CFA Final Success Rate Climbs to 50% While Below Decade Average

The pass rate for the final level of the chartered financial analyst exam — in which test-takers are allowed a choice of specialty — rose slightly while still remaining lower than the historic average.

In August, 50% of candidates passed the Level III test, up from 49% for those who sat for the exam in February and 48% for candidates who took it a year earlier, the CFA Institute said Thursday. That’s still below the historic 10-year average of 51% passing.