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CIPM Program Curriculum

Topic Areas That Evolve With the Industry

Earn an advanced specialty designation developed by the premier global association for investment management professionals. We consult with industry experts to ensure the curriculum reflects the competencies needed to succeed in the current financial environment.

A business person studies the investment performance measurement curriculum at a computer

Advance Your Career with Professional Learning

What Is CIPM?

The Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement is a professional accreditation in the field of investment performance measurement. The CIPM® Program curriculum prepares you in effective investment performance (return and risk) evaluation, manager selection, and investment reporting based on the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®) standards.

What You Will Learn

CIPM® Program content is organized around six main topic areas. We evolve the curriculum by connecting with practicing investment management professionals to determine the skills and competencies needed to succeed in today’s financial environment. View the topic area weights and curriculum competencies now. 

Discover the importance of ethics and professional standards and learn how to apply them in the workplace. The curriculum covers work ethics that help you ensure compliance with laws, regulations and professional standards. You will also study social ethics to communicate clearly and concisely with individuals you represent and engage with in the workplace.

Learn how to measure the performance of a security, asset class, portfolio, or composite to inform asset owners' and portfolio managers' investment decisions, in addition to learning how to determine portfolio performance policies.

Develop the skills needed to identify sources of portfolio risk and return.

Learn how to determine if a manager's investment results were due to skill or luck.

Build skills in manager performance evaluation and selection, and learn how to build portfolios of investment managers to achieve a client's risk and return objectives.

Learn how to prepare a performance presentation that fairly and accurately reflects the performance of a firm or a portfolio.

Study Smarter with Personalized Learning Tools

Registered candidates have access to CFA Institute Learning Ecosystem, a customized learning tool that delivers the entire curriculum, and makes studying engaging, efficient, and effective. No wasting time looking for extra study materials and tools; content is available on demand, on any device, all in one place. Get a study support platform that offers: 
 
  • Accelerated and Personalized Learning 
  • More Engaging Study Resources
  • Improved Knowledge Retention
  • Convenient Access

What Is Included in the Curriculum?

The curriculum for each level includes:

  • Topic-level learning objectives. These indicate the depth of knowledge candidates are expected to have in each major topic area at a particular level.
  • Learning Outcome Statements (LOS). These are objectives for study sessions and/or specific readings that indicate the level of knowledge candidates are expected to gain from each lesson.
  • Custom readings to help candidates efficiently master the topics.

All exam questions are based on the content in the corresponding curriculum for that level. Each exam question is explicitly based on one or more LOS. Start learning today by viewing our study sessions:

2025

2024

Reflecting Industry Practice

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We collaborate with investment management professionals to ensure the curriculum is relevant to current industry practice, and that candidates can immediately apply their knowledge.

Read about the updates to the CIPM Program curriculum.

Unlock Helpful Study Tools

Registered candidates have access to helpful study materials and support tools as part of our candidate resources. These include the Learning Ecosystem, which houses the entire curriculum and a variety of study tools, as well as downloadable versions of the curriculum. If you prefer a more traditional study method, a print version is available for purchase.

  • Learning Ecosystem

    A hub of educational content, curriculum material, and study tools.

    • Unlock helpful study resources 
    • Access the digital curriculum or order a printed copy
    • Tools to track your learning progress

  • Mock Exam

    Practice that is designed to mimic the exam day experience.

    •  Timed and structured like the real exam
    • Same topic areas and difficulty level
    • Questions based on the current curriculum

  • Custom Study Plans

    Get personalized study plans that are designed to prepare you for the exams.

    • Analyze your strengths and weaknesses
    • Get a plan designed just for you
    • Perform better on the exams

Advance Your Career

Earn the CIPM designation to deepen your investment performance measurement knowledge and increase your professional value. First time registrants must enroll in the CIPM Program. Click on the link below, create an account, and gain access to everything you need to prepare for the CIPM exam.

Enroll and Register
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