Mercury, first institute to offer CFA classes in Sri Lanka

The steady level of economic activity has necessitated the parallel development of Sri Lanka’s capital market. Taking this into context, Mercury Institute of Management is ushering in a new era for professionals in the capital market of Sri Lanka and those who aspire to be a part of the prestigious profession, by offering the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification to Sri Lankan students. 

The CFA program is the most widely known and respected investment credential in the world. The graduate level curriculum provides a strong foundation and link theory and practice with real-world investment analysis and portfolio management skills along with the practical knowledge you need in today’s investment banking fields. It also emphasises the highest ethical and professional standards and offers an excellent foundation to careers in the investment profession, and increases employability.

Earning the chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation can move one’s resume to the top of the pile in extremely competitive fields, including portfolio management, investment banking, business development, and corporate mergers and acquisitions. Therefore for those seeking an edge in the world of finance and are increasingly considering a different kind of credentials, the CFA designation is considered the gold standard of the investment banking field, with many going on to careers as portfolio managers or research analysts at hedge funds and private equity firms. 

Entry Requirement for Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is a recognised Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent professional qualification or to be a final year student of the Bachelor’s Degree Program. One could also have four years of qualified professional work experience or have a combination of work and academic experience that total four years.

Completing the CFA Program confirms one’s mastery of the rigorous CFA curriculum, and signifies their success in passing all three exam levels, which is one of the requirements for earning the CFA charter.

A candidate who successfully completes the program and shows industry experience of four years is awarded a ‘CFA charter’ and becomes a ‘CFA charterholder’. Passing the series of CFA exams also demonstrates mastery of a broad range of investment and technical skills to succeed in asset or investment management, specifically in the field of investment banking. 

Speaking of the qualification, Mercury Institute Managing Director Jeevith Shakespear stated: “If you’re looking for a passport to a competitive career in the fast-evolving world of investment and global finance, you should look at the CFA program. The CFA program equips you with the comprehensive practical knowledge you need for a wide variety of career choices in the investment profession. Many CFA charterholders find that earning the CFA charter provides them with an opportunity for working within numerous investment specialties and markets around the globe. And if you want to have international recognition and mobility within the financial world, then you really should be doing the CFA program as employers recognise the CFA charter as the definitive standard by which to measure the competence, integrity, and dedication of serious investment professionals.”

He added: “To help one decide whether to pursue this qualification let’s take a look at how you will benefit from it. First, there is the educational benefit; you will learn a great deal and add a great credential to your CV. Then, there is the reputational benefit. People in the business know the time commitment and dedication it takes to earn the qualification. When they see that you have earned it, they have the confidence that you have ability, dedication, ethical grounding and the hard, transferable analytical skills necessary to do the job in question. There also the financial benefits. You definitely see your salary increase after you’ve earned the qualification and you also surpass other applicants when competing for a new job or position. In addition, the opportunity to network with other CFA charterholders, who are almost all in the investment management business, is a priceless opportunity to get your face in front of the people who matter: the people who make hiring decisions.” Highlighting the reasons why the institute decided to affiliate itself with the qualification, Shakespear stated: “Today Mercury stands out as one of the leading institutes providing quality professional education such as ACCA and we were the first institute to bring tuition for this qualification to our Sri Lankan students. We have been conducting these classes for the past seven years and are incidentally the only platinum status tuition provider for ACCA currently. We are once again the first institute to bring the CFA qualification to our students as well.”

He added: “The institute has size controlled classes which provides one-to-one learning programs for students, which in turn aids them in terms of receiving focused lecturer attention. 

We also possess a team of exceptionally gifted lecturers who all come from a CFA background and are experienced personnel from the industry. The teaching methods adopted by the institute is based on ‘doing the basics right,’ which includes a structured approach in teaching and study methods geared for exam success, such as full coverage of syllabus, focusing in detail on all subject areas and teaching students to interpret questions and tackle them successfully, revision at the end of each session in the form of mini mock and full mock examinations, legible writing, time management and interactive sessions to allow students to voice their suggestions, ideas or doubts.”