A lot of people have the question if they should pursue CFA or MBA? Which certification you should take depends solely on your professional goals. CFA and MBA both the degrees are expensive, require time and a lot of effort on student’s part. It is very important to note the distinction between these two certifications. MBA is masters degree in business administration, where students are introduced to various areas of business like accounting, marketing, human resources, operations management. There are also Business schools which offer Phd and master courses specializing in specific domains like consulting, finance, marketing etc. The career path after MBA, depends on a lot of factors, including your area of interest, previous work experience and business acumen of specific domain. A lot of employers recruit MBA’s for team manager’s profile where the employee is expected to manage and take quick decisions in their domains. The basic type of MBA courses are typically full time (2 years), part time for evening and weekend batches . There are also Executive MBA’s which are specifically meant for more work experience people. Nowadays, professionals engineers, CA’s, Doctors, politicians go for MBA. Most of the business schools also prefer candidates with at least 4 -5 years of work experience. Almost all of the top B schools recognize GMAT exam ‘s score to test student’s aptitude. However, just giving the exam does not guarantee you an admission, there are a lot of other criterias also that B schools look for, like your past academic record, work experience, other academic qualifications and certifications etc. B Schools in India take CAT, SAT, XAT exams as there enterance examination.

A lot of people these days are skeptical about going for MBA, or career in finance, as economies worlwide are still on the process of recovering from US recession and now Euro debt crisis.
The Lehman crisis in 2008 had resulted in huge number of layoffs, and a lot of unemployment in markets. The worst affected domain was of course finance. Nonetheless the economies, with respect to number of employements, in Asia and Europe performed better than US. Post US recession, Euro debt crisis has taken its toll on economies worldwide.
Leading investment banks and other financial services firms have made their recruitment process more demanding and rigorous. The employers want best industry professionals, who can excel in their domains. Firms are looking for team players, leaders, good listeners, speakers, fast learners who can add value to their businesses. Apparently nowadays it’s not just true for finance domain, all industries engineering, IT, Telecom, give prime importance to these traits. In terms of qualification, a lot of importance is also given to candidates who are MBA’s, CA’s, CFA’s, FRM’s, who have thorough domain knowlege.

CFA exam held twice every year is scheduled on 5th December in India this year. The CFA exam essentially tests your fundamental knowledge in Finance domain. Anyone having graduate degree is eligible to appear for the exam. People having degrees in domains other than finance are also eligible. These days engineers, doctors, MBA’s who want their career in risk management, investment banking, opt for this exam.
The exam is categorized in 3 levels, based on the level of difficulty of the exam. The level 1 is held twice a year whereas level 2 and 3 are held only in June.