Chartered Wealth Manager - CWM Exam Guide

More than 50,000 Chartered Wealth Managers globally are spread in more than 151 countries. CWM was founded in 1996 by AAFM, the American Academy of Financial Management.

This course is organized by worldwide financial and standard professionals who offer exclusive and certified designations and chartered and master's certifications to candidates capable of meeting high standards. This certification is good if you come from asset management, asset allocation, and wealth management background. Nothing can be better than this course to boost the value of your resume.

In this article, we look at the nuts and bolts of the CWM examination.

• About CWM Program
• CWM Program Completion Criteria
• Why pursue a CWM examination?
• CWM Examination Format
• CWM Part I exam (Foundation level)
• CWM Part II exam (Advanced level)
• CWM Examination Fees
• Strategies for the CWM Examination

The chartered wealth manager is a designation recognized globally, or you can also call it a global designation. Its course content is a mix of Indian and International judicious content, which enables the participants to get a complete understanding of both the Indian and international financial background. The people who possess this certificate can work in the country they wish to work as a CWM.

• Job roles: Portfolio and asset manager, wealth manager, broker, market analyst, financial controller, head of finance, private banker, etc.
• Exams: The candidates need to complete 18 units in both examinations. Level 1 is the foundation level, a 115-minute examination for 150 marks, whereas Level 2 is the Advanced Level, a 175-minute examination for 200 marks.
• CWM exam dates: It is an online exam, and you can choose to appear for this examination, depending on your flexibility. You can schedule the exams between the 10^th and the 20^th of every month.
• Eligibility: To become a certificate holder, the minimum qualification you need is a graduate. You need to be a graduate to appear or register for this certification course. And most importantly, you need relevant three years' work experience to register for a Chartered wealth manager certification.

• The course of Chartered Wealth Manager is divided into two parts – Foundation Level and Advanced Level.
• Foundation Level includes an overview of the global financial systems, concept & lifecycle of wealth management, managing investment risk, measuring investment returns, etc.
• Advanced level includes equity analysis, loan & debt management, portfolio management strategies, advanced wealth management, etc.
• The Foundation Level is for 150 marks, and its duration is 115 minutes, whereas the Advanced Level is for 200 marks, and its duration is 175 minutes.
• The candidate needs to be a graduate to register for this certification.
• Besides education, the candidate also needs skills, such as product knowledge, understanding of client psychology, customer management, sales, and soft skills, understanding the financial market and competition, and business understanding.

You are passionate about managing wealth; this is just what you should do. Understanding the market allocation of resources, etc., is extremely interesting for passionate people. However, to pursue this certification, you need the love and dedication for finance.

• CWM enhances your potential for managing wealth and portfolios for corporations and individuals.
• The candidates get updates on the industry and the opportunities as a wealth manager relevant to the globe. They learn market dynamics and innovation in financial products in wealth management. Gaining insights into global best practices in the financial industry, they understand the options and issues in wealth planning.
• They develop skills in building wealth management solutions for the ability of clients. They develop strategies and confidence in dealing with customers' friendly, user-friendly language to build stronger customer relationships. Their capabilities are gained through strategic and structural processes.
• Applying for this certification prepares the students for a tough and practical orientation and course structure. And the outcome of this course is a fully trained wealth manager who is ready for the tough wealth management industry.
• Wealth management is one of the fastest-growing and highly paid careers these days. Demands as per the studies state that India alone falls under the fastest growing economies of the world, which has approximately 200000 families that fall under the ultra-high net worth family bracket; however, the is estimated to grow higher in the next few years to come the country has more than 20000 chartered wealth managers and is estimated to grow up to 50000 in the next couple of years. It means each wealth manager may handle close to 50 high net worth clients, and this provides a good amount of employment and a very good career scope.
• Professionals who want to pursue their careers in wealth management like Investment Strategies, Life Cycle Management, Intergenerational Wealth Transfer, Relationship Management, Behavioral Finance, Alternative Products, Real Estate Valuation, and Global Taxation, this certification is just perfect as it suits your requirement and gives your career a boost a good kick start or maybe a restart to grow higher.

CWM Part I exam (Foundation level)

The foundation level of Chartered Wealth Manager covers the fundamentals of wealth management that deals with different aspects like investment strategies, life cycle management, intergenerational wealth transfer, management of relationships, etc. This level covers nine units; these units are Overview of Global Financial System, Concept of Wealth Management, Life Cycle Management, Investment Vehicles of Wealth Management, Measuring Investment Returns, Managing Investment Risk, Role of Wealth Management in Banking, Loan & Debt Management, and Intergenerational Wealth Transfer.

1. The CWM examinations are all online examinations and are not written.
2. To clear this examination, you need to score at least or a minimum of 50%; however, this certification does not include any negative marking.
3. The duration to clear this exam is 115 minutes.
4. You can book your seat whenever you are ready; however, remember that the examination date will be between the 10^th and the 20^th of every month.
5. The foundation level examination pattern is given below.

CWM Part II exam (Advanced level)

1. Advanced level covers the units, such as Equity Analysis, Use of Alternative Products in Wealth Management, Use of Behavioral Finance in Wealth Management, Real Estate Valuation and Analysis, Relationship Management by a Wealth Manager, International Taxation, Portfolio Management Strategies, Wealth Management Planning, and Advanced Wealth Management.
2. The CWM examinations are all online examinations and are not written.
3. To clear this examination, you need to score at least or a minimum of 50%; however, this certification does not include any negative marking.
4. The duration to clear this exam is 175 minutes.
5. You can book your seat whenever you are ready; however, remember that the examination date will be between the 10^th and the 20^th of every month.
6. The advanced level examination pattern is given below.

Just like every course, the CWM fee structure varies. The variation is in the type of fee you pay and why you pay the fee. The fee structure table is given below for a better understanding.

Level 1 fee needs to be paid at the time of registration, and once registered, the registration is valid only for 365 days. Level 2 examination fee needs to be paid before appearing for the examination.

• A printout of the study material is not available; however, the study material is available online.
• The fee, once paid, is not refundable, and the above fee structure does not include taxes as taxes differ from country to country.

(Note: The examination is not held in a specific period or a specific time slot; giving a passing percentage is not possible for this course. The examinations are taken as per the convenience of the candidate for the candidate can appear for an examination every month)

1. Know the syllabus and the structure of the CWM examination, as this will tell you and show you where to start and how to start.
2. This certification is not as easy as it looks. Experts say that studying for this examination needs a dedicated 200 hrs pre-exam preparation—plan studying accordingly. Planning is extremely important before you start something new. Now that your syllabus, the structure of the exam, and its course material, you need to plan your next move of studying for this not so easy certification.
3. Important to understand the types of papers; hence take several mock tests that will be available online. It will give you an idea of the question paper that you will encounter during your examination.
4. Study daily by understanding the concepts and not simply memorizing your material.
5. Oh yes, study only from approved or study material provided online. Because it will send out no hard text material, you will have to either get the material printed or you will have to study online.
6. Download as many mock test papers, look for previous test papers. Solve as many as possible to make sure you understand and fair better. If possible, solve them; this will give you an idea of how the test is conducted.
7. Seek advice from seniors or classes if you feel you need help.
8. Revision is very important; do not forget to revise. But you should ignore it. Last-minute revision is your savior.
9. Say no to panic. In case of panic situations, practice relaxation exercises to help you study better, take care of your health by eating and sleeping well as this will help fare better.

This has been a guide to the CWM Exam. Here we discuss the CWM exam, why you should pursue it, its fees, exam format, passing strategies, etc. You may also have a look at the following articles –

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