BPP Blog

There always has to be an upside if you are going to put yourself through the pressure of exams, so what can you expect if you sit the IMC?

Well, we can’t guarantee that the IMC will secure you a high paying dream job, but in terms of raising your chances of finding a fulfilling career in financial services, there are very few other things you can do that are quite as efficient and targeted. Here are just some of the reasons why you should consider IMC:

Part of the international CFA Institute

The Institute running the exam is part of the well respected international CFA Institute, the body which sets the CFA exams. Over 130,000 people sit the prestigious CFA exams worldwide every year, so you can be sure that you are entering into a well recognised professional body, with all the networking opportunities that follow.

Rated as Level 4 by Ofqual

The exam is rated by Ofqual as Level 4, which means that it is between an A Level and an undergraduate degree in terms of difficulty. This means it is hard enough to be respected, but not too much of an investment in time or money. In fact you should be able to get through both Units in 3 or 4 months, even if you have never studied the subject before.

Covers a wide range of topics

Many exams are focused on a particular job role, but the syllabus for IMC covers a wide range of topics that are useful for many careers. What other exam allows you to learn a bit of maths, economics and accounting at the same time as learning about tax rules and how shares, bonds and derivatives work.

Long-running and highly respected

The exam has been running for a couple of decades, so it has the benefit of those in the industry being aware of it, with many having done it themselves. It has been upgraded from Level 3 to Level 4 so no one can tell you it was harder or a better exam “in their day”.

Reliability

It is hard for employers to differentiate between all the people applying for jobs with degrees, and even with Masters degrees. Academia can be a bit of a mystery to employers, especially with the wide range of Universities around the world offering all sorts of differing degrees. An employer wants a reliable standard that means they understand what you have studied and know that you have a qualification that is focused on the real world of professional work. IMC offers that.

Gold plate your CV

If you truly want to gold plate your CV, you will be looking at the CFA qualification. This is a much bigger commitment, with three years of exams and a large syllabus. However through studying towards IMC, you are already around 30% of the way towards CFA Level 1!

So there is no better time than now to think about investing in your future with the IMC. View further details on studying IMC with BPP.