If a CFA candidate lists “CFA, 2013, CFA Society of Pittsburgh” on a resume, is this compliant with CFA Institute Standards?

• A. Yes
• B. No, the resume is incorrect
• C. Yes for the bio but not for the resume
• D. It is acceptable if the candidate has a valid license

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is truthful and non-misleading communication of credentials. The CFA designation is a post-nominal that you may use only after earning the charter by passing all three exam levels and meeting the work-experience requirement. A candidate who lists “CFA, 2013” on a resume implies that the charter has already been earned, which would be inaccurate if you are still a candidate. That misleads readers about your credential status. You can list membership in a CFA Society (for example, “Member, CFA Society of Pittsburgh”), and you can state that you are a “CFA Candidate” (optionally with the level and expected timing), but you should not present the CFA designation until you have earned it. So the resume would be noncompliant as written.