You will receive a download link and an access code for the relevant FSA Credential study guide after paying the registration fees and scheduling your exam on Pearson VUE. This link is delivered via a confirmation email titled “Confirmation of Pearson VUE Exam Appointment.” The access code provided in this email will allow you to download the study guide using this form for Level I and this form for Level II. You can come back to this form at any time using your access code to download the study guide. If you are interested in learning more about the topics covered by the FSA Credential before registering, we encourage you to review the Level I and Level II exam curricula.

For FSA Credential Level I and Level II:

• Create or log in to your Pearson VUE account;

• Choose exam, proctor and exam date and time;

• Complete payment; and

• Check email for study guide and exam details.

The FSA Credential was originally developed by SASB to teach corporate professionals, investors and other professionals throughout capital markets to think critically and effectively communicate the financial effects of sustainability-related matters. It seeks to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions within a complex and evolving sustainability disclosure landscape. The purpose of the FSA Credential remains the same under the IFRS Foundation.

All FSA Credential materials are reviewed and updated at least once every two years to ensure the content is accurate and up to date. The study guides are written and rigorously reviewed by subject-matter experts, including IFRS Foundation staff and external practitioners and academics. Click here to see the full list of contributors.

The FSA Credential Level I curriculum has been updated under the IFRS Foundation, but the fundamental learning objectives and purpose of the FSA Credential remain unchanged. Specifically, the FSA Credential Level I curriculum includes important content related to the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, including details related to the investor-focused standards and frameworks upon which the Standards were built: the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Framework, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) Framework and the Integrated Reporting Framework. The FSA Credential Level II materials will be updated in 2024.

The FSA Credential will enable you to identify, quantify, communicate and analyze the sustainability-related risks and opportunities that affect a company’s financial position, performance and prospects. These skills are valuable for professionals in many organizations and sectors.

Your status as an FSA Credential Level II Candidate or Credential Holder is not affected by curriculum updates. The FSA Credential badge signifies that you have passed rigorous exams to verify your competence in topics essential to sustainability-related financial disclosure and analysis.

If you are a Level II Candidate (i.e., you have passed the Level I exam), we encourage you to register for Level II to complete your FSA Credential.

If you are already an FSA Credential Holder, we encourage you to refresh your knowledge using the updated materials, which are provided free of charge via email. Please note that the latest materials are always made available free of charge to those who have previously passed their FSA Credential Level I and Level II exams. To download the latest materials, enter the code received upon registration for the FSA Credential exam using this form for Level I and this form for Level II.

Level II differs from Level I in three main ways:

• The Level II study guide teaches qualitative and quantitative analysis using sustainability and financial information, whereas the Level I study guide focuses on principles, rationale and context.

• The Level II exam tests application and analysis skills relevant to understanding a company’s performance, whereas the Level I exam tests candidates’ ability to understand and recall core concepts and principles.

• The Level II exam is case based. Candidates must answer multiple-choice questions associated with a series of miniature case studies. The Level I exam is also multiple choice but does not include case-based analysis.

Possibly! Here are the discount opportunities currently available:

IFRS Sustainability Alliance members receive $50 off Level I exam registration and $150 off Level II exam registration. (Enter discount voucher code at checkout. To receive the discount voucher code, email fsa_credential@ifrs.org or sustainability_alliance@ifrs.org.)

AICPA & CIMA members receive $50 off Level I exam registration and $150 off Level II exam registration. (Enter discount voucher code at checkout. The discount voucher code is available through the AICPA or CIMA member portal.)

Group registrations for five or more candidates are eligible for discounts.

Candidates who take an FSA Credential exam preparation course through an Approved Education Provider will receive a discount on their exam fees.

We recommend you spend 30–50 hours preparing for each of the FSA Credential exams. The FSA Credential Level I and Level II curricula include concepts related to sustainability, finance, accounting and other disciplines. If you have experience in these areas, you might find you are already familiar with some concepts, thus reducing your study time. However, all candidates should review the curriculum in its entirety and use the review exercises and sample questions provided in each study guide.

Yes. Both in-person and online exams are monitored by a Pearson VUE proctor. You must verify your identity and meet requirements to ensure the integrity and security of the testing experience.

The Pearson VUE testing network has more than 5,000 testing centers in more than 180 countries to proctor exams securely worldwide. For more details, please see the FSA Candidate Handbook.

Yes. To switch from an on-site proctored exam to an online proctored exam, contact Pearson VUE.

According to discussions with several issuers of professional designations, the FSA Credential often qualifies as a source of continuing education (CE), continuing professional development (CPD) or continuing professional education (CPE) credit. Contact your designated authority to determine whether the FSA Credential is accepted as CE credit. Details for certified public accountants (CPAs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs) are provided. If you represent another professional designation program and would like to provide the FSA Credential for CE credit to your members, please contact fsa_credential@ifrs.org.

CPAs licensed in a U.S. jurisdiction that accepts courses from the National Registry of CPE Sponsors are eligible to receive up to 27.5 CPE credit hours for completing the FSA Credential: 15 CPE credit hours for passing Level I and 12.5 CPE credit hours for passing Level II. When creating an account with Pearson VUE, CPAs should tick the box in the “additional information” section to confirm they would like to earn CPE and to receive a certificate verifying their achievement .

Please note: the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) requires a minimum score of 70% to earn CPE credit for all approved self-study courses. The pass/fail score for the FSA exams is determined using a rigorous, validated methodology that is considered best practice in the credentialling industry, but that does not always produce results that are precisely aligned with NASBA’s minimum score threshold. Currently, the score required to pass the FSA Level II exam is slightly below 70%. For this reason, it is possible that Level II Candidates might pass their exam without qualifying for CPE credit. Refer to the Candidate Handbook for additional information.

CPAs who are AICPA & CIMA members are eligible to receive $50 off Level I exam registration and $150 off Level II exam registration. (Enter discount voucher code at checkout. The discount voucher code is available through the AICPA or CIMA member portal.)

CFA Charterholders are not required to engage in CE, but the FSA Credential is eligible for CE based on the time a candidate spends preparing for each exam.

¹ The IFRS Foundation is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: https://www.nasbaregistry.org/

The FSA Credential is currently only offered in English. The study guide, exam and all other associated materials are in English.

After passing the FSA Credential Level I exam, you will:

• Receive a digital badge that says “FSA Credential Level I.”

• Be identified as an “FSA Credential Level II Candidate.”

• Be permitted to share and display the digital badge and status on your resume, digital profile, email signature and other personal brand material.²

• Be listed in the FSA Credential Directory, if desired.

• Be invited to join the official FSA Credential community group on LinkedIn.

After passing the FSA Credential Level II exam, you will:

• Receive a digital badge that says “FSA Credential.”

• Be identified as an “FSA Credential Holder.”

• Be permitted to share and display your digital badge and status on your resume, digital profile, email signature and other personal brand material.²

• Have your FSA Credential status updated in the FSA Credential Directory, if desired.

• Be invited to join the official FSA Credential community group on LinkedIn.

² Please note that FSA Credential Holder status does not entitle you to letters after your name (i.e., please do not refer to yourself as Jane Doe, FSA).

Email fsa_credential@ifrs.org or call +1 (424) 261-9930 and FSA Credential staff will respond as soon as possible.