam😕My exam is planned to go ahead in Armenia and I have confirmation of exact location and timing as well. What can i do now? Is there any way I will get deferral to future available exam window? Will I lose funds I’ve already paid?
Thanks!
Quoting CFA Institute:
So contact CFA Institute ASAP to request your exam to be deferred.
Three big caveats:
Good luck. If you have any further questions, post a question in our support forum!
Hi matias, is not full closure? prometric told me its confirmed but cfa institute send me a message telling me its cancelled, who should i believe?
CFA Institute should be the source of truth here. Their communication specifically states:
So it’s definitely cancelled in Buenos Aires.
Received the mail – ALL CFA EXMS FOR MAY 2021 CANCELLED IN INDIA
Here is the text:
“We regret to inform you that, because of pandemic-related health restrictions, CFA Institute has determined that it cannot administer the May 2021 exam anywhere in India. Appointments for all India test centers will be cancelled.
We will contact you by email next week to provide you with details about re-scheduling your exam to the November administration. Please note that due to the global disruption caused by COVID, we cannot accommodate additional candidates into earlier exam windows. Registration has been closed for the August exam administration.
TWICE-IMPACTED CANDIDATES You may be eligible for a refund if this is your second exam impact due to COVID-19. CFA Institute will contact you directly via email on 7 June if this option is available to you. If you choose to register for the November 2021 window at no cost, you will not be eligible for a refund.
We appreciate your patience. Please understand that the CFA Institute Customer Care department does not have any more information at this time, so we will be unable to respond to questions until we have completed the preparations to support your options.
You likely received an email earlier today regarding the May exam day schedule. Please disregard that message. We apologize for any confusion.”
Thanks for forwarding this on!
Some May Exam Appointments in Buenos Aires, Argentina were cancelled.
Just got a mail stating that May 21 exam is cancelled in India
Yes – all locations in India are now cancelled for the May 2021 exams. The article has been updated to reflect this.
Recently some May exams appointments in Argentina were cancelled.
Yes – Buenos Aires is now added to the list of cancelled locations.
CFA may 21 candidate exam postpone to November. What strategy should I follow to study ?
Take a month or so off, then start ramping back up again. As before keep 1, 2 months before exams for review and mocks, and this time target a consistent 80% score. With the MPS increasing in the last exam cycle you can’t be too careful.
Thank you 🙂
Hi, my test center is in Navi Mumbai, it is in the list of cancelled cities. I haven’t received mail for deferral yet, has the institute automatically deferred exams to November for candidates from these 8 Indian cities?
Hi Gaurav, I have not received an email either and my test center is in Mumbai. I feel that we should be receiving an email in the upcoming days. From what I had heard, the CFA institute was waiting till the 3rd of May to send emails with a deferral option to students in other cities, besides the impacted ones, within India. Once these students have expressed their preferences, the institute will be sending a bulk email regarding the deferral procedure and confirming the dates with us. Unless and until we receive an email from the institute confirming the new dates for our exams, we can’t assume that our exams have been deferred.
Thank you. Just to be sure, our May attempt is cancelled regardless of the deferral e-mail, isn’t it?
Yes, if you fall in any of the eight centeres in India, your exam is deferred to Nov 2021 for sure.
CFA Institute has been patchy in email communication since the cancellation announcements, so perhaps they’re quite overwhelmed by enquiries and logistics. I wouldn’t panic yet – the CFA Institute test center updates page clearly states that they cannot go ahead in Navi Mumbai for May 2021, so you’ll get deferral details for November soon (I hope!).
Hi, do you have any idea about brazil. In Prometric site São Paulo says that they are closed until 29 may, but i didn’t receive any information about, Thanks
Onde voce viu isso?
https://www.prometric.com/closures, coloca brasil, vai ver que o de sp ‘está fechado’, só que não faz muito sentido porque peru por exemplo, ta como aberto e já foi anunciado fechado
Estranho, não consigo ver que está fechado aqui… eh da Alumni do Morumbi?
That probably means a cancellation announcement from CFA Institute is imminent. Check CFA Institute for updates – we will also update our May 2021 cancellations article as we learn more.
Hi, I live in Kolkata (India) and the cases here are quite a lot. The government is not allowing any academic gatherings too and have imposed partial lockdown too. When will the CFA Institute inform us whether our exams will take place or not?
Hey Srishti, I am in the same situation as yours (registered for L2 and reside in India). I received an email from CFA today talking about a deferral option for the August exam. But could not see any deferral option in the website. Any idea about this?
