By The Exam Atlas Editorial Team · Verified 2026-05-29
CFA Level I spans ten topic areas. This is a plain-English summary; topic weights are set by CFA Institute and can change, so confirm the current weightings with the official curriculum.
Topic
Note
Ethical and Professional Standards
Heavily weighted; decisive at the margin
Quantitative Methods
The analytical toolkit
Economics
Micro and macro fundamentals
Financial Statement Analysis
Reading and adjusting statements
Corporate Issuers
Capital structure and governance
Equity Investments
Markets and equity valuation
Fixed Income
Bond pricing, yields and risk
Derivatives
Forwards, futures, options, swaps
Alternative Investments
Real estate, PE, hedge funds, commodities
Portfolio Management
Risk, return and diversification
How the topics group
The analytical core (Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Statement Analysis) underpins everything. The asset classes (Equity, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Alternatives) build on it. Ethics and Portfolio Management frame the professional context. Confirm current weights with CFA Institute, as they are reviewed regularly.
FAQ
How many topics are in CFA Level I?
Ten, from Ethical and Professional Standards through Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Statement Analysis, Corporate Issuers, Equity, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Alternative Investments and Portfolio Management.
