Currently busy with CFA (wrote level 2 this year). Doing it to expand personal knowledge and to help me manange my own investment portfolio better, although I am not oblivious to the option of a career in financial markets. Depends on how badly you want it. I had pre knowledge on a lot of the subject materials (masters in econometrics and 10 years work experience in a strock broking environment) and I still had to put in excess of 300 hours in to feel remotely comfortable about the subject matter. So if you just want to pass the exams, don't bother. If you want to internalise the course material know what you are in for. Then again, maybe I am just daft and it takes me longer grasp to topics . . .