Level 1 — Tools & Concepts
10 topic areas · MCQ only
Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Statement Analysis, Corporate Issuers, Equity, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Alternatives, Portfolio Management, Ethics.
Currently offered
CFA · Chartered Financial Analyst
Three letters that change which rooms you're allowed into.
The CFA charter is the global standard in investment management — the qualification asset managers, equity research desks and investment banks look for first. Roughly four in ten candidates pass Level I. We're built to make sure you're one of them.
Valuation playground
Intrinsic value / share
₹ 792
8%
11%
22%
Illustrative model — not investment advice.
CA Gautam Taneja
Level 1 & 2 Cleared with 90%
Management consulting and private equity — teaches valuation and corporate finance from having done the work
- Levels
- 3
- Duration
- 2–4 years
- Eligibility
- Degree, final year, or 4,000 hrs
- Level I pass rate
- 45% Feb · 39% May 2026
- Windows
- Multiple per year
The number everyone hides
Four in ten pass Level I. Here's what the other six get wrong.
In February 2026, 45% of the 24,006 candidates who sat CFA Level I passed. First-time candidates did better at 50%; candidates who had deferred at least once passed at just 30%. The May 2026 window came in at 39%. The ten-year average sits at 40%.
Source: CFA Institute, February 2026 results release; independent pass-rate trackers, 2026.
Momentum matters more than intelligence.
Deferrers pass at 30% against first-timers at 50%. The single biggest predictor of failure is losing rhythm — which is why our batches run fortnightly mentor check-ins.
Coverage isn't the problem. Retention is.
Most candidates read the whole curriculum. Few can retrieve it under time pressure. Our method is cumulative revision and capsule marathons, not one linear pass.
300 hours is the floor, not the target.
CFA Institute's own guidance is around 300 hours per level. Candidates who treat that as a ceiling are in the 60%.
The programme
Three levels, three different exams.
Each level tests something structurally different. Most people who fail Level II were studying for it like Level I.
Level 2 — Asset Valuation
Item sets (vignettes)
The same topics, but applied. Valuation becomes the centre of gravity, and the format shifts to case vignettes that punish surface knowledge.
Launch date TBC
Level 3 — Portfolio Management
Constructed response + item sets
Asset allocation, portfolio construction, performance measurement, risk, and a pathway specialisation. Written answers return.
Launch date TBC
An honest note about Levels 2 and 3
We currently run Level 1. If we launch Level 2 on a date we haven't confirmed, we'd be doing exactly what this blueprint tells you not to do. So: when it's set, every Level 1 student gets first access and a continuing-student discount. An honest gap with a plan beats an unexplained absence.
Careers
What the charter actually opens.
Scroll the table sideways →
| Path | What you actually do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Equity Research | Cover sectors, build models, publish views | Sell-side desks, buy-side research |
| Portfolio Management | Run mandates, allocate assets, own performance | AMCs, wealth managers, family offices |
| Investment Banking | Valuation, M&A, capital markets execution | Bulge bracket, boutiques, Indian IBs |
| Private Equity / VC | Diligence, valuation, portfolio monitoring | PE funds, growth equity, VC |
| Risk Management | Market, credit and liquidity risk | Banks, funds, regulators |
| Wealth Management | HNI and family-office advisory | Private banks, RIAs |
| Corporate Development | In-house M&A and strategic finance | Large corporates, GCCs |
Taught by people who have done the work
CA Gautam Taneja has worked at KPMG. He teaches valuation and corporate finance from having done the work, not from a curriculum summary.
Planning
Which window should you target?
Registration fees rise across early and standard deadlines — the earlier you commit to a window, the less the exam costs.
Scroll the table sideways →
| Exam window | Early registration closes | Standard registration closes | Recommended study start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 7 May 2026 | 5 Aug 2026 | June 2026 |
| Feb 2027 | 7 Jul 2026 | 5 Nov 2026 | August 2026 |
| May 2027 | 7 Oct 2026 | 4 Feb 2027 | November 2026 |
| Aug 2027 | 4 Feb 2027 | 6 May 2027 | March 2027 |
Dates from the CFA Institute official registration calendar for CFA Level 1.
What you get
Every stat with a real number attached.
300
hours of live + recorded instruction across the full syllabus
3,500
practice questions covering every topic area
3
full-length mocks under real exam conditions
26
weekly chapter tests
Capsule revisions & marathons
Last-mile revision cycles before the exam — the intervention that separates the 40% from the 60%.
Fortnightly mentor connects
Live check-ins every two weeks. Built specifically to stop the deferral spiral that drops pass rates from 50% to 30%.
Faculty
Who teaches your CFA batch.
★ Qualified CA | CFA Level II Cleared (90%ile+)
Ex-KPMG · Audit & Due Diligence
CA Gautam Taneja
Strong understanding of financial reporting, analysis and valuation, with practical exposure to real-world finance and corporate decision-making. Simplifies complex concepts with an exam-oriented approach.
CFA L2
CA Gautam Taneja
Qualified CA | CFA Level II Cleared (90%ile+)
Industry Experience
- KPMG – Audit & Due Diligence
- Strong understanding of financial reporting, analysis & valuation
- Practical exposure to real-world finance and corporate decision-making
- Focused on simplifying complex concepts with an exam-oriented approach
CFA L2
Enrol
CFA Level 1 — ₹15,999.
Live and recorded, ~300 hours of instruction, 3,500+ practice questions, 3 full mocks, capsule revisions and fortnightly mentor connects. Covered by the Pass Assurance.
FAQ
CFA questions, answered straight.
You need a bachelor's degree, or to be in the final year of one, or 4,000 hours of relevant work experience. Unlike ACCA, you cannot start straight after Class 12.
Free consultation
Which window should you target? Let's work it out.
Thirty minutes with a counsellor. We'll look at your background, how many hours a week you realistically have, and pick the exam window that gives you the best chance of being in the 45% rather than the 55%.