According to an Institute statement, 151,853 candidates sat for the three levels of examinations in early June 2017, which was administered in 91 countries around the world.
The CFA pass rate in June 2017:
Level I Of 63,283 candidates 43% passed
Level II Of 56,939 candidates 47% passed
Level III Of 31,631 candidates 54% passed
The CFA Institute does not disclose pass rates for individual countries, according to a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman.
The 10-year average pass rates (2007-2016) for Level I, II and III exams are 40%, 43% and 51% respectively.
China candidates
For the second year, the number of candidates in China surpassed that of the US. In China, 33,934 people for all three levels took the exam and in the US the number was 32,353.
In expectation of even more interest in the CFA designation in China, the Institute said it would open a new examination centre in Hangzhou in December 2017 and in Dalian in June 2018.
In Hong Kong, 5,364 candidates took the June test and in Singapore, 3,295.
India, with 14,776 candidates, has the largest number of CFA exam takers in Asia-Pacific after China. India, however, is one of the fastest growing countries by the number of candidates in the CFA program, the Institute said.
The CFA designation is awarded to candidates who pass three levels of examinations, have accumulated four years of relevant work experience and join the CFA Institute as a paying member.
There are 145,000 CFA charterholders around the globe today, according to the statement. CFA Institute is based in the US. The CFA designation is recognised, to an extent, by industry bodies and regulators in their own licensing and membership process.
The examinations are administered once a year, in early June (Level I examinations are also administered in early December). It takes, on average three or four years to complete the program, which is based on self-study.
The curriculum includes investment valuation, financial reporting, portfolio management, economics and professional standards. However, the Instiute said it has plans to include fintech-themed questions.
