Certification directory

Credential rankings

Authority Index scorecards across cloud, finance, compliance, accounting, and security. Compare AWS, Azure, and GCP side-by-side; drill into any program for bucket-level detail and metrics we are still collecting.

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Showing 10 programs · Finance & investments

Rank			Domain
01	CFA Program (Chartered Financial Analyst) FINANCEPREMIUMTOP SIGNAL	CFA Institute	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	82	$3,050–3,750	63% match · est.
02	Financial Risk Manager (FRM) FINANCEPREMIUMTOP SIGNAL	GARP	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	80	$650–1,200	70% match · est.
03	CAIA Charter (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) FINANCEPREMIUM	CAIA Association	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	78	$2,890–3,190	72% match · est.
04	Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) FINANCEPREMIUMTOP SIGNAL	CFI	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	78	$497–847	88% match · est.
05	Financial Planning & Analysis Professional (FPAP) FINANCEPREMIUM	CFI	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	77	$497–847	93% match · est.
06	Professional Risk Manager (PRM) FINANCEPREMIUM	PRMIA	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	77	$1,100–1,400	82% match · est.
07	Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certificate FINANCEPREMIUM	GARP	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	77	$525–750	86% match · est.
08	Certified Financial Planner (CFP) FINANCE	CFP Board	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	76	$925–1,200	79% match · est.
09	Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA®) FINANCE	CFI	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	76	$497–847	94% match · est.
10	FinTech Industry Professional (FTIP®) FINANCE	CFI	Finance & investments	PROFESSIONAL	76	$497–847	94% match · est.

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How to read these metrics

Rankings columns

Authority Index: Structural bucket scores (identity, logistics, difficulty, curriculum, market signal, outcomes) plus a small sentiment layer from verified holders. Hard filters (e.g., unproctored, dormant issuer) cap the maximum score.
Structural score: Editorial assessment of registry presence, proctoring, pass-rate difficulty, curriculum fit, employer signal, and stated ROI — independent of community reviews.
Market signal: Higher values indicate stronger hiring-market and job-posting signal for this credential. Used inside the structural score, not a standalone hiring guarantee.
Exam vs reality gap: When verified holder reviews exist, gap reflects blueprint match, surprise narratives, and study-hour deltas. Without reviews we show an editorial estimate (~) from official pass rates and study load — not holder-verified.
Holder reviews: Only reviews from credential holders who completed verification are counted. Sentiment aggregates and verified gap scores unlock at n≥5 published reviews.
Exam cost: Ranges reflect list exam fees; training bundles, retakes, and membership dues may add materially — especially for multi-part finance and compliance programs.
Prep duration: Editorial planning estimate for working professionals (~8–12 hrs/week). Your timeline varies with prior experience and retakes.
Difficulty: Combines issuer-reported pass rates (when available) with typical study hours. Low pass rates and long prep windows indicate rigorous filters.

Gap values marked Est. are editorial estimates from pass rates and study load until verified holder reviews publish. Review counts show published holder narratives only.