CFA Level 1 Exam 2026: May Session Exam Date (OUT), Registration, Syllabus & Pattern

CFA Level 1 2026- Exam Overview

CFA Level 1 Exam Dates

As outlined above, the CFA level 1 exam are conducted four times in a year - February, May, August and November. Candidates who want to appear in the first level of CFA exam should keep themselves updated with the ongoing events to avoid last-minute hassle.

CFA Level 1 Exam Dates 2026

CFA Level 1 Eligibility Requirement 2026

The CFA Institute provides complete information related to the basic CFA Level 1 eligibility requirements on its official website. The eligibility criteria of CFA Level 1 should be fulfilled by candidates before they fill out the application form. As per the official eligibility requirements, candidates should meet one of the following conditions-

CFA Level 1 Eligbility Criteria

CFA Level 1 Registration 2026

Candidates can register for CFA Level 1 in online mode only within the exam date deadlines. Candidates are also allowed to reschedule the exam within the exam window, by paying the rescheduling fee is USD 250. This has to be done before the expiry of the rescheduling deadline.

Steps to register for CFA level 1 exam 2026

Step 1 - Go to the official website - cfainstitute.org

Step 2 - Click on the option “Program” and select the “Register” option from the dropdown menu

Step 3 - Sign up using the email address and create your CFA account

Step 4 - Now log in using the CFA account details such as email address and password

Step 5 - Select CFA level 1 course registration and proceed to fill out the application form

Step 6 - Make payment as per the CFA level 1 registration fee

Step 7 - Download the confirmation receipt and save it for future reference

CFA level 1 Fees 2026

The fees for CFA Level 1 registration vary according to the time of registration. Candidates who register within the early registration deadline (early birds) pay a lower fee compared to those who register during the standard registration period.

Current CFA Level I Registration Fee (2026)

For the 2026 exam windows (February, May, August, and November 2026), the CFA Institute has eliminated the one-time program enrollment fee but has increased the registration costs. The table below denotes the change in pricing across all levels from the 2025 cycle to the 2026 cycle.

CFA Level 1 Exam Fee Changes 2026

CFA Level 1 Exam Pattern 2026

CFA Institute provides all details about the CFA Level 1 exam pattern on its official website. These details include the mode of the CFA level 1 exam, total time duration, number of questions asked, language, marking scheme and other relevant information. Before commencing their preparation, candidates should carefully study the exam pattern.

CFA Level 1 Paper Pattern

CFA Level 1 Syllabus

The CFA syllabus for all levels includes common subjects. However, the syllabus differs in terms of the weight placed on each of the subjects. There are 10 subject areas which form the CFA Level 1 syllabus.

CFA Level I Subjects and Weightage

CFA Level 1 Study Material 2026

Candidates registered for the first level of CFA exam can use the official study material of CFA Level 1 to boost their exam preparation. Candidates can also purchase preparatory material after paying the required amount from the official website. The CFA Level 1 study material helps candidates gain access to a variety of resources and study tools. Aspirants need to revise and solve mock tests during this final lap as this will significantly improve speed and performance during the exam. Some of the official exam prep providers with whom CFA institute has tied up with include Analyst Prep, BPP Professional Education, Bloomberg Exam Prep, Edge Designation, and more. Apart from the CFA curriculum, practice questions, mock exams, most of the CFA preparation resources are paid. Students can also get the past year question papers of CFA from the official website with an additional purchase.

Preparatory Tips for CFA level 1 exam

To prepare a study plan for CFA level I exam, candidates should first figure out the paper pattern, the syllabus to be covered as well as the available study material. How to prepare for CFA level 1 exam remains a question if you do not have knowledge about the sources of the preparation material. Hence, candidates preparing for CFA level 1 exam should check the official study material, and previous question papers, and solve official mock tests to get good results.

Resources Available for CFA Level 1 Preparation

CFA Institute provides various resources to help students prepare for the CFA Level 1 exam. Here are some useful resources candidates can refer to for CFA Level 1 preparation:

• CFA program curriculum
• CFA Institute online mock exam
• CFA Institute learning ecosystem (LES)
• CFA Program approved prep providers
• CFA Program Practice Pack (additional purchase necessary)
• Study groups
• CFA Program curriculum end-of-reading practice problems

CFA Level 1 Admission Ticket 2026

Once the registration, scheduling and rescheduling dates of a session are over, the CFA Institute releases the CFA admission ticket. Candidates can download their CFA level 1 admission ticket from their CFA account. On the day of the exam, it is mandatory for all candidates to carry their admit cards in physical form.

Details mentioned on the CFA level I admission ticket:

• Candidate’s name

• CFA Institute ID number

• Passport expiration date and last four characters of your passport number

• Exam date (as selected by the candidate)

• Complete details of the CFA test centre

• Reporting time

• Basic guidelines to be followed

CFA Level 1 Exam Centres 2026

The locations where the CFA exams are conducted are referred as the CFA exam centres. CFA Level 1 exam are conducted at over 400 test locations. The CFA Institute uploads the exam centre list in PDF format on its official website. The institute had added new CFA exam locations at Surat, Ranchi, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Noida, Visakhapatnam and Raipur. The CFA level 1 exam centres in India for 2026 are listed below. Any changes in the list will be updated here-

CFA Level I 2026 Exam Centres

CFA Level 1 Result May 2026

The CFA Level 1 May 2026 exam results will be released tentatively in July 2026. Candidates can check their CFA Level 1 results on the official CFA Institute website by logging into their registered accounts. The CFA Institute typically releases results about 5-7 weeks after the exam window closes. Candidates will also receive notifications about their results via their registered email address and phone number after the results released.

How to check the result?

Candidates can check the CFA level 1 result using the steps below

Step 1 - Login to the official website of CFA - cfainstitute.org

Step 3 - Detailed result will be displayed on the screen

Step 4 - Download and print the result for future reference