CFA Institute announces increased demand from investment professionals taking CFA exams

This represents a 26% increase from last year.

"During this time of great uncertainty in financial markets, it is critical that the global investment profession upholds what all CFA charterholders hold true: ethics, rigour, tenacity, and analytics,"

said John Rogers, CFA, President and CEO of CFA Institute.

"Market turbulence, low investor confidence, and regulatory reforms present CFA Institute and its current and aspiring CFA charterholders with the opportunity to lead the profession and to put investors' interests first. In this regard, CFA Institute continues to be actively engaged in regulatory reform efforts, investor protection, and advancing ethics training for the financial services industry," he added.

The CFA examination is considered by many to be the investment profession's most rigourous credentialing programme. Level I is administered twice per year, in June and December, and Levels II and III are administered just once per year, in June.

Commenting on the growth in the GCC and Middle East, Nitin Mehta, managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at CFA Institute said, "Globally, we have seen a 14% increase in examination registrations from fiscal year 2008. In the GCC and Middle East, overall registrations grew by 26%, with Oman (34%), UAE (31%), Bahrain (28%), Lebanon (27%), Egypt (26%), Jordan (12%), Saudi Arabia (7%), Qatar (6%) and Kuwait (5%), leading the way. Evidently, the increase in the GCC and Middle East registrations shows the value placed on obtaining the CFA charter across the region."

CFA Institute recommends that to be successful, a candidate should study in excess of 750 - 900 hours for the three examination levels. On average, successful candidates take four years to complete the self - study program and examinations to earn the CFA charter.

In addition to passing the exams, candidates must also have at least four years of work experience in the investment profession and must commit to abide by the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, a commitment they must reaffirm each year to maintain the charter.

Since 1990, the compound annual growth rate for global registrations in the CFA Program has been approximately 16% while the compound annual growth rate for CFA Institute membership has been approximately 9%.

CFA Institute is also due to establish an additional test centre in the UAE. This comes off the back of the global increase in numbers taking the exams. In addition to the existing centre in Abu Dhabi a new exam centre will be established in Dubai for the first time for the December Level I sittings and for all three levels from June 2010. This is to accommodate the growing number of candidates who are sitting the exam in the UAE as well as to support candidates in both financial centres.