Hi Rohan – you received a deferral option as a registered candidate for the August exam? Can you forward a copy to us at comments@300hours.com?
hello,
After checking https://live-prometric.pantheonsite.io/closures realized that my center is closed at my exam date, is that mean that my exam is going to be postponed?
Probably. Which test center are you at?
Hello, I deferred my exam to November window on may 2. But, today I got a mail from Prometric regards to my may 2021 exam location along with date and time. Does this mean that my deferral was not accepted or it means that Cfa institute has not informed prometric about the same?
I’ve replied to your similar comment in our support forum here.
Any update on the Singapore location? Have they cancelled?
Not as of now. Check this link for updates
https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa/exam/test-center-update
No, no announcement for Singapore yet. Isn’t the Covid situation in Singapore amazingly under control, and therefore unlikely to be postponed?
Any idea when CFA institute is going to do the review of testing feasibility as it was supposed to do in early May.
No idea. They also said they wouldn’t be making any cancellation decisions until early May, but clearly they went against their own guidance when they announced the cancellations. So it’s anyone’s guess – any day now!
My test center is in Lima-Perú but I haven’t received a cancellation email yet. There are 2 test centers in Lima-Perú (really close to each other), my friends who are giving the exam in the other test center have received the email already, do you have any information if the other test center is going to be cancelled as well?
CFA Institute’s postponement announcement states Lima, Peru as an entire location, so your location should be cancelled as well.
CFA Institute might be just working through the test centers – because of all the uncertainty and changes CFA Institute may be taking longer than expected to work through all this.
Stay safe!
Hello,
Are you sure about the cancelation in Chile??. I haven´t got any news.
CFA Institute have confirmed Santiago, Chile as postponed for May 2021 on their page here.
Greetings
Is there any possibilities for exam cancellation in Turkey? Its a full lockdown till 17 May
Given that the CFA May exams start on the 18th it’s theoretically possible that CFA Institute may not have to postpone the exams in Turkey. But the lockdown may last beyond 17th May – 3 weeks is very short for a lockdown.
I’d rate cancellation chances in Turkey as ‘likely’.
I am a level 1 candidate in istanbul as well. Seems like CFA institute is not gonna postpone the exams for Turkey
Hello, I am in Ontario and clicked the button to defer. This brings you to a site saying thank you for advising that you would like to defer, but I have not received any email or communication confirming that the deferral is approved. Given the option to defer expires on May 3, how do I know if my deferral request is confirmed? Thanks.
They might mean that you have until May 3rd to click on the button to defer.
In any case many candidates are reporting the same thing, so chances are CFA Institute is a little behind on things possibly due to the volume.
If you want some additional reassurance, I would email CFA Institute at info@cfainstitute.org just to make sure your intent to defer is clear and on the record.
Hi, my test center is in Mumbai, India (an impacted city) and I had received an email on the 24th of April regarding exam deferral. However, I am yet to receive an email regarding the rescheduling process. My peers living in other cities have already received an email stating that the deadline to make a conformation regarding the same is on the 3rd of May. Now I don’t what is happening and this is creating a lot of uncertainty. Are there any previous instances where CFA has made an announcement and then taken it back after a couple of weeks. Also, do you have any idea as to when they will send the email?
I understand that it’s frustrating to wait and receive no news, but at this point it’s likely best to sit tight and wait for CFA Institute to get in touch.
I am a CFA Level 1 candidate registered for May 2021 and I am from Kolkata (a non affected city). Due to a rise in Covid cases in India and exams getting cancelled in few Indian cities, I was offered an option to defer my term to November. If I choose to do so, will I be required to pay any additional cost?
If you’re offered an option to defer by CFA Institute, you would not need to pay for the deferral or rescheduling costs.
The same situation, but I have chosen not to defer. If my exam center gets cancelled later on will there be any problem for me?
If your exam center ends up getting cancelled you’ll be offered deferral options, not to worry.
I am registered for the August 2021 Level 2 exam & haven’t selected the test centre yet. Is the deferment option available for November 2021? With the current situation in India, I still feel unsafe to give an exam in August. Any likelihood of Aug getting cancelled too just like May?
There’s certainly a chance but there’s no point in speculating about that right now. August’s Covid situation may be different, and even if it isn’t, CFA Institute are unlikely to be making decisions on August 2021 until around July.
Hello. I am from India and my exam is scheduled in July. What do you think by when will institute give a clarity about conducting July exams in India.
Any announcements are likely to be made at most a month before, so June onwards.
