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Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Syllabus

Globally recognized investment-management credential from the CFA Institute, earned via three exam levels (I, II, III).. The complete Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) outline — 8 subjects, 30 chapters and 103 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.

8Subjects
30Chapters
103Topics
277Sub-topics
443Flashcards
~135hEst. first pass

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) subjects

Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.

Ethical and Professional Standards

3 chapters · 13 topics · 34 sub-topics

~15h first pass · 51 flashcards Quantitative Methods

4 chapters · 13 topics · 38 sub-topics

~15h first pass · 50 flashcards Economics

4 chapters · 12 topics · 32 sub-topics

~15h first pass · 67 flashcards Financial Statement Analysis

4 chapters · 15 topics · 37 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 52 flashcards Corporate Issuers

4 chapters · 12 topics · 30 sub-topics

~15h first pass · 52 flashcards Equity Investments

3 chapters · 10 topics · 26 sub-topics

~15h first pass · 60 flashcards Fixed Income, Derivatives, and Alternatives

4 chapters · 14 topics · 41 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 56 flashcards Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning

4 chapters · 14 topics · 39 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 55 flashcards

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) flashcard decks

443 question-and-answer cards across 8 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.

How to work through the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus

The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.

Weight your plan accordingly: Financial Statement Analysis carries 15 topics while Equity Investments carries 10. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

The ~135 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus FAQ

What subjects are in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus?

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) covers 8 subjects: Ethical and Professional Standards, Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Statement Analysis, Corporate Issuers, Equity Investments, Fixed Income, Derivatives, and Alternatives and Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning. Together they contain 30 chapters and 103 named topics.

How big is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus?

The full Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) outline breaks down into 30 chapters, 103 topics and 277 sub-topics. Financial Statement Analysis is the largest single subject with 15 topics across 4 chapters.

How long does it take to cover the whole Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus?

Roughly 135 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 6 weeks.

Are there Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) flashcards?

Yes — 443 question-and-answer flashcards across 8 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.

Is this Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus free to use?

Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.

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