IWI Enhances CIMA Certification Curriculum After Job Analysis Study
Posted by Allison Edmondson, Director of Communications
May 30, 2018 3:00:00 PM
Denver, CO — May 30, 2018 — While the standards for the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification have not changed and will continue to follow The Four E’s: Experience, Ethics, Education, and Examination, the CIMA certification education curriculum is changing as of June 1, 2018 based on the results of comprehensive research conducted by the Investments & Wealth Institute Defining the Future of Financial Advice: Industry Dynamics and CIMA Job Analysis Study.
As a result of the study’s findings, which included a job analysis of more than 2,000 financial professionals to determine the advanced competencies professionals need to deliver the highest level of investment advice, the CIMA Core Body of Knowledge has changed and with it, the CIMA curriculum. The revised curriculum taught by The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Yale School of Management, will now:
Focus on the newly revised CIMA Core Body of Knowledge incorporating five key knowledge domains (fundamentals, investments, portfolio theory and behavioral finance, risk and return, portfolio construction and consulting process) within 22 knowledge sections incorporating nearly 500 topics.
Place greater emphasis on passive investment vehicles and strategies (including a new section covering investment philosophies and styles).
Demonstrate stronger application of ethics and fiduciary principles and guidelines.
Include greater content on responsible investing, including investment analysis and portfolio construction related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, impact investing, and socially responsible investing.
Increase content on behavioral finance, real assets, portfolio risk management, and tax and regulatory topics.
“The new curriculum is a result of an on-going effort by the Institute to ensure that the CIMA certification reflects the latest knowledge and skill required to deliver competent, ethical financial advice,” said Sean Walters, CAE, chief executive officer. “It is important to regularly conduct job analyses, so that our education providers remain at the forefront of education for the investment and wealth management industry. By learning from professionals which knowledge areas are most needed by clients today, we can help educate advisors to better serve their clients and exceed clients’ expectations.”
In addition to the revised curriculum, the examination for the CIMA certification will be revised, as well. The new five-hour, 140-question examination will be administered at Pearson Vue testing centers worldwide commencing August 1, 2018.
Offered since 1988, the CIMA certification requires candidates to complete a four-step process including admission (application and background check), successful completion of an executive education requirement through an approved registered education provider, examination, and certification (final background check and ongoing recertification acknowledgement). The CIMA program, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, meets international accreditation standards (ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024) for personnel certification.
For additional information about the CIMA Certification Program, contact 303-850-3079.