CAIA Exam Registration and Requirements: Beginner’s Guide

This page is dedicated for the finance professionals who aspire to work in the alternative investment field.

The CAIA program is the most established certification in this industry. Since its inception in 2012, more than 8,000 professionals have become CAIA members.

Would you like to become a CAIA yourself? Let’s look at the procedure.

CAIA Exam Registration in 5 Steps

To obtain the CAIA Charter, you need to go through the following steps:

1. Pre-exam planning

Learn about the CAIA Program, the curriculum (Level 1 and Level 2), exam structure and time commitment. Then, estimate the cost and budget accordingly.

2. Complete the CAIA exam registration online, and sign the Candidate Agreement

This is a straightforward step to affirm your identity and professional conduct. You will need to provide a digital signature.

3. Pay for an exam

You can start the process immediately by paying online. VISA, Mastercard, Discover and American Express are accepted. Check here for the fee schedule.

4. Schedule an exam

Once payment is done, you will receive a confirmation email with instruction on how to schedule an exam at the Pearson VUE Center. These centers are located in major cities around the world.

5. Study, take and pass!

CAIA has an official study guide (not included in exam fees), and there are third-party review course that help you prepare for the exam. The pass rate is relatively high especially compared to CFA. Many candidates can pass both part of the exam on their first try and complete the process within a year.

CAIA Exam Requirements

No specific CAIA exam requirements other than the need to register, provide the digital signature and pay!

Membership and Charter Requirements

Affiliate Member

Candidates who pass the Level 1 and 2 exams can join as an affiliate member of the CAIA Association.

Charter Member

In order to become a Charter member, you need to pass the exam and fulfill the following education and/or experience requirement:

Education

A bachelor degree is preferred but not necessary.

Candidate are expected to understand the basic concepts on finance and quantitative analysis, but specific education level is not part of the requirement. In fact, quite a few candidates take the CAIA exam for career change. With hard work and commitment, you can pass the exam even if you don’t have prior knowledge in this field.

Experience

If you have a bachelor degree, you only need to fulfill one year of professional experience. It is defined as full-time employment in a professional capacity within the regulatory, banking, financial, or related fields.

Alternatively, you can substitute the bachelor degree requirement with 4 years of relevant experience.

More Info?

You can learn more about CAIA exam registration process and other information in this FAQ section.