LOW score in ethics means fail ?

vicky_cool400

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2026
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
If a perso gets overall 70 in CFA L1 but gets around 50% in ethics will he fail?
Do people with lesss than 50 in ethics pass ?
 
No.
Your overall total score measured against all categories is used to rank you and if this is above the Minimum Passing Score (MPS) by at least a few points you will pass irrespective of your Ethics score.
It is suggested by the CFAI that the Ethics results is used as a deciding factor for those who are marginally above or below the MPS and therefore it is suggested you score as well as possible in this section as an additional safety margin.
However, the direct answer to your question is a resounding NO!!!
 
herrgrunta wrote:
No.
Your overall total score measured against all categories is used to rank you and if this is above the Minimum Passing Score (MPS) by at least a few points you will pass irrespective of your Ethics score.
It is suggested by the CFAI that the Ethics results is used as a deciding factor for those who are marginally above or below the MPS and therefore it is suggested you score as well as possible in this section as an additional safety margin.
However, the direct answer to your question is a resounding NO!!!
So if I can score as high as I can far away above the MPS, no matter how worse my ethical part does, it is irrelavant?
Heard that CFA Institute weight heavily on Ethics and Professional Standards and GIPS.
 
You should go check out the results thread for previous exams where people posted their matrix score as well as whether they passed or failed. A bunch of them passed with a below-50 score in Ethics. It’s your overall score that counts so don’t get too stressed over your Ethics score. I would not suggest ignore the Ethics part completely though. That would be a whooping 15% that you are throughing away.
 
Ethics is important only if you are on borderline pass/fail…if your other scores are such that you are on the border of failing, a good ethics score has more weight and tips you into pass…
 
Alladin wrote:
Ethics is important only if you are on borderline pass/fail…if your other scores are such that you are on the border of failing, a good ethics score has more weight and tips you into pass…
Is the corollary to this logic also true.
For example - If someone has barely passed (say MPS+2%) then in this case can a “low/very low” score on ethics may result in him being failed??
 
The FAQ section of the CFA Institute addresses this issue under a question that says “what is the ethics adjustment?” The CFA Institute notes here that when its Board of Governors instituted a policy to place particular emphasis on ethics, from the 1996 exams onwards, performance on the ethics section became a factor in the pass/fail decision for candidates with scores close to the minimum passing score (or MPS, which the Institute never publishes). It adds that this ethics adjustment can have a positive or negative impact on such candidates’ final results. Most importantly, the CFA Institute confirms that this