Anyone giving exam from Gandhinagar, Gujarat have any idea whether exams are gonna go through or not?
Hi I am giving at gandhinagar
You have any hints whether the exams will move forward in Gandhinagar or not?
I am giving L2 from Kolkata. Is it certain the exam will happen or cfa might announce in few days that kolkata will also be added to to the current 8 cities where exam gets canceled?
CFA Institute have not ruled out more postponements. But whether your city will be postponed – 🤷♂️
Any idea when will we receive the rescheduling email
No idea how CFA Institute are planning that, sorry!
All those having a doubt if Navi Mumbai is cancelled along with Mumbai. CFA Institute has also added Navi Mumbai to its list of cancelled cities. So I guess that brings us clarity.
https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa/exam/test-center-update
Yep – have updated the article to reflect CFA Institute’s latest announcement, and included the fact that candidates at other locations are also receiving emails with an option to defer to November 2021.
anything about May CFA in Germany given new restrictions?
No cancellation news for Germany yet. Stay tuned and we’ll update this page as we learn more.
Will the CFA exams in May 2021 go ahead in London under current lockdown restrictions?
anything about May CFA in Germany given new restrictions?
Any news about pakistan?
Assuming you’re referring to the UK, based on what I know about lockdown restrictions, it’s looking likely that the exams will go ahead.
I am L3 Candidate and I did the same thing, I have rescheduled it from Bangalore ( a cancelled location) to Hyderabad( non affected location) and I have got the exam confirmation mail from Prometric and it appears so also on the CFA institute’s my enrollment section. But they didn’t mention the possibility of rescheduling in their mail. I have concerns about the validity of the rescheduling of the exam
Many candidates reported being able to do this as well – see discussion here. I would assume what the system tells you is valid until told otherwise by CFA Institute.
It should be valid, I just got this reply to my email querying the same:
‘Our records indicate that your reschedule request did go through and your appointment is as detailed in the email below from Prometric (scheduled for 25 May at test center #4031).’
Thanks for confirming your case lomna! This helps add to our overall picture of what’s going on.
Hi, how do you change test centre location? I am not getting that option on my login.
CFA May 2021 in Navi Mumbai exams are also cancelled?
The consensus among candidates is that Navi Mumbai is included in Mumbai for CFA exam purposes. You can see the full discussion here.
I have my exam in Hyderabad (a non affected location) but still I got a mail for a voluntary deferral option to Nov. The mail states the below
“As communities around the globe continue to adjust to the profound effects of COVID-19, we at CFA Institute have been monitoring health restrictions around the world, and particularly for our registered CFA candidates in India.
For cities where exams will go forward, we believe that even where government regulations allow us to administer the exam, the pandemic is presenting unique challenges to our India-based candidates. Your health and safety are important to us, and we want to provide you with the opportunity to defer your exam if you feel unsafe testing in May.
That is why we will offer registered May candidates in India the opportunity to defer your exam to the November exam administration. Please note that due to the global disruption caused by COVID, we cannot accommodate additional candidates into earlier exam windows.
If you make the decision to defer, we will send you an email when your account has been updated and you can change your exam. Please do not attempt to take action to change your exam registration now.
Only use the button below to indicate your desire to defer your exam registration to November. If you do not choose, we will assume that you plan to keep your scheduled appointment. The deadline to make your choice is 3 May.
Does this assures that I can defer my exam to Nov without any additional cost.
I’m pretty sure it means you’ll get the option to defer without an additional cost. Good luck!
Thanks. Just a thought, why don’t they postponed for a month or 2 as the paper is now online and it shouldn’t cause much trouble rather than postponing for 6 months everytime.
The exams are not ‘online’, they are computer-administered in test centers.
I understand the frustration in wanting the exams to be done, but rearranging logistics including venue, grading, MPS setting, results days for 100,000+ candidates, all of which have individual circumstances and preferences, is not a simple task. Venues will likely also not have availability if just moving by 2 months, and they won’t want to risk COVID still raging then. Hope that helps.
Can we assume now that the CFA exams have been postponed for sure ? The mail seems to be generalized. But i did receive the mail that exams are cancelled in select cities. So by this can i assume for sure that exams have been postponed ?
If your exam location is in one of the locations where a postponement is announced, then yes, you can assume that your exam is postponed.
Is the deferment option available to non-affected cities also in India? My centre is not covered but i still feel unsafe traveling given the covid outbreak in India😒
As of right now an optional deferral is not available to any location, although for the December 2020 exams CFA Institute did offer that to candidates so it’s possible that it could be brought back for May 2021 candidates.
