Eleven students from the School of Economics pass the initial levels of CFA

The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams are part of one of the most internationally recognized and demanding accreditations in the field of finance, administered by the CFA Institute. During the third and fourth years, eleven students of the School of EconomicsJosé Antonio Estrella, Juan Diego Funes, Sergio López, Jorge Moreno, Miguel Simón, Adrián Soriano, Juan Suárez, Miguel Vicios, Fernando Díez de Rivera, Ángel Luis Soria and Napoleón Guzmán, have successfully completed Level I of the exam, and some of them also Level II.

The School is part of the CFA University Affiliation Program through the specialization in Finance & Accounting. This membership recognizes that the Study program covers at least 70% of the content of the exam. Belonging to this program guarantees that the training offered is aligned with the highest international standards in the financial sector. It also gives us access to exclusive resources, scholarship opportunities for the exams and greater visibility with global employers. 

Thanks to this partnership, direct links have been established with the CFA Institute. This has given rise to initiatives such as training sessions at its New York headquarters, within the International seminar for second-year students, as well as intensive Level I exam preparation courses, custom-designed by its headquarters in Spain.

This relationship with the CFA offers the university and its students advantages such as exclusive scholarships for certification, access to official study materials, as well as differentiated professional preparation.

During this academic year, eleven students have C CFA Level I exam and, in some cases, Level II as well. Achieving it in their third or fourth year reflects not only their technical mastery, but also a committed, autonomous and internationally oriented profile .

The professors responsible for the profile, María del Carmen Aranda and Javier Arellano, lead the design of the program, the link with the CFA Institute and, above all, the accompaniment of the students. Committed to quality professional training , they maintain a continuous mentoring program, both technical and staff, and motivate students to face the challenge of preparing for certification.

All students agree that the exam requires concentration, discipline, commitment and mental preparation. For example, Jorge Moreno, a third-year student of ADE + Finance and Accounting, comments: "It is a tough process that requires a lot of preparation, sacrifice and dedication. More than the difficulty of the content, I think the challenge lies in the amount of information you have to retain and keep in mind."

Along the same lines, Juan Diego Funes, recent graduate of ADE + Finance and Accounting, emphasizes that beyond the three hundred hours of study recommended for each exam, what is really important before starting is to have a clear determination to pass it. "It is a process that takes several months, it is not an exam that you can study in a month [...] apart from studying the exam and practicing a lot, it requires mental work in order to be able to stay focused for the 4-5 hours that the exam lasts," says Juan Diego.

There are many online resources available to prepare for these exams individually, but students value the training provided in the Finance & Accounting diploma very highly. For example, Juan Diego says: "I was lucky enough to have already covered some of the content in my university program, which helped me a lot". However, some students who are not part of the Finance & Accounting diploma have also succeeded in approve Level I. One example is Juan Suárez, an ADE + Data Analytics student who passed Level I. Along the same lines as his classmates, he comments: "I started studying it in October, and since I had to combine it with the degree program, I got up earlier to be able to dedicate time to it every day and maintain a good academic average ".

Beyond the effort and perseverance required, candidates are aware of the added value of the certification when it comes to finding a work space and its contribution to a more specialized portfolio. Juan Suaárez emphasizes that "this learning is a fundamental basis for those who wish to grow in the financial sector", and Jorge Moreno, comments that "this certification is a competitive advantage that allows us to face the working world with a superior preparation compared to other candidates".

The CFA exams represent an opportunity for students to develop advanced knowledge, with a level of demand recognized by the industry. By doing so during the Degree, they have the added merit of working towards an achievement in parallel to the programs of study and developing fundamental knowledge for their professional profile . For example, Juan Sebastián Noriega, an alumnus of the School of Economics who now works at KPMG as a supervising senior consultant, and is also a CFA charterholder, says: "The CFA has opened doors for me, such as the current project I am working on, where I am working attention very senior profiles and very strategic issues. The CFA was a core topic to be considered. Professionally, it has also helped me to move up the ladder".

Juan Sebastian advises students to consider this opportunity during their student years: "It is a huge differential in this highly competitive job market. I strongly encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity that the School gives them to become certified at the first level. They would enter the job market taking big steps (if not leaps)."

The School of Economics recognizes and celebrates the efforts of students who have completed different levels of the CFA exam. As María del Carmen Aranda, coordinator of the Finance and Accounting diploma , points out: "Taking the CFA exam during the Degree program not only demonstrates academic excellence, but also a staff commitment to professional development and international projection.