CISI’s Chartered Wealth Manager – Routes to Success
Introduction to the Chartered Wealth Manager qualification
There are many financial services qualifications available these days, some specialised and some more holistic in the areas they cover. The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment’s (CISI) QCF Level 7 Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM) Qualification fits into the latter category. In my opinion, it is one of the few awards that tests the full range of topics private client wealth and investment managers need to know and understand and is therefore highly relevant to the development of people working within our industry.
It has a great deal of credibility too. It has been developed in consultation with leading stockbrokers, investment banks and industry trade bodies and is recognised by financial services recruiters as one of the best qualifications for roles in wealth management.
It also meets RDR exam standards and is FCA compliant for a wide range of regulated activities including:
- advising on and dealing in securities and derivative
- advising on retail investment products and friendly society tax-exempt policies
- as well as managing investments.
Is the Chartered Wealth Manager qualification straightforward to achieve?
Relatively speaking, yes. Subject to meeting the CISI’s minimum entry requirements of a suitable QCF Level 4 financial services qualification such as the Institute’s own Investment Advice Diploma, students can go on to take the three, three hour papers that make up the CWM qualification namely:
- Paper 1 – Financial Markets
- Paper 2 – Portfolio Construction Theory
- Paper 3 – Applied Wealth Management
You should be under no illusions however, that straightforward means easy. Each of these exams has been designed to build an in-depth understanding of the industry with an expectation that students can apply their knowledge to a number of complex case scenarios. Whilst they do not have to be completed in order, it is generally sensible to do so as the syllabuses of the later papers build on the earlier ones.
The scope of each exam is very wide but particularly so with Financial Markets. It is a tricky paper to get through and the pass rate which usually hovers between 40% and 50% has historically been lower than the other two papers.
Are there any exemptions?
Very few. What exemptions there are, relate only to Financial Markets.
Your route to success
To enhance your independent learning and gain deeper insight into the examiner’s expectations, Glascow provides tutor-led training for all three CWM modules. These sessions, conducted over Zoom, are designed for small group learning, ensuring a friendly and interactive setting with a maximum of 12 participants. This set-up enables open dialogue, facilitates question asking and you will learn how to maximise your point scoring potential.
As a CISI Premier Advanced Training Partner (ATP) we can share our extensive curriculum expertise and teach you the exam techniques needed to pass, providing you with the best chance of success.
Next Steps
Find out more about our intensive training courses:-
- Level 7 Financial Markets courses
- Level 7 Portfolio Construction Theory courses
- Level 7 Applied Wealth Manager courses
Each course includes four, two-day workshops, online materials, email tutor support, 1:1 support as needed and a marked paper.
We pride ourselves in offering the highest level of support in the UK. Check our full CISI training course schedule or for specific questions, send us an email or call on 0203 292 9229.