The cost of the CFA exams varies due to several reasons, including exam level and timing of registration. For each of the exam levels (I, II, III), there is an initial fee for registration amounting to around $450. However, total costs increase with late registration and additional services, such as the purchase of study materials or re-scheduling an exam. The early registration, on average, lowers the cost of the exam, which could range from $1,000 to $1,500. Instead, however, registration nearer the deadline could cost up to $2,000 or more.
In addition to these registration fees, most candidates are willing to invest in additional preparation materials like study guides, practice exams, or review courses; this can go up to another $300 or even $2,000 for some. Also, some may opt to obtain a membership at the CFA Institute, offering them discounts as well as availability of other resource materials. Generally, the sum to acquire the CFA charter would be somewhere between $3,000 to $5,000 or higher, depending on the individual preparation strategy and additional resources.