The analysts obtain information by studying public records and filings by the company, as well as by participating in public conference calls where they can ask direct questions to the management. Additional information can be also received in small group or one-on-one meetings with senior members of management teams. However in many markets such information gathering became difficult and potentially illegal due to legislative changes brought upon by corporate scandals in the early 2000s.

Financial analysts are often employed by mutual and pension funds, hedge funds, securities firms, banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and other businesses, helping these companies or their clients make investment decisions. Financial analysts employed in commercial lending perform "balance sheet analysis," examining the audited financial statements and corollary data in order to assess lending risks. In a stock brokerage house or in an investment bank, they read company financial statements and analyze commodity prices, sales, costs, expenses, and tax rates in order to determine a company's value and project future earnings. In any of these various institutions, the analyst often meets with company officials to gain a better insight into a company's prospects and to determine the company's managerial effectiveness. Usually, financial analysts study an entire industry, assessing current trends in business practices, products, and industry competition. They must keep abreast of new regulations or policies that may affect the industry, as well as monitor the economy to determine its effect on earnings.

The AACPS Certified Financial Analyst Exam is based on the AACPS Body of Knowledge for Financial Analysis. The Exam is Theory based exam and contains multiple-choice questions from each major section of the AACPS Body of Knowledge for Financial Analysis. Exam is been closely monitored and proctored by the Accredited Examination Partners in more than 6000+ Testing Centres located within 92 countries throughout the world.

Duration : 3 hours
Total Questions : 150
Passing Score : 90 Questions (60%)

In order to achieve the professional certification of AACPS Certified Financial Analyst from the Association for Certification and Professional Studies candidate must mandatorily attend the Training conducted by AACPS Accredited Training Partner for the AACPS Certified Financial Analyst Exam and achieve a passing score that is calculated based on points earned in the exam. There are no prerequisites in terms of years of experience required in order to appear for the AACPS Certified Financial Analyst Exam. For more information about this please refer FAQ’s section.

The candidates who wish to appear for the exam are strongly recommended and required to obtain Financial Analysis certification training through an AACPS Accredited Training Partner and AACPS Accredited Trainer prior to appearing for the AACPS Certified Financial Analyst Exam. Review the AACPS Body of Knowledge and reference materials provided by the AACPS Accredited Training Partner. Take advantage of the Accredited Courseware and sample exam provided by Accredited Training Partner.

The result of the AACPS Certified Financial Analyst Exam will be declared within 30 working days from the exam date. Upon successfully clearing the examination through AACPS Accredited Examination Centre successful candidates will receive a Soft copy Certificate within 15 working days and Hard copy of the certificate within 90 working days from the date of the declaration of Exam result. Successful Candidate name will be updated in Successful Candidate List within 90 days from the date of the declaration of Exam result. Professionals will also receive the AACPS Certified Financial Analyst Marks and AACPS Code of Conduct which should be followed while using the information on public profiles such as LinkedIn. Professionals may use the designation AACPS Financial Analyst Certified or any approved variation of the designation in accordance with the AACPS Code of Conduct.