I’m new to the CFA Program but want to know more about CFA Level 1. Do you have any good starting points?
Check out our beginner’s guide to the CFA exams here.
I am a Level 2 Candidate … My test centre got cancelled ….. Now if I want to differ to different test centre location which is not affected can I?
Some candidates have reported some success with rescheduling their exam locations, but I think CFA Institute have removed that option now.
Is there a possibility that they go ahead with May exam in Delhi if the covid cases decrease in next 2 weeks? My exam has been postponed 3rd times and it’s frustrating now.
That’s extremely unlikely I’m afraid. If it’s any consolation, I don’t think CFA Institute wanted Covid cancellations to happen either!
I’m a CFA L3 candidate, and have my exam scheduled for May 25th, 2021 in Mumbai. I haven’t recieved any mail from the institute that the exam has been cancelled. Isn’t everyone receiving a mail? Or is the cfa institute official announcement on the website is sufficient to assume cancellation?
CFA Institute stated that they will contact all candidates “within the next few days”. It’s been a bit more than 24 hours since the initial announcement so I would give it a few days first. They must be absolutely swimming in enquiries at the moment.
If you still don’t receive any news, the best way of getting hold of CFA Institute currently seems to be via phone. Be prepared to hold for at least half an hour though – half an hour was about the holding time before the cancellation announcement, so it’s likely to be a lot more now.
Hello
I am a registered May’21 Level 2 candidate but i haven’t received any email from CFA Institute regarding cancellation/postponement of my attempt.
My selected test centre is in New Delhi & the only information i’m getting is through the website about postponement.
I’ve also tried calling & emailing CFA Institute but I haven’t got any response.
What can I do?
Thanks
Aakash Gupta
CFA Institute stated that they will contact all candidates “within the next few days”. It’s been a bit more than 24 hours since the initial announcement so I would give it a few days first.
If you still don’t receive any news, the best way of getting hold of CFA Institute currently seems to be via phone. Be prepared to hold for at least half an hour though – half an hour was about the holding time before the cancellation announcement, so it’s likely to be a lot more now.
Actually you didn’t get want I Said.
The Mail of affected candidates in India and Unaffected Candidates in India were different.
The Affected in this Case ME. I just mail regarding cancellation.
The Unaffected got mail regarding Deferred.
Are there system already saved details regarding Deferred candidate of November.
And Changing it now won’t help it as its already assumed they have been deferred
Right, I got an email that my New Delhi scheduled exam would be deferred. But after seeing that others had rescheduled, I tried the same and scheduled my test centre as Lucknow. Been waiting to take the L2 exam since last June so this is frustrating.
Although I do doubt that the exams will go ahead even in the currently affected centres, and also the fact that rescheduling was allowed only until the 16th I doubt the newly rescheduled seats will be going through.
I too have the same issue!
Hi, i scheduled my exam in New Delhi, i heard that some people are able to re-schedule their exam, so is that option now available? Can i re-schedule to other location? Plus when we go the the candidate resources > schedule exam appointment then my current scheduled date and location appears, so is there any other way to re-schedule or i dont have that option. please help
I reschduled it yesterday and it was successful
Did you select the “schedule your exam” link in candidate resources to schedule? And if you did, what showed up?
Try it , its still open
My exam centre was New delhi , As it was cancelled I tried to reschedule to other city which was not affected and it got rescheduled and I received confirmation although the DEADLINE to RESCHEDULE was 16th APRIL.
I want to know whether its possible or they will cancel it afterwards.
If I had to guess I’d say it should be fine, I’d sit tight and find out!
The mail I received didnt give me deferal option like others got having centres in unaffected cities in India assuming im already deferred to november, Is it so?
If you’ve successfully rescheduled to an unaffected city, it makes sense that you didn’t get a deferral option.
Whatever location that shows up under ‘My Enrollment’ in your CFA Institute account would be your exam location.
My exam was scheduled to take place on 28th May at New Delhi. As it has now been postponed to November , as they say, is there any chance that Institute might arrange the exam earlier than November. This is the 3rd time my ex has been postponed.
CFA Institute has already stated that November 2021 will be the only exam window for deferred candidates. The reg window for August 2021 has also closed so you won’t be able to get a refund and re-register for August 2021 unfortunately.
My exam got postponed for the third time (
Sorry to hear that! According to policies CFA Institute have enacted in the past you may be eligible for a full refund. That is, if you want it.
