CFA Charterholder Professional Learning Requirements: What You Need to Know
CFA Institute encourages charterholders and members to earn at least 20 Professional Learning credits each membership year, including 2 credits in Standards, Ethics, and Regulations, as part of their ongoing continuing professional development (CPD). One Professional Learning credit equals one hour of educational activity, and credits can be recorded in quarter-hour increments. CFA Institute also asks members to attest during renewal whether they earned the recommended credits for their CFA Institute membership year.
This page provides general educational information to help Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholders and CFA Institute members understand how the Professional Learning program works, including recommended annual credits, Standards, Ethics, and Regulations credits, qualifying learning activities, tracking, and how structured audio learning may fit within the framework.
Important: This content is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, or individualized compliance advice and does not replace official guidance issued by CFA Institute. Individual requirements may vary based on membership status and whether the member also holds another CFA Institute designation such as CIPM or other credentials like CIMA.
CFA Professional Learning Requirements at a Glance
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CFA Professional Learning Year and Annual Expectation
CFA Institute frames Professional Learning as an annual expectation tied to the membership year. Members are encouraged to complete at least 20 credits each year, including 2 credits in Standards, Ethics, and Regulations, and then attest to their participation when they renew their membership.
CFA Professional Learning Requirements
Unlike some credentials that use a hard mandatory rolling cycle, CFA Institute’s Professional Learning framework is built around an annual recommended target similar to CE credits in other professions. The focus is on staying current, maintaining professional competence, and building knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to investment practice. CFA Institute says the program is designed to help members improve technical expertise, build on foundations, and stay current on industry changes.
Total Professional Learning Credits Recommended
CFA Institute encourages charterholders and members to earn at least 20 Professional Learning credits each membership year. This is the benchmark members see during renewal attestation.
Standards, Ethics, and Regulations Requirement
Of the 20 recommended annual credits, 2 should be in Standards, Ethics, and Regulations, aligning with the CFA Institute Code of Ethics. CFA Institute refers to these as SER credits, and they can be counted as a subset of the total credits earned for a learning activity.
What Counts as Professional Learning
CFA Institute takes a broad view of qualifying Professional Learning. Eligible activities should be educational in nature, relate to topics derived from the Global Body of Investment Knowledge or the CFA Program, or be geared toward increasing knowledge, skills, and abilities as an investment professional.
The CFA Institute guidance specifically says qualifying activities may include:
- self-study
- employer-based learning
- third-party offerings
- live events
- university courses
- webinars
- technical readings
- podcasts
Credit Calculation
CFA Institute says one Professional Learning credit equals one hour of educational activity. Credits may be earned in quarter-hour increments, rounded to the nearest quarter hour, and the minimum credit that can be assigned to any activity is 0.25.
For readings and content review, CFA Institute also provides suggested ways to calculate credit:
- actual clock time spent
- 2 minutes per page for generalist readings
- 4 minutes per page for specialized or highly technical readings
CFA Institute also notes that no single self-study activity may earn more than 20 credit hours.
Employer-Based and Third-Party Learning
CFA Institute makes clear that Professional Learning is not limited to CFA Institute courses. Members may claim credit for in-house or employer-based training, and third-party offerings such as live events, university courses, webinars, and technical readings may also qualify.
Tracking and Attestation
Members can record Professional Learning using the CFA Institute PL Tracker. CFA Institute also offers one-click functionality for eligible content and automatically records credits for some prequalified activities. During renewal, members are asked whether they can attest to earning the recommended annual credits, including the SER component.
Documentation and Recordkeeping
CFA Institute’s public guidance emphasizes tracking credits through the PL Tracker and attesting during renewal. Because members may record third-party and self-directed activities, keeping personal records of course titles, dates, providers, and time spent is a practical way to support the annual attestation. This is especially relevant for third-party learning, employer-based activities, readings, and podcasts.
CFA Professional Learning Courses: What to Know
For CFA charterholders and members, the main planning points are:
- earning at least 20 Professional Learning credits each membership year
- making sure 2 credits are in Standards, Ethics, and Regulations
- choosing learning that is educational in nature and relevant to investment practice
- using the PL Tracker to log activity
- keeping enough personal records to support the renewal attestation
Audio-Based Learning and LumiQ
LumiQ provides structured, expert-led learning designed to fit professional development into daily life. For CFA charterholders and members, the key question is whether the activity is educational in nature and relevant to knowledge, skills, and abilities as an investment professional. Because CFA Institute specifically includes podcasts among activities that may qualify for Professional Learning credit, structured audio-based learning may fit into a CFA Professional Learning plan when the topic is relevant such as Level II exam content or derivative valuation and the member tracks the educational time appropriately. Members remain responsible for determining whether a specific activity qualifies and how many credits are reasonable to claim. CFA Institute remains the final authority on compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions About CFA Professional Learning
How many Professional Learning credits are recommended each year?
CFA Institute encourages members to earn at least 20 Professional Learning credits each membership year.
How many Standards, Ethics, and Regulations credits are recommended?
CFA Institute recommends 2 credits in Standards, Ethics, and Regulations each membership year.
How is Professional Learning credit calculated?
One credit equals one hour of educational activity, and credit may be earned in quarter-hour increments with a minimum of 0.25 credit.
Can webinars, podcasts, and technical readings count?
Yes. CFA Institute specifically lists webinars, podcasts, technical readings, university courses, and live events among activities that may qualify.
Do members have to report credits one by one?
Members can record credits in the PL Tracker, and some activities are recorded automatically. During renewal, members are asked to attest to their participation in the program.
Can LumiQ count toward CFA Professional Learning?
It may, where the activity is educational in nature, relevant to investment practice, and tracked appropriately. Because CFA Institute specifically says podcasts may qualify, structured audio learning can fit within the framework when the content is relevant.
CFA Professional Learning Compliance
CFA Institute is the final authority on CFA Professional Learning expectations and renewal attestation. Charterholders and members should rely on CFA Institute’s Professional Learning program guidance, PL Tracker resources, and renewal materials when making decisions about their own obligations.
Sources
Primary sources used for this page include CFA Institute’s Professional Learning Program page and CFA Institute help guidance on the annual Professional Learning credit recommendation
Reviewed by Danielle Marion, Regulatory Compliance Manager at LumiQ. Danielle has more than 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance and professional education governance, including leadership roles at Deloitte LLP.
