www.pwc.com/me PwC s Academy CFA Personalised Coaching Programme PwC s Academy
Contents About PwC s Academy 4 About the CFA 5 The CFA Personalizeds Coaching Programme 6 Why choose the CFA Personalised Coaching Programme 7 Schedule and Fees 9 Our lecturers 10
About PwC s Academy About the CFA PwC s Academy is the educational business of PwC. Our goal is to help improve the knowledge, skills, competence and expertise of our people in finance and business; to help organisations across the region grow and retain their talent. Our foundation is our team of expert professionals who convey their wealth of knowledge and the practical experience they have gained within leading organisations around the world. PwC s Academy is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of local talent across the region. Our expanding Academy currently operates across the Middle East from six countries: UAE, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. PwC s Academies in the Middle East are part of a growing network of Academies present in over 30 countries worldwide. We offer a variety of training courses covering financial competencies, management skills and professional qualifications. Our courses are based on the best practices of PwC Global and the individual experiences of our experts. We constantly adapt our courses to meet the needs of modern business, customizing them to our client s requirements and assisting our clients in reaching their organizational training and strategic objectives. PwC s Academy s global network of professionals sets us apart from other providers. We communicate constantly, exchange best practice, ideas and experience. We take this knowledge and evolve our courses to meet the everchanging needs of modern businesses and their people in the region; this way we make sure that we are providing the very best training programmes for our clients, our students and their sponsors. Our capabilities at a glance The CFA charter is an investment credential that, for more than 60 years, has been the global standard for embodying the integrity, dedication and advanced skills needed to build a stronger, more accountable financial industry. The CFA is the world s most highly respected and challenging credential in the finance industry. CFA charter holders are unique in that they have: Globally relevant knowledge Real-world expertise Ethical grounding The ability to earn industry respect A global community Membership to the CFA institute The CFA designation is a mark of distinction that is globally recognised by employers as well as a host of other organisations including over 125 distinguished universities and colleges and regulatory bodies across the world. Earning the CFA charter demonstrates a mastery of the analytic and decision making skills needed in today s fast paced and competitive work environment. The CFA Institute has over 100,000 members globally and is committed to promoting the highest level of ethics, knowledge and education of its members. Getting Qualified To become a CFA charter holder, candidates must follow these steps: Have a Bachelor s (or equivalent) degree/be in their final year of bachelor s degree program Register and enroll for the exam Pass all 3 levels of the CFA exam Gain 4 years of relevant work experience (accumulated before, during or after the exam) Sign the Professional Conduct Statement Join the CFA institute and apply for society membership For more information about the CFA credential and the CFA Institute please visit www.cfainstitute.org The CFA exam is split into 3 levels culminating in a 6 hour exam for each level. Level I consists of 240 multiple choice questions; Level II is made up of 20 item sets and Level III requires candidates to respond to essay style questions followed by 10 item sets. 4 PwC s Academy PwC s Academy 5
The CFA Personalised Coaching Programme The CFA Personalised Coaching Programme is a carefully designed training programme that eases students into the CFA journey and provides support beyond expectation. Offered only at Level I, this is a full time programme offered to a maximum of 10 students twice a year to kick start their pathway to the world s most prestigious investment qualification. If you are a CFA Level I candidate, we strongly recommend the coaching programme to help you prepare for the exams and manage the study commitments required as you progress to Levels II and III. Our limited class sizes are designed to ensure that all candidates are given sufficient time to have their questions answered in a comfortable and enjoyable environment. The programme is taught over a period of 5 months and is designed to achieve best results. Each teaching week includes a revision programme which means that you revise material as you study it. We have found that this structure reduces the pressure for candidates to cram at the last minute. Furthermore, all doubts are cleared before moving on to the next topic. Our CFA charter holders work closely with you to deliver over 550 hours of preparation for the Level I exam and are available to you throughout the programme. We also provide a mentoring service as you study to help you overcome stress and manage your workload. This extended programme also reduces significantly the amount of self study required by a traditional CFA training programme. Why choose the Personalised Coaching Programme Reduced amount of self study compared to traditional training programmes* Extended classroom training hours to cover every learning outcome in detail Weekly quizzes and revision to cement knowledge of tough concepts Provision of supplementary training material and resources Homework time and individual Q&A sessions built into the training schedule CFA Personalised Coaching Programme 550+ hours of classroom training Up to 10 students per programme Regular revision sessions throughout the programme 10 mock exams 6000+ practice questions Full time programme Weekly individual coaching sessions CFA Traditional Programme - Comprehensive Prep & Revision Bootcamp 150 hours of classroom training 20+ students per programme Revision offered on completion of training programme 1 mock exam 2000 practice questions Classes offered 3 evenings a week 3 doubt clearing sessions offered during the term * PwC s Academy offers a traditional Comprehensive Preparation training programme as well as the Personalised Coaching Programme. The Comprehensive programme is a traditional training offering and is taught as a series of lectures 3 times a week. Students