CFA课程的原始设计是一个供考生自修的学习计划，CFA协会依据资产管理实务上常用的专业知识编订出一个考生需要学习的“知识主体”(Candidate Body of Knowledge，简称CBOK)，再将其分为三级各十八周的学习计划，CFA协会估计考生须在每个18周的学习计划中，每周须投入10~15小时，即准备时间须要4~5个月，学习时数合计180~270个小时，应在考前一个月完成前述学习计划，以便最后一个月复习课程内容及做考题，故一级CFA考试整个学习流程约六个月。
虽然依据CFA协会的设计，CFA是一个自修课程，并未强制要求考生必须参加教育培训课程方可报考，然而对大部份繁忙的考生来说，参加专业的课程还是公认最有效率的方法。考生在选择课程时，宜特别要注意讲师对CFA考试的了解程度、相关CFA课程教学经验是否充足、过去学员的表现及编制的讲义是否能有效地整理出课程重点等等。
Topical Outline
CFA Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK)
I. Ethical and Professional Standards
A. Professional Standards of Practice
B. Ethical Practices
II. Quantitative Methods
A. Time Value of Money
B. Probability
C. Probability Distributions and Descriptive Statistics
D. Sampling and Estimation
E. Hypothesis Testing
F. Correlation Analysis and Regression
G. Time Series Analysis
H. Simulation Analysis
I. Technical Analysis
III. Economics
A. Market Forces of Supply and Demand
B. The Firm and Industry Organization
C. Measuring National Income and Growth
D. Business Cycles
E. The Monetary System
F. Inflation
G. International Trade and Capital Flows
H. Currency Exchange Rates
I. Monetary and Fiscal Policy
J. Economic Growth and Development
K. Effects of Government Regulation
L. Impact of Economic Factors on Investment Markets
IV. Financial Reporting and Analysis
A. Financial Reporting System (IFRS and GAAP)
B. Principal Financial Statements
C. Financial Reporting Quality
D. Analysis of Inventories
E. Analysis of Long-Lived Assets
F. Analysis of Taxes
G. Analysis of Debt
H. Analysis of Off-Balance-Sheet Assets and Liabilities
I. Analysis of Pensions, Stock Compensation, and Other Employee Benefits
J. Analysis of Inter-Corporate Investments
K. Analysis of Business Combinations
L. Analysis of Global Operations
M. Ratio and Financial Analysis
V. Corporate Finance
A. Corporate Governance
B. Dividend Policy
C. Capital Investment Decisions
D. Business and Financial Risk
E. Long-Term Financial Policy
F. Short-Term Financial Policy
G. Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring
VI. Equity Investments
A. Types of Equity Securities and their Characteristics
B. Equity Markets: Characteristics, Institutions, and Benchmarks
C. Fundamental Analysis (Sector, Industry, Company) and the Valuation of Individual Equity Securities
D. Equity Market Valuation and Return Analysis
E. Special Applications of Fundamental Analysis (Residual Earnings)
F. Equity of Hybrid Investment Vehicles
VII. Fixed Income
A. Types of Fixed-Income Securities and their Characteristics
B. Fixed-Income Markets: Characteristics, Institutions, and Benchmarks
C. Fixed-Income Valuation (Sector, Industry, Company) and Return Analysis
D. Term Structure Determination and Yield Spreads
E. Analysis of Interest Rate Risk
F. Analysis of Credit Risk
G. Valuing Bonds with Embedded Options
H. Structured Products
VIII. Derivatives
A. Types of Derivative Instruments and their Characteristics
B. Forward Markets and Instruments
C. Futures Markets and Instruments
D. Options Markets and Instruments
E. Swaps Markets and Instruments
F. Credit Derivatives Markets and Instruments
IX. Alternative Investments
A. Types of Alternative Investments and their Characteristics
B. Real Estate
C. Private Equity/Venture Capital
D. Hedge Funds
E. Closely-held Companies and Inactively Traded Securities
F. Distressed Securities/Bankruptcies
G. Commodities
H. Tangible Assets with Low Liquidity
X. Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning
A. Portfolio Concepts
B. Management of Individual/Family Investor Portfolios
C. Management of Institutional Investor Portfolios
D. Pension Plans and Employee Benefit Funds
E. Investment Manager Selection
F. Other Institutional Investors
G. Mutual Funds, Pooled Funds, and ETFs
H. Economic Analysis and Setting Capital Market Expectations
I. Tax Efficiency
J. Asset Allocation (including Currency Overlay)
K. Portfolio Construction and Revision
L. Equity Portfolio Management Strategies
M. Fixed-Income Portfolio Management Strategies
N. Alternative Investments Management Strategies
O. Risk Management
P. Execution of Portfolio Decisions (Trading)
Q. Performance Evaluation
R. Presentation of Performance Results