Hey, I am a Candidate for May 2021 exam (New Delhi, India). The CFA Institute has announced that the Indian May 2021 exams will be canceled and only November dates are available (August is full in India). Is it possible for me to change my registration to a center in Dubai for August 2021(assuming that there are seats available) instead of waiting till November 2021?
Some candidates that have not scheduled their exam window for May 2021 have reported success in rescheduling their exams to different locations, but I don’t think you’ll be able to reschedule to August 2021.
I’d log onto your CFA Institute account and see what your options are. Good luck!
Hi, i scheduled my exam in New Delhi, i heard that some people are able to re-schedule their exam, so is that option now available? Can i re-schedule to other location? Plus when we go the the candidate resources > schedule exam appointment then why current scheduled date and location appears, so is there any other way to re-schedule or i dont have that option. please help
My not why**
I have been checking for 2022 access scholarship window to date its still closed, any update?
No – we’re expecting it to open by now based on past patterns, but so far no news from CFA Institute. Keep on checking!
I am taking CFA level 1,how I have to approach taking covid into account.
Same as everything else these days – with great uncertainty. My advice would be to prepare for your exam as if it is going ahead until confirmed otherwise by CFA Institute.
I know it’s not ideal and very stressful, but unfortunately until Covid clears, becomes more predictable, or CFA Institute introduces widespread remote proctoring, this is what we have to work with. 😩
I am a CFA level 3 candidate, who has been affected thrice due to this delay. Is it possible for me to defer the exam directly to May 2022. I am planning to take another exam and also might move to a new place. So, I am not sure if the November 21 exam will be the best option for me. Also, how much the exam course change by then?
Since the 2021 CFA exam curriculum is frozen, the exam curriculum for any exam in 2021 is the same as June 2020, which I assume is your original exam. So for November 2021, your original materials would still be the most up-to-date.
Currently CFA Institute are only offering deferrals to November 2021. Given you’re thrice-delayed you’re likely to qualify for a refund, so if May 2022 is better for you, one possible option might be to ask for a refund and register as a new candidate for May 2022.
Below is a small excerpt from the mail from CFA on May 2021 exams in India.
“Cities currently closed include Mumbai, Bhopal, Pune, New Delhi, Bangalore, Channai and Indore. No other May CFA exams in India have been cancelled at this time, but some appointments will be rescheduled to accommodate local curfews and weekend lockdowns. If your appointment is impacted, you will receive a communication directly from Prometric with your new appointment details.”
My exams are in Gandhinagar center. When they say some appointments will be rescheduled to accommodate local curfews and weekend lockdowns, does it mean that my exam might get preponed/postponed by a day or two to accommodate the then lockdown regulations? or does it mean that one might get deferred to November?
Thanks in advance.
Mayank
I’m quite sure that what CFA Institute means that Prometric might need to rearrange the exact timings of exams in case it doesn’t work with local curfews and weekend lockdowns, e.g. moving the time to earlier in the day, or to a week day. This will be within your May exam window, not a rescheduling to November 2021.
Ok.
I am down with covid 19 and is a good news for me but l can’t see this on CFA institute website?
See here: https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa/exam/test-center-update
My exam got postponed for the second time 🙁
Sorry to hear that! If this was your second time being postponed by CFA Institute, according to policies they’ve enacted in the past you may be eligible for a full refund. That is, if you want it.
My exam was scheduled at New Delhi on 25th May. Can I now reschedule it to Lucknow/Hyderabad as the exam is still not cancelled there. Though the last deadline for re-scheduling was 16th April, the link seems to be still active. My worry is if I re-schedule to Lucknow, pay the rescheduling fees and then I am informed that the rescheduling is not possible.
I think your question has been replied in the discussion here, but in any case my advice would be that if the system allows it, book it, and take lots of screenshots for record-keeping!
Any such news for Frm exam ?
None so far, but given that CFA Institute has cancelled in these cities, FRM might well follow a similar pattern.
GARP has actually just announced postponements for the May 2021 exam for the whole of India, alongside Kuwait, Peru and Toronto – discussion here.
My centre is in Navi Mumbai, Exams are cancelled in mumbai will it include Navi Mumbai centre too?
General consensus is that Navi Mumbai is included in Mumbai for CFA exam purposes. You can see the detailed discussion here.
I scheduled my Exam in New Delhi, as the exam in Delhi is cancelled, can i re-schedule it to Gurgaon?
Candidates will get a deferral to November 2021 – it is unlikely that CFA Institute will have the resources or capacity to rearrange individual relocations for all affected candidates.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!
Is there any centre in Gurgaon??