are expected to do more self-study and come prepared to classes. Our training methodology Our Personalised Coaching Programme is designed to give you an active and relevant learning experience. Our training methodology and approach to transferring knowledge is constantly reviewed and updated. We ensure that we bring the most up to date teaching methods and techniques to our programme. We strongly believe that actively engaged participants will absorb and retain knowledge far more successfully than those who attend lecture style courses. Where material is contextualized and relevant to the participants own experiences, understanding is significantly improved. We employ the following resources and methodologies for the CFA Personalised Coaching Programme: The use of technical and subject matter experts Relevant and concise course material for each participant Interactive group exercises and discussions Built in revision sessions One to one and group mentoring Progress tests, practice exam questions, mock papers Personalized feedback and review sessions 6 PwC s Academy PwC s Academy 7
Our purpose built premises Our new Academy premises provide you with a professional environment to study and interact with other students and our lecturers. Our Academy is equipped with state of the art facilities including: Free wireless in all classrooms and 8 desktop computers in the lounge area Library with a full range of reference books Pantry area with free tea and coffee Lounge area in which to relax and chat to other students and lecturers 5 spacious classrooms Provision of a quiet study area Schedule and fees Fees and Schedule Term starts Duration Fees (AED*) January/July 5 months 80,000 * Average cost is less than AED150 per hour We are a 5 minute walk from the Dubai Mall and a short journey to Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Academy is also located on the metro line making us accessible no matter where you are coming from. Who is it for? The CFA Personalised Coaching Programme is suitable for all candidates who are interested in becoming a CFA charter holder. (Our section on Getting Qualified explains the academic and work experience requirements in greater depth.) If you are apprehensive about starting your CFA, then the Personalised Coaching Programme is the perfect way to approach your studies with confidence. We provide you support over and above traditional CFA training programmes and in a way that works for you. We strongly recommend choosing this programme if you do not have any previous experience in the finance or accounting discipline. Complex concepts are broken down and explained in more depth so that you don t have to do lots of self study or worry about falling behind. 8 PwC s Academy PwC s Academy 9
Our lecturers Taimur Ali Mir, CFA CFA Course Manager Taimur is the CFA course manager and a specialist trainer at all levels. He is an accomplished lecturer for PwC s Academy in the UAE and has over 8 years training experience. Taimur has also been actively involved in developing, organising and delivering the content of customised financial training programmes for corporate clients in the areas of investment management, fixed income, equity valuation, economics, financial reporting and corporate reporting. Taimur has over 7 years commercial experience in investment management and advisory. During this time he was involved in training for distributors and investors. He is a CFA charter holder and an ACCA member. Prior to joining PwC, Taimur was a Fund Manager for fixed income funds and worked for local partners of BlackRock Inc. He assisted in the growth of assets under management by over 13 times in less than 2 years and managed to secure highest ratings for funds under management. Taimur has been involved in evaluation of bonds, corporate debt, commercial papers and spread. He has also worked on fixed income Shariah compliant investment avenues such as Sukuks based on structures of Modaraba, Murahaba and Ijarah. Taimur s engaging personality, excellent command over the curriculum and relevant industry experience make him connect really well with the audience. He has vast experience of breaking down tough exam topics into simple learning and has incorporated interesting teaching techniques in both his classes and tailor made training programmes which have reaped excellent results. I discovered the CFA training programme through PwC s Middle East website. As a keen student, I was interested in studying with an institution that focused on getting me through the exams as well as preparing me for a career in finance. The registration process was very simple and I was able to join the upcoming intake. I found a lot of value in the expertise and knowledge of the lecturers especially since they all have experience of working in the industry. Furthermore, the variety of learning material was great and encouraged lots of interactive sessions. Help was always at hand during and in between classes. The best part is PwC s Academy s new premises. The Academy provides the perfect environment in which to study and socialise with other students and the PwC team. Many students prefer staying at the Academy to revise and go over lecture notes. As lecturers are always nearby, this makes it so much easier to get queries answered without having to wait for the next session. I would recommend PwC s Academy s CFA training programme for any one who is looking to get the best overall experience and pass the exams Arjun Agarwal CFA Level I candidate Studying with PwC s Academy for my CFA has been a unique experience. The delivery and teaching style of the lecturers helped me understand difficult concepts. I am thankful to the lecturers and the team at PwC s Academy for their guidance in this journey. Becoming a CFA charter holder will add a lot of value to my career and I would strongly recommend PwC s Academy as a training provider. The new premises also helps with the student experience; excellent facilities and a welcoming environment. Hadi Abdulla Associate KPMG 10 PwC s Academy
Contact us: Amanda Line T: +971 (0)4 304 3092 M:+971 50 189 1724 E: amanda.line@ae.pwc.com Taimur Ali Mir T:+971 (0)4 3043 781 M:+ 971 50 189 3489 E: mir.taimur@ae.pwc.com Kavita Gaglani T:+971 (0)4 304 3241 M: +971 55 195 0401 E:kavita.gaglani@ae.pwc.com Facebook.com/PWCsAcademyMiddleEast PwC s Academy Middle East @PwCAcademy www.pwc.com/me 2014 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. Creative Design Centre CDC 695 (6-2014). 12 PwC s Academy