If you are contemplating on taking CFA exam, you might want to gauge the difficulty by looking at historical CFA pass rates. Here are the passing rate trends of the three levels, as well as my analysis of what we can learn from these CFA statistics.
CFA Pass Rates 2021 to 2023
Since the CFA exam is now computerized, the exam schedule has now changed permanently. Starting in 2021, there are now two to four testing windows per year for each exam level. This makes the breakdown of current statistics a little different from historical statistics. Here’s a chart of how the data looked. (And remember, testing windows don’t necessarily offer all exam levels. So that’s why you don’t see CFA pass rate data for some months in the following charts.)
When we have the 2024 CFA pass rates, we will add that data.
February 2021 | May 2021 | July 2021 | November 2021 | |
Level 1 | 44% | 25% | 22% | 27% |
Level 2 | — | 40% | — | 46% |
Level 3 | — | 42% | — | 43% |
| All levels | 44% | 36% | 22% | 37% |
Overall, 229,969 candidates took the CFA exam in 2021, and 33.6% of CFA candidates passed their exams. However,the 2022 CFA exam pass rates were slightly higher than the 2021 rates.
| February 2022 | May 2022 | July 2022 | November 2022 | |
| Level 1 | 36% | 38% | 37% | 36% |
| Level 2 | 44% | — | 40% | 44% |
| Level 3 | — | 49% | 48% | — |
| All levels | 39% | 42% | 41% | 38% |
As you can see, the 2022 CFA exam pass rates were slightly higher than the 2021 rates, overall. In addition, 144,815 CFA candidates took their exams in 2022, which was down from the previous year. It’s difficult to determine exactly why pass rates go up or down. It’s probable that candidates were simply better prepared in 2022 than they were in 2021.
| February 2023 | May 2023 | July 2023 | November 2023 | |
| Level 1 | 38% | 39% | 37% | TBD |
| Level 2 | — | 52% | 44% | TBD |
| Level 3 | 48% | — | 47% | TBD |
| All levels | 43% | 44% | 42% | TBD |
The CFA pass rates went up between 2022 and 2023. (We will fill in the November 2023 CFA rates when they become available.) In fact, the average CFA pass rate for 2023 was about 43%, which is fairly strong for this difficult test.
CFA Pass Rates Statistics from 2016 to 2020
These are the latest CFA passing rates for the last five years for which data are complete. There are two data points for each Level 1 exam because up through 2019, CFA level 1 was given twice a year, while Level 2 and 3 were held once. However, in 2020, the pandemic forced a postponement of all CFA exams, and Level 1 was only offered in December.
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Level 1A | 43% | 43% | 43% | 41% | No test |
Level 1B | 43% | 43% | 45% | 42% | 49% |
Level 2 | 46% | 47% | 45% | 44% | 55% |
Level 3 | 54% | 54% | 56% | 56% | 56% |
| All levels | 45% | 45% | 46% | 45% | 52% |
What’s the trend if we go back further?
CFA Exam Pass Rates Historical Trend
Here’s a quick comparative overview of CFA pass rates in the last ten years, ending in 2020. The CFA exam has changed since 2020, so that’s why we have separated this data from the more current CFA pass rate information that we explained in the previous sections.
CFA pass rates for the last ten years
Between 2003 and 2019, the Level 1 exam was offered twice a year. Thus, the pass rates for CFA Level 1 shown below are average of the two exams within the same year. For 2020, the pass rate comes from the single Level 1 exam offered in December.
CFA Level 1 Pass Rate
CFA Level 1 pass rates of the last ten years
The 10-year weighted average pass rate for CFA Level 1 is 42%. It’s certainly not an easy exam to pass, but it’s good to see the upward trend. Additionally, the December 2020 pass rate was a bit of an outlier at 49%. Far fewer candidates took the test last year (26,212 in 2020, versus 157,344 in 2019), but the ones who did scored very well. However, it remains to be seen whether this upward trend will continue through 2021 and beyond.
