ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. Investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analysis process to identify material risks and growth opportunities.

CFA UK is delighted to be working in partnership with CFA Institute to make the Certificate in ESG Investing available globally. Over the next 18 months we will work together to fully transition the Certificate in ESG Investing over to CFA Institute. This will enable greater access to the qualification and will help achieve our vision to deliver ESG education globally across the investment profession. Sign up to get more information about the Certificate in ESG Investing from CFA Institute and what it can do for your career. Check out the information flow chart to help guide candidates through the transition process.

The qualification title, the Certificate in ESG Investing, corresponding syllabus and learning will remain the same (apart form the normal annual updates). If you are an existing candidate, you can find out what this means for you by reading our FAQs. 

If you wish to register your interest in the Certificate in ESG Investing and receive updates from CFA Institute – please sign up to get more information.

* The Certificate in ESG Investing is regulated by Ofqual (on its Regulated Qualifications Framework) as the CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing.  Level 4 indicates the level of difficulty of the qualification and is equivalent to that of a first year of undergraduate degree study.

What is the Certificate in ESG Investing?

The CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing is a level 4 qualification which delivers the benchmark knowledge and skills required by investment professionals to integrate ESG factors (environmental, social and governance) into the investment process. The first qualification of its kind in the UK, it has been developed by practitioners for practitioners.

Registrations for the new Certificate in ESG Investing opened in September 2019 and the first examinations can be scheduled from 2 December 2019

Why should I take the Certificate in ESG Investing?

Developed in consultation with leading firms and supported by the UN PRI, the Certificate will enable you to expand your ESG knowledge and stay ahead in your field. 

It has been designed for practitioners working in investment roles who want to learn how to analyse and integrate material ESG factors into their day-to-day roles.

It will also be suitable for anyone looking to improve their understanding of ESG issues working in:

• sales & distribution
• wealth management
• product development
• financial advice
• consulting
• compliance
• risk 

The skills learned will be equally applicable to all asset classes.

How it will benefit you

• Gain a unique and practical qualification
• Improve your competitive career advantage and increase your employability
• Expand your ESG knowledge and stay ahead in your field
• CFA UK qualifications are recognised by leading firms
• Develop the skills and competencies to fulfil both your fiduciary responsibilities and your firm’s responsible investment mandates
• Successful completion can lead to the CFA UK Level 4 Diploma in Investment Management (ESG) for existing Level 4 IMC holders
• Gain a digital badge to highlight to others the skills you have acquired

Entry criteria

There are no formal entry criteria for this qualification, but it is strongly recommended that candidates have a solid grounding in the investment process achieved via formal qualification or experience.

Fees and learning materials

• The Certificate costs £485 per candidate, including access to online Official Training Manual and the first sitting of your exam; candidates who wish to purchase a hard copy OTM may do so for an additional charge of £95.00* plus postage costs
• 100 questions assessed by multiple choice questions and item set scenarios

 ‘The curriculum is broad and covers all the key elements. The result is a qualification that starts the journey into ESG investing, a segment that is evolving quickly and will form a key part of our investment future.’

Caroline Shaw, 2026

CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing Overview
Qualification title	CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG
Exam registration and online learning materials	£485.00
Official Training Manual Cost (only available to purchase with exam registration)	Edition 2: £40 plus postage Edition 3: £95.00 plus postage*
Syllabus	Syllabus Version 2 From 01/10/2020 to 30/09/2026
Number of questions	100
Time allowed for exam	2 hours and 20 minutes
Total qualification time	130 hours
Pass mark	Between 60% and 70%
Pass rate	Between 60% and 75%

*CFA UK wishes to act sustainably across its core activities and to encourage candidates to study via the materials provided on its learning materials platform.  The platform has now been successfully running for over 18 months with functionality to work both online and offline (downloading materials to pdf and print). The increased price point for Edition 3 of the learning materials is intended to encourage candidates to consider carefully whether or not they need to purchase a hard copy of the materials.

Training providers

BPP, Fitch Learning and Quartic offers training and study support for the Certificate in ESG Investing. Please note that CFA UK does not currently operate a formal endorsement process.