The CFA is the most brutal exam in the world of finance — here's what the questions look like
Digital Trends
Every year, more than 100,000 people take exams to earn the Chartered Financial Analyst qualification.
The series of three exams is notoriously difficult — less than 50% of people who take the first level pass.
Below are seven questions from a recent Level I practice exam.
Every year, thousands of young people embark on one of the most mentally grueling experiences of their lives by taking the Chartered Financial Analyst Program exams.
The series of three exams is designed to ensure that people working in certain parts of the financial industry have all the right knowledge to succeed. More than 100,000 people around the world take the test in more than 100 countries every year.
The exams are notoriously tough — pass rates have hovered around 40-50%. Most people study for more than 300 hours beforehand.
Becoming a CFA charter holder is a huge leg up for anyone hoping to build a career in investment management. But what do the exams involve? Business Insider got hold of a recent practice test from the CFA Institute, which administers the exam, to see just how difficult it is.
We've picked a handful of questions from the Level I exam, which is, in theory at least, the easiest one.
The full exam is six hours and consists of 240 multiple-choice questions.
"For many students, parts of the CFA Program exams that commonly cause the most trouble are those covering fixed income and derivatives," Alex King, a director for examination development at the CFA Institute, told Business Insider.
Check out the questions, along with the answers and explanations from the CFA Institute:
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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