Exploring New Opportunities to Support CFA Candidates

CFA Montréal is 3,200 members and you, the close to 1,800 candidates who have embarked on the journey toward charterholder status. You represent the future of the finance and investment profession.

In these years leading up to membership, the CFA Institute will be your main point of contact, since it is the entity responsible for administering exams, providing preparatory materials and managing the CFA program, which has recently undergone a major six-pronged transformation. These enhancements are the result of a consultation process spearheaded by the CFA Institute in conjunction with candidates and employers in the financial community.

CFA Montréal is committed to playing a more proactive role at every step of this journey by giving you more chances to interact with your fellow candidates and by providing tools that complement what is available through the CFA Institute to help you pass all three exams and earn your CFA charter.

That is why we sent out a survey a few weeks ago to get a better idea of how we can be of service to you.

What have the survey results revealed?

First and foremost, respondents expressed the need for more mock exams. You will therefore be happy to learn of several new measures recently announced by the CFA Institute in response to growing demand. Starting in May 2023, in the lead-up to the February 2024 exams, Level I candidates will be able to purchase an enhanced practice pack, including more practice questions and six additional mock exams.

The second most popular topic among respondents (45%) was the desire for more study groups at each exam level led by a coach and/or trainer. This opportunity represents an excellent avenue for us to explore at the local level.

A similar proportion of respondents indicated that they would appreciate having access to more tips on getting ready for and taking the exams. In addition to the annual “Prepping for the CFA Exams” webinar, we will look into other ways to provide additional information in this regard. Incidentally, if you haven’t had the chance to attend yet, a recording of the most recent webinar is available on YouTube.

As for which learning methods candidates consider to be the most efficient, 70% said they had a definite preference for short videos, with access to live or pre-recorded webinars a close second, at 67%.

What about career development pathways?

Of the three initiatives that most respondents identified as helpful in career planning and management, two are already offered to CFA Montréal members, namely the job posting service and the mentoring program. We understand that faster access is something that is of interest to you and we are looking into a few alternatives to make this happen.

Although our “Discovery Day: Financial careers” event is already a hit, there are undoubtedly other ideas that we can work on to bring employers and potential employees together. Your comments and suggestions about various formats will be food for thought moving forward.

We were pleased to learn that 91% of survey respondents are satisfied or very satisfied with CFA Montréal, but we promise we won’t rest on our laurels. We are determined to keep improving the support we provide to CFA program candidates and to help you achieve your career goals.

Thank you to all those who took the time to share their thoughts and insights with us so we can make better-informed decisions.

We will be sure to keep you up to speed on any changes in our services and any new features we introduce. Don’t forget to keep in touch and follow us on social media by clicking on the corresponding links in this newsletter.

Best of luck with your studies and exams!