ESG Exam Retake Policy (2024)

FAQs

What is the pass rate for ESG? ›

CFA Institute recommends 130 hours of study time to achieve the Certificate in ESG Investing. Experienced professionals may only need around 100 hours to study for this exam. What are pass rates like? The global average pass rate is reported to be 71% (source: CFA Institute, December 2022).

Candidates who fail the exam and re-register will receive the benefit of a reduced registration fee of USD 690 for each subsequent examination. If you fail the exam twice within a six month period, you will not be permitted to register again until six months after the date of your first failed appointment.

The passing rate for this certificate is around 70%, and the passing mark is also around 70%. Compared with other exams by the CFA Institute, the difficulty of CFA ESG is much lower, which can be interpreted that the certificate has lower value than CFA Level 1.

Comparing it to other CFA Institute Certificates, the CFA ESG is on par with the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) in terms of difficulty, but it is considered easier than the CFA Level 1.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores are an essential tool for investors to assess a company's sustainability and ethical performance. These scores typically range from 0 to 100, with a score of less than 50 considered relatively poor and more than 70 considered good.

Companies with a low ESG score are thought to have the worst environmental, social, and governance impacts. Undesirable ESG scores have also been linked to rising poverty levels in the communities where the firm operates, as well as poor employee mental health.

Many CFA charterholders consider the Level 3 CFA Exam the most difficult because of the time and thought needed to answer the constructed responses successfully. While the typical Level 3 CFA Exam pass rates are the highest of the CFA Exams, only around 56% of CFA candidates pass the exam.

The exam guide says you should study for about 130 hours. But if you know some things about ESG already, you might need less time. It's noteworthy that some questions ask for specific details, such as exact numbers. The exam is constantly evolving, but it's good to be ready for these kinds of questions.

If you're a financial advisor, asset manager or work in risk analysis, getting ESG certified could benefit your career. It's beneficial for those looking to specialise in sustainable investing or want to show clients they know about socially responsible investment options.

Do ESG scores matter? ›

The importance of ESG ratings for investment

An ESG criteria is thought to help investors consider the 'unmeasured' or 'unrepresented' environmental, social and governance topics when making investment decisions.

The CFA ESG Certificate exam is structured with 100 multiple-choice questions, each offering three answer options.

On average, it takes CFA candidates 4 years to complete the program. The ESG certificate, on the other hand, requires 100-130 hours of preparation and can be completed within 2-6 months. In summary, the CFA exam is a rigorous and challenging professional certification for investment professionals.

Data complexity and scope: ESG reporting covers a broad spectrum of environmental, social, and governance issues, each with its own set of indicators and data requirements. Tracking and collecting data across these diverse dimensions can be complex and resource-intensive.

ESG Risk Ratings meticulously assesses significant Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks, offering extensive coverage of large and mid-cap companies across equity and fixed income strategies. Morningstar Sustainalytics research serves a wide array of purposes for asset managers, asset owners and banks.

A good ESG risk score depends on the agency that issues the score. The methodology, scope and coverage for each can vary significantly. Bloomberg and Corporate Knights rate companies on a 100-point scale, for example, with a score of more than 70 considered good.