CFA Institute Expands Student Accessibility with Seven New Test Centers in India
CFA Institute, the professional body for excellence and thought leadership in finance, has opened registrations for November 2023 CFA exams. With the rising demand for CFA Program, the organization has added seven new test centers in Coimbatore, Nagpur, Noida, Raipur, Ranchi, Surat and Visakhapatnam to improve accessibility and convenience for candidates. This is in addition to the four new test centers added from February 2023 exams, taking the total number of test center cities to 23 across India and over 400 worldwide.
According to the impact assessment of CFA Program study released by the CFA Institute in January 2023, 78% of new CFA Program candidates stated that the CFA Program has a significant or high impact on their career. The study also revealed that global MNCs continue to be key employers for CFA Program participants and the average salary of a new CFA Charterholder in India is approximately INR 28.6 lakhs per annum.
“CFA Program is the preferred professional qualification for a career in finance and investment management. CFA Institute aims to continuously improve the journey for candidates from around the country, enabling them to accomplish their life and career goals. The expansion of our test center network is a step in that direction. It will help reduce associated travelling costs to take exams and make the Program more accessible to those aspiring to be investment management professionals.” said Arati Porwal, Country Head, India at CFA Institute.
In addition, there is also an increase in demand for scholarships and other tools that can aid aspirants with financial liquidity while paying for the exam fee. Taking this into account, CFA Institute has also introduced a flexible payment solution that will provide an affordable and convenient EMI option for Indian candidates to pay their CFA Program fees.
India has one of the most vibrant, professional, and vigorous finance and investment management industries. It has a diversified financial sector undergoing rapid expansion, both in terms of robust growth of existing financial services providers and new entities entering the market, especially in the fintech space. With such rapid growth in the industry, there will be an increasing demand for professionals with relevant competencies and high standards of ethics. CFA Institute works closely with the industry and regulators to support an inclusive, secure, and ethical investment management industry in India.