CFA Level 2 Pass Rate
CFA Level 2 pass rates of the last ten years
The 10-year weighted average of CFA level 2 passing rate is 45%, a bit higher than the CFA Level 1 passing rate. Once again, the 2020 scores represented a large increase in the passing percentage of CFA candidates. It’s possible that the Covid-19 pandemic allowed candidates more time to study for the exam, but there could be other factors at play, as well. Once again, fewer candidates took the Level 2 and 3 exams in 2020 than in previous years.
CFA Level 3 Pass Rate
CFA Level 3 pass rates of the last ten years
The 10-year weighted average pass rate for Level 3 is the highest at 54%. Unlike with the other two levels, this percentage in 2020 remained consistent with the past few years.
Drop Out and Completion Rates
Since the CFA exam is multiple-tier (i.e., you need to pass one level to move on to the next), it is useful also to look at the dropout rates to see how many candidates can complete the program at the end. Although specific data on completion rates are difficult to find, we can make some good estimates of the overall CFA success rate by looking at how many candidates take each level of the exam.
Those who have taken the CFA exam in the past 10 years vs. those who have passed it
Between 2011 and 2020, 1,079,679 candidates took the Level 1 exam. In the same time frame, 490,189 took the Level 2 exam, and 273,394 took the Level 3 exam. Therefore, we can estimate that about 25% of candidates who start the process take all three exams. Since 146,612 people passed the third exam during that time period, we can estimate that about 13.5% of all candidates who take the first exam ultimately pass all three.
What We Can Learn from These CFA Stats
A visual comparison of number of candidates and passing rates over time
* Up to December 2020, data from CFAI
Looking at a longer time frame (since inception in 1963), we see an overall declining trend in pass rates in all three CFA levels. At the same time, pass rates increase as candidates advance to Levels 2 and 3. Interestingly, it is only in the past 15 years or so that pass rates have begun to stabilize. Here is my attempt to explain these trends.
1. Lower Barrier of Entry Encourages “Casual” Exam Takers
As you can see from the chart, there has been an exponential increase in candidate numbers since the mid-1990s, matched by an equally significant decline in pass rate during the same period. The correlation is especially high in the Level 1 exam.
Here is my explanation: the only prerequisite to be a CFA Level 1 candidate is a bachelor’s degree. The low barrier of entry attracts many casual exam takers who just want to give it a try without properly studying for the exam. These people never pass Level 1, and therefore you don’t see them advancing to become a CFA Level 2candidate, and even fewer advance to Level 3.
2. More Diversified Candidate Pool Leads to Lower CFA Pass Rates
The CFA exam used to be the test for professionals already working in fund management and sell-side equity research. Nowadays, many candidates come from related but different fields such as accounting, investment banking, and even unrelated fields such as IT, legal, and support staff.
These candidates may be smart and capable, but their lack of previous education and work experience in the investment field inevitably pulls down the passing rate.
At the same time, the candidate pool is increasingly diverse in terms of geography. Ever since CFA exams welcomed non-US candidates by offering non-US exam sites, the applications from Europe and Asia skyrocketed. China has experienced the fastest growth, and Chinese exam sites now have the greatest number of candidates.
These candidates may have the necessary financial knowledge, but English may not be their first language. The fact that the CFA exam is offered only in English may affect the pass rate in non-English-speaking countries.
The CFA Institute does not publish CFA pass rates by country, but the CMA exam shows a pass rate that’s split by geographic location. You will see that for non-English speaking regions (the Middle East and to a lesser extent Asia Pacific), the pass rate is much lower. This means the ability to understand and write using the English language is critical for passing these exams.
3. Is the Exam Getting More Difficult?
This has been a popular theory among aspiring CFAs. It is not easily measurable, but it’s fair to say that the investment product has become more complex and sophisticated in the past 10 years.
CFA focuses on traditional investment theories and thus is less affected than the CAIA exam, but I am sure some elements of alternative investments are introduced and tested in the current version of the exam.
4. How about this Conspiracy Theory…
Lastly, I’d like to throw in this conspiracy theory that has gotten quite popular: CFA Institute purposely manipulates the passing score. Why? They can increase the number of retakes and the amount of revenue from the exams.
While this is an interesting theory, an unreasonably low pass rate for the CFA exam will have an opposite effect: it may increase the drop-out rate as people give up after Level 1. Ultimately, this would decrease the total number of CFA charter holders, which isn’t a good thing for a professional association.
Therefore, I tend not to agree with this theory, but it’s worth pointing out for the sake of discussion.
Here is a summary in video format, though it contains some older data.
How to Increase Your Own CFA Exam Pass Rate
Candidates need 6 to 12 months to prepare for each level. It is important to try your best to pass the first time! Learn how to pass CFA Level 1 and go from there.
1. For First-time Takers
The best way to achieve this goal is to pick a review course that suits your background, schedule and learning style:
Pick the best CFA review course!
2. For Retakers
If you just got the news of failing the exam, don’t despair. Remember that CFA pass rates have always been low. There are actionable steps that you can take to greatly increase the odds of passing.
Strategy to retake the exam
3. For Candidates with Analytical Minds
Here is everything you need to know on the CFA exam results, including insights on score bands, fail bands (the “Band 10”), minimum passing score, borderline cases, and more.
Learn about the CFA grading system
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the CFA exam pass rates by country? Who has the highest CFA historical pass rates?
Unfortunately, there are some questions we just can’t answer because the CFA Institute chooses not to publish the data. We can’t tell you the CFA passing percentage in India or the CFA pass rates from Canada because we only have the numbers for all test takers combined.
What’s the CFA vs. CPA pass rate?
The CFA and CPA exam pass rates are a little difficult to compare head-to-head because of how they’re structured. The CFA exam has three levels of increasing difficulty, while the CPA Exam has four sections corresponding to different topics. Both tests often extend over several years, as well. However, here’s our best comparison for 2018, which is the latest year for which we have complete data for both exams.
In 2018, 85,855 candidates took at least one section of the CPA Exam. Of those, 24,034 passed their final section of the exam, meaning that they passed the whole test. Here are passing rates by exam section:
- AUD: 50.97%
- BEC: 59.35%
- FAR: 46.22%
- REG: 53.16%
For the CFA test in 2018, 256,486 took some level of the exam, and 117,990 of them passed for a total CFA pass mark of 46%. Here are the individual level pass rates for the CFA exam 2018:
- Leve1 1: 44.14%
- Level 2: 44.96%
- Level 3: 56.08%
Although it’s not a direct comparison, there is enough data to conclude that more people take the CFA exam, but a higher percentage of test-takers pass the CPA exam.
What is a passing score on the CFA exam?
As you probably know, the CFA exam is graded on a pass/fail basis. Thus, you will not find out exactly how many questions you answered right or wrong, only whether or not you passed. The exact number of correct answers that constitute a pass varies from year to year, and the CFA Institute doesn’t release this number. CFA charterholders and the Board of Governors meet to determine the minimum passing score about six weeks after the Level 1 and 2 exams take place. However, the Level 3 score takes longer to determine because of the essay component.
Because of the secrecy that surrounds the process and the variation of the number, it’s best not to fixate on the number of questions you must get right. Besides, no one’s score report contains this statistic. You won’t know whether you barely passed or answered every question correctly. Instead, focus on preparing for the exam as best you can.
What is the CFA fail rate?
To calculate the failure rate, you simply subtract the passing rate of CFA from 100. That means that over the past 10 years, an average of 55% of candidates have failed at least one level of the CFA exam.
What was the CFA level 1 pass rate in 2021?
In 2021, the overall CFA 1 pass rate was 28.8%. However, the CFA pass rates have been increasing since 2021 and were much higher in 2022 and 2023.
What were the CFA pass rates in 2022?
In 2022, the overall CFA test pass rate was 40%. The CFA Level One pass rate that year was 36.75%, while the Level 2 rate was 42.67% and the Level 3 rate was 48.5%.
What were the CFA exam pass rates in 2023?
In 2023, the CFA Level 1 pass percentage was about 38%. For all three levels, the pass rate was closer to 43%.
