Prorated Fee Schedule for New Members
CFA Institute offers membership at a cost of USD299 for the full membership period—which runs from 1 July through 30 June. The annual fee for first-time members can vary depending on the month they decide join. Use the chart below to understand what your membership will cost.
| New Member Join Month | Prorated Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| July | Full Dues | ||
| August | Pay only months remaining (11 months) | ||
| September | Pay only months remaining (10 months) | ||
| October | Pay only months remaining (9 months) | ||
| November | Pay only months remaining (8 months) | ||
| December | Pay only months remaining (7 months) | ||
| January | Pay only months remaining (6 months) | ||
| February | Pay only months remaining (5 months) | ||
| March | Pay only months remaining (4 months) | ||
| April | Pay only months remaining (3 months) | ||
| May | Full dues for next year (May/June waived) | ||
| June | Full dues for next year (May/June waived) |
Work Experience Requirements
To ensure our members are contributing to the investment profession, we evaluate the work experience of all CFA Institute member applicants. When you apply for regular membership, you will be asked to describe current and prior job responsibilities to demonstrate qualified work experience. Your experience should involve evaluating or applying financial, economic, and/or statistical data as part of the investment decision-making process; supervising those who conduct; or teaching such activities.
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Length of TimeYou must have at least 4,000 hours of experience, completed in a minimum of 36 months.
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Relevant ExperienceQualified hours must be directly related to the investment decision-making process or producing a work product that informs or adds value to that process.
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Work ArrangementsExperience earned through full-time, part-time, or remote work arrangements—before, during, or after your participation in the CFA® Program—can qualify.
Take the Work Experience Self-Assessment
Do you research or develop resources that assist portfolio managers and traders with investment decisions and risk management? Are you engaged in financial advising or planning for organizations or individuals other than yourself or your family? Answer questions like these when you take our Work Experience Self-Assessment to better understand if your prior job responsibilities meet the requirements for regular membership. After you complete the assessment, you'll gain more confidence on your next steps to apply.
How to Calculate Work Experience
How to Write a Work Description
For each work description, explain your job duties and how they relate to investment decision-making. Review our work experience description examples below to understand how to write a qualifying work description. Applicants should demonstrate their impact to the investment decision-making process and indicate how job duties produce work products that add value.
| Work Description | Qualifying Description | Why It's Good |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1 | I prepare financial models based on reviewed information, analyze fundamentals, and value acquisition targets to provide recommendations to the investment committee. | 1. The applicant describes the types of independent analysis involved in this position. 2. The applicant creates financial models and investment recommendations as work products that influence investment decisions. |
| Work Description | Nonqualifying Description | What It's Missing | Improved Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example 2 | My work focuses on successfully managing key relationships with end-clients relating to a new Know Your Client (KYC) initiative. | This applicant needs to submit additional job details. It is not clear that the position involves independent analysis, and it does not describe a work product that impacts investment decisions. | I develop and maintain strong working relationships with clients and communicate investment performance and strategy. I provide advice on a wide and diverse range of investment solutions customized to best meet the financial needs of those clients after thoroughly assessing financial fundamentals, reviewing business risk profile, and doing stress testing on cash flows. |
| Example 3 | I conducted an annual actuarial valuation process and benefit calculations. | Although the applicant describes the types of independent analysis involved in this position, this description needs to better demonstrate how the analysis created a work product that added value to the investment decision-making process. | I conducted an annual actuarial valuation process and benefit calculations which included performing projections, cash flow analysis, and durational analysis of individual health insurance policies. These analyses had a direct bearing on the investments chosen to back the reserves for these blocks of business. |
Applying to a Society
Our CFA Society® community works to raise professional standards, offer relevant professional learning programming, and advocate for local interests in more than 150 global markets.
When you apply to become a regular member of CFA Institute, you are required to apply to a local society. The information in your application will be reviewed by the local society you select. You can elect whether you want to join the society after your application is approved. Though voluntary for regular membership to CFA Institute, membership to a local society is your passport to a global network of investment professionals in your market.
Regular members can add and switch societies without going through the society application process. This can be done during the renewal process and from the Manage Your Membership page.
When you apply to become an affiliate member of CFA Institute, membership to a local society is required. Requirements to become an affiliate member of a society vary by society. We invite you to find a society near you and explore their requirements for affiliate membership.
Professional References
When you apply for membership, you will be asked to provide professional references in support of your application.
How Many References Should You Provide?
- 2 professional references, if one is an active regular member of the local society to which you are applying, OR
- 3 professional references, if none of them is an active regular member of the local society to which you are applying.
Who Should Be a Reference?
While we prefer references from your supervisor(s), you may select other individuals who can describe and attest to your responsibilities in the investment decision-making process (as defined in our work experience guidelines).
References will be asked to comment on your work experience and professional character. You will send instructions to your references as part of your application; more information is provided during the application process.
You cannot serve as a reference for your own application.
What to Expect After You Apply
The steps below guide you through the application review process and answer frequently asked questions related to estimated timelines, application statuses, and prorated membership fees.
After you submit your application, the review process may take up to 10 business days for regular membership applications.
Your membership application will also be reviewed by the society to which you applied. Society review times vary but may take up to 30 calendar days for regular member applications.
Once all application reviews are completed, you will receive an email letting you know your application review is complete.
Help us keep in touch by ensuring that your contact information is up to date in your profile. We will contact you by email or phone with any questions about your application.
Use these definitions to understand the activity status of your application:
- Not Completed: You started an application but have not submitted it.
- Awaiting References: Your application was submitted, but we are awaiting responses from your references. Once we receive your references, we will review your application.
- Under Review: Your application is being evaluated by CFA Institute and the society you applied to.
- Approved: Your application for membership was approved. Membership may need to be activated by paying dues and/or filing the Professional Conduct Statement.
- Not Approved: CFA Institute completed the review of your application, but membership requirements have not been met.
- Withdrawn: Your application was withdrawn from review.
If you need to edit your application after it has been submitted, you can withdraw it from review.
When you withdraw your application, only the completed references will remain with your record and do not need to be resubmitted. You will need to re-enter contact information for any reference that did not complete the process before your application was withdrawn.
We will notify you by email with details on how to join CFA Institute. After you receive the approval email, log in to your CFA Institute account and
- Pay your membership dues
Each year, you must pay your annual dues to renew your membership. Your first dues payment will vary depending on when you first join.
- Read and file a Professional Conduct Statement and Membership Agreement
Annually, you must complete a Professional Conduct Statement to disclose any potential violations of the Code and Standards. You must also sign your Membership Agreement.
The Standards of Practice exam is an open-book exam based on the CFA Institute Standards of Practice handbook.
It is a requirement for regular membership for those who have not
- passed Level I of the CFA Program,
- passed Level II of the CIPM Program,
- earned an RBA designation, or
- earned an RMFI designation.
If you do not meet any of the above criteria, you will be prompted to take the exam after your membership application has been approved.
The Standards of Practice exam may also be a requirement for Society Affiliate membership. Requirements vary by society.
There is no time limit to complete 25 questions, and you must achieve at least 80% to pass. You may retake the exam if you do not achieve a passing score.
Manage Your Application
Log in to your account to edit your CFA Institute and society applications and to check on your application status.
