Help with CFA

Get answers to commonly asked questions about studying CFA with BPP.


Do I need any experience or a particular degree to sign up for the BPP course?

You do not need any prior experience, although you may want to consider doing the Investment Management Certificate (UK CFA Society) prior to starting CFA if you are completely new to the subjects. An accountancy qualification or related degree will certainly help, although we provide extensive introductory maths, economics and accounting materials online. We also run a one day Financial Maths course to help build maths confidence. Please note that the CFA program does have entry requirements set by CFA Institute. You can find out more about these on our website or www.cfainstitute.org   


How much study will I have to do?

CFA Institute recommends 300 hours per level, and in our experience that is a reasonable estimate if you want to feel well prepared for the exam. 


What is the course timetable/what is taught?

We have a detailed course timetable which is provided to all students online, in a welcome email and is available from customer services. This shows how the syllabus is covered in the various phases of the course. An outline is also provided in the brochure online. We also provide a course planner, showing the days of the course on a calendar basis, and from this it is easy to see which evenings and day times correspond to a particular day of the course. 


If I want to switch between evenings, daytimes and Saturdays, can I do that?

Yes you can, and there will be no additional cost. Please contact customer services directly on 0208746 4178 to discuss tailoring the course to your needs. If you wish to make changes later in the course you can do so, subject to availability, but there may be a small administration charge.


Do I need Schweser?

You do not need Schweser to come on a BPP course. We provide our own question banks and supporting material. The CFA Institute provide official text books, which we support with printed study guides that take the student through the important sections and tell them which parts are less crucial. If you want the summarised text books that Schweser produce you can get them through our discounted deal with Schweser. For levels 2 and 3 the Schweser pack includes the question bank. For all levels it also includes a book of mocks.


How many questions do I get in the BPP materials?

There are many good (and past exam questions) in the CFA books. In addition to these questions (the best ones are highlighted in our study guides) you get approximately the following number of questions across the question banks, progress tests, mock exams and course materials:
  • Level 1  3500 MCQ plus 100+ daily email factual questions
  • Level 2  2500 in MCQ and item set format plus around 100 daily email factual questions
  • Level 3  2500 in MCQ/item set format and approx 70 essay style questions plus 100+ daily email factual questions


What is CFA Navigator?

This is the suite of supporting materials that Learning Media provide. These items are incorporated into the BPP classroom and online classroom course.

What is available online?

The online content is available to both classroom and online classroom students and includes:
  • Pre-recorded lectures using the classroom course materials
  • PDFs of classroom and other useful documents
  • Online versions of the multiple choice questions
  • Student forums
  • Introductory and refresher presentations

Can I watch the online lectures on my iPad or Android device?

The files are available in MP4 and M4V, which means they should be compatible with most mobile devices in downloadable form. On apple devices the M4V files should be synced using iTunes as you would with normal video files. The presentations can also be watched as streaming flash videos over an internet connection. 

What do you do on a revision course?

The revision course focuses on application and question practice. We would always advise people coming on a taught or online course to attend a revision course if they can, as it really puts what they have learned into practice. The revision course is open to anyone, including people who have studied independently or with another educational establishment. Attendance on the revision course includes additional questions and a mock exam. 

Will there be a tutor available if I have any queries?

Yes, you can contact our tutor team via email from the moment you sign up for the classroom or online classroom course, right up to the exam. We are also available to give advice on whether the CFA is right for you or advice on resitting. Please ask customer services to be put through to a tutor if you want to speak to one of us, but remember that we may be teaching a class so may not be able to get back to you immediately.

Does purchasing a BPP course also include my CFA exam registration? 

No. The CFAI requires direct registration for the exam, via an online booking process and payment of programme enrolment and exam fees. Note that the fees increase as the exam dates draws closer and the final deadline to sign-up is three months prior the exam date. See www.cfainstitute.org for more details.

What are your pass rates?

We monitor pass rates internally and would always be looking to be significantly above the global average. However the terms of the Prep Providers Guidelines as set out by CFA Institute mean that we cannot disclose those pass rates outside of the organisation.

Why are the global pass rates so low?

When you look at the global pass rate statistics you have to remember that they are based on student body that is largely made up of people studying with little additional support, often in a foreign language, many with demanding jobs. If you have the help of a training provider with
experienced tutors who have sat the exams and know how to help you pass, you should not be concerned by the low global pass rates. 

In the level 3 courses do you practice essay questions?

Essay questions are central to success at Level 3, so we build example questions into the taught course, as well as running an essay workshop on day 3. This workshop will involve attempting questions under timed conditions and getting feedback on content and style. Online students can also submit questions to their tutor for review and there is an online debrief for those who wish to self review the questions. 

I am re-sitting – do I need to attend the whole course?

If the syllabus has not changed significantly (see syllabus change documents provided by tutor team) it is probably not necessary to attend the course again, but it would be good to sign up for the online classroom to access the lecture downloads of tricky areas. If attending through pass assurance, you could choose just the sessions where you would benefit from a recap. We would definitely recommend a revision course (which will include the mock day).

Do I have to book a mock day with the rest of my booking? 

No, you will be contacted a month or so before the mock exams and will be given a choice of dates to attend. 

Will the BPP course cover the whole syllabus?

The BPP course focuses you on the important areas of the syllabus so that your time is prioritised towards the areas that are vital for exam success. Guidance is provided on the less important areas and the supporting question banks and passcards cover 100% of the syllabus, so nothing will be missed out. Class time is prioritised towards the areas where tutors can help explain concepts rather than list or rote learning. Home study areas are clearly identified in the study overview spreadsheet.

Can I get a UK student visa if I come on one of your courses?

We are developing a Full Time CFA course which will satisfy the UK Home Office requirements for issuing student visas. Our Highly Trusted Status means that students on accredited courses are also able to undertake part time employment.The course will include skills necessary for success in the financial services workplace such as financial modelling and financial statement analysis.We will provide more information when this course is available for enrolment. 

Is there a discount for booking the revision and taught course?

Our courses are modular, allowing you to choose which elements you want to attend, from the introduction/refresher, online, classroom taught phases and revision courses. The pricing is based on the assumption that the full solution (intro + taught + revision) is purchased and we do not charge more if only one or two of these elements are selected. 


What sort of jobs will this help me get?

The CFA program is aimed towards those working in the investment industry. This includes analysts (equity, fixed income, credit), private equity, fund managers, investment advisors, consultants... However it is also useful for people working in the financial services industry in general, including those in roles such as accountancy, product support, risk management etc who want to progress within the sector. Level 1 of CFA can be used alongside the Investment Management Certificate for RDR compliance purposes.

How much more will I earn once I become a CFA charterholder?

That’s impossible to answer as it is dependent on so many other factors, such as your previous experience, seniority and the nature of the role you undertake. However, CFAI have published surveys indicating that, on average, CFA Charterholders in all areas and levels of the financial services industry earn a substantial premium to non-Charterholders. Certainly any employer would be highly impressed by the CFA charter on an interviewee’s C.V. and it would give you a significant advantage over other candidates for any job.

Are there any exemptions?

No, there are no exemptions from any level of the Program.

I am a qualified accountant. Will this help me and is there much overlap?

CFA will help you if you want to move into a financial services or "City" role. It will not help in a general accountancy career. There is a lot of overlap in the syllabus areas of financial reporting and corporate finance, so there is a good head start being an accountant, but the focus is different and there will still be a lot to learn.

I am not quite ready for CFA. Is there anything else I can do?

IMC is a useful pre-CFA qualification, in particular IMC Unit 2. If you have completed IMC you have covered around 30% of the CFA Level I syllabus.