Published in · 6 min read · Feb 14, 2024
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Just in December 2023, I took the EFFAS Certified Environmental Social and Governance Analyst (CESGA) Edition 3.1 Exam. Here I am going to share my personal experience and study tips with you. (Please note that CESGA has updated its exam version to Edition 4.0 since 2024.)
If you are interested in other ESG certifications (e.g. CFA ESG, GARP SCR, CESGA, or SASB FSA), you can check out this comprehensive guide to ESG exams.
Personal CESGA exam experience
- After you pay €1,500 and complete the registration process, you will have access to the EFFAS Academy Platform.
- The CESGA curriculum has 10 modules with video and slide deck materials. The first 9 modules will be tested in the exam, while the last one is complementary, providing a regional overview about latest ESG trends in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and North America.
- The platform also has a self-assessment center on the platform with 1,000 MCQ questions for practice. (Don’t be scared by the number. Around 20–30% of the questions are similar or rephrased.)
- You will also receive two specimen exams with solutions. These exams have the same format as the real one. (These two specimen exams are the key for you to get this CESGA exam passed.)
- Before the CESGA exam (around 10 days before the exam date), there will be a mock exam to test your computer settings and familiarize you with the online exam platform. (This is not a real mock exam, but a technical check and a platform walkthrough.)
Format of the exam
- The test lasts for 150 minutes and consists of two parts — 20 MCQs (50%) and 1 Practical Case Study with 9 open-ended questions (50%).
- To pass the exam, you will have to obtain over 50% of the 120 available points and ensure above 30% of the points in each section. (For details, please refer to the public announcements from EFFAS.)
How difficult is the CESGA exam? Comparison with CFA ESG and GARP SCR
- Subjectively, I can directly tell you that CESGA is easier than CFA ESG and GARP SCR, especially for those who dislike memorizing many policies, regulatory frameworks and trends.