EFFAS Certified Portfolio Manager® (ECPM) at a glance

After having completed this programme, you will be able to describe the portfolio approach to investing; types of investors and their characteristics; defined contribution and defined benefit pension plans as well as the steps in a portfolio management process. Further, you will assess aspects such as modern (equity and fixed income) portfolio theory, investment guidelines and policy, principles of asset allocation, asset-liability analysis and management as well as selected topics on behavioural finance.

In detail, you will be able to determine and interpret major return measures and describe their appropriate uses; describe characteristics of major asset classes that investors consider in forming portfolios; calculate and interpret mean, variance, and covariance (or correlation) of asset returns based on historical data; explain risk aversion and its implications for portfolio selection; calculate and interpret portfolio standard deviation; describe the effect on a portfolio’s risk of investing in assets that are less than perfectly correlated; describe and interpret the minimum-variance and efficient frontiers of risky assets and the global minimum-variance portfolio; explain the selection of an optimal portfolio, given an investor’s utility (or risk aversion) and the capital allocation line.

This programme stands out among the new EFFAS programmes by providing the guidelines and principles for portfolio management. Founded in 1962, EFFAS has been setting standards in the financial industry for over six decades. As a cornerstone of the investment professional community, EFFAS has certified over 25,000 experts worldwide, underscoring our role as a trusted certification body in financial education. 

As the leading hub for investment professionals, EFFAS collaborates with international regulatory bodies and organizations to incorporate practical professional knowledge into decision-making processes. EFFAS’ international reach is reflected in its international standing commissions and delegates who play a key part in the important debates shaping the future for analysts in Europe.

To provide a uniform high-level standard of training for investment professionals within Europe  with a strong focus on advanced investment analysis skills, the EFFAS Certified Portfolio Manager®️ enables the charter holders to face the emerging challenges of our profession by covering:

Module 1. Portfolio Management

Module 2. Investment Policy

Module 3. Asset Location

Module 4. Asset and Liability Management (ALM)

Module 5. Portfolio Management in Practice

Module 6. Measuring Portfolio Behaviour

Module 7. Behavioural Finance

Module 8. Stock Valuation Methods

Module 9. Fixed-Income Portfolio Management Strategies

Download the complete EFFAS Certified Portfolio Manager® (ECPM) Syllabus HERE (PDF)

This certification aims to achieve the following objectives:

  1. To describe the portfolio approach to investing and understand the characteristics of different types of investors.
  1. To evaluate modern portfolio theory, investment guidelines and policy, as well as principles of asset allocation and asset-liability analysis.
  1. To interpret major return measures, calculate and analyze risk measures, and explain risk aversion in portfolio selection.
  1. To comprehend the minimum-variance and efficient frontiers of risky assets and select an optimal portfolio based on risk aversion and capital allocation.

Focusing on both theoretical and practical elements of portfolio management, EFFAS Certified Portfolio Manager®️ is particularly aimed at professionals in the following areas: asset managers with asset management companies, pensions funds, life insurance companies, wealth management companies; financial researchers; corporate finance specialists and treasurers; financial journalists; professionals involved in legislation / regulation of the above-mentioned fields as well as professionals already working in the investment sector – but looking for an advanced qualification, of course.

Step 1:

Enrol on the EFFAS Certified Portfolio Manager® (ECPM) Programme offered by an accredited EFFAS National Member Society (NMS). If you are located in a country without a NMS please visit EFFAS Academy website for registration.

Prerequisites: None, although some knowledge or experience in finance is helpful.

Step 2:

EFFAS estimates this programme to comprise approximately 120 hours of self-study. Students benefitting from sound mathematical and statistical knowledge might proceed faster; others will benefit from a refresher. What is more, fundamentals of economics as well as derivatives, among others, will be studies. Also, EFFAS provides the students pre-recorded video lectures of c. 45 minutes each plus tailor-made lecture notes emphasize elementary features of this block.

The exam will have a duration of 180 minutes.

In all of the above, EFFAS encourages you to continuously track your progress by addressing the respective multiple-choice and open problems provided in the database.

Contact the accredited National Member Society in your country or visit the EFFAS Academy website.