CFA课程的原始设计是一个供考生自修的学习计划，CFA协会依据资产管理实务上常用的专业知识编订出一个考生需要学习的“知识主体”(Candidate Body of Knowledge，简称CBOK)，再将其分为三级各十八周的学习计划，CFA协会估计考生须在每个18周的学习计划中，每周须投入10~15小时，即准备时间须要4~5个月，学习时数合计180~270个小时，应在考前一个月完成前述学习计划，以便最后一个月复习课程内容及做考题，故一级CFA考试整个学习流程约六个月。
虽然依据CFA协会的设计，CFA是一个自修课程，并未强制要求考生必须参加教育培训课程方可报考，然而对大部份繁忙的考生来说，参加专业的课程还是公认最有效率的方法。考生在选择课程时，宜特别要注意讲师对CFA考试的了解程度、相关CFA课程教学经验是否充足、过去学员的表现及编制的讲义是否能有效地整理出课程重点等等。
Topical Outline
CFA Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK)
I. Ethical and Professional Standards
A. Professional Standards of Practice
B. Ethical Practices
II. Quantitative Methods
A. Time Value of Money
B. Probability
C. Probability Distributions and Descriptive Statistics
D. Sampling and Estimation
E. Hypothesis Testing
F. Correlation Analysis and Regression
G. Time Series Analysis
H. Simulation Analysis
I. Technical Analysis
III. Economics
A. Market Forces of Supply and Demand
B. The Firm and Industry Organization
C. Measuring National Income and Growth
D. Business Cycles
E. The Monetary System
F. Inflation
G. International Trade and Capital Flows
H. Currency Exchange Rates
I. Monetary and Fiscal Policy
J. Economic Growth and Development
K. Effects of Government Regulation
L. Impact of Economic Factors on Investment Markets
IV. Financial Reporting and Analysis
A. Financial Reporting System (IFRS and GAAP)
B. Principal Financial Statements
C. Financial Reporting Quality
D. Analysis of Inventories
E. Analysis of Long-Lived Assets
F. Analysis of Taxes
G. Analysis of Debt
H. Analysis of Off-Balance-Sheet Assets and Liabilities
I. Analysis of Pensions, Stock Compensation, and Other Employee Benefits
J. Analysis of Inter-Corporate Investments
K. Analysis of Business Combinations
L. Analysis of Global Operations
M. Ratio and Financial Analysis
V. Corporate Finance
A. Corporate Governance
B. Dividend Policy
C. Capital Investment Decisions
D. Business and Financial Risk
E. Long-Term Financial Policy
F. Short-Term Financial Policy
G. Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring
VI. Equity Investments
A. Types of Equity Securities and their Characteristics
B. Equity Markets: Characteristics, Institutions, and Benchmarks
C. Fundamental Analysis (Sector, Industry, Company) and the Valuation of Individual Equity Securities
D. Equity Market Valuation and Return Analysis
E. Special Applications of Fundamental Analysis (Residual Earnings)
F. Equity of Hybrid Investment Vehicles
VII. Fixed Income
A. Types of Fixed-Income Securities and their Characteristics
B. Fixed-Income Markets: Characteristics, Institutions, and Benchmarks
C. Fixed-Income Valuation (Sector, Industry, Company) and Return Analysis
D. Term Structure Determination and Yield Spreads
E. Analysis of Interest Rate Risk
F. Analysis of Credit Risk
G. Valuing Bonds with Embedded Options
H. Structured Products
VIII. Derivatives
A. Types of Derivative Instruments and their Characteristics
B. Forward Markets and Instruments
C. Futures Markets and Instruments
D. Options Markets and Instruments
E. Swaps Markets and Instruments
F. Credit Derivatives Markets and Instruments
IX. Alternative Investments
A. Types of Alternative Investments and their Characteristics
B. Real Estate
C. Private Equity/Venture Capital
D. Hedge Funds
E. Closely-held Companies and Inactively Traded Securities
F. Distressed Securities/Bankruptcies
G. Commodities
H. Tangible Assets with Low Liquidity
X. Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning
A. Portfolio Concepts
B. Management of Individual/Family Investor Portfolios
C. Management of Institutional Investor Portfolios
D. Pension Plans and Employee Benefit Funds
E. Investment Manager Selection
F. Other Institutional Investors
G. Mutual Funds, Pooled Funds, and ETFs
H. Economic Analysis and Setting Capital Market Expectations
I. Tax Efficiency
J. Asset Allocation (including Currency Overlay)
K. Portfolio Construction and Revision
L. Equity Portfolio Management Strategies
M. Fixed-Income Portfolio Management Strategies
N. Alternative Investments Management Strategies
O. Risk Management
P. Execution of Portfolio Decisions (Trading)
Q. Performance Evaluation
R. Presentation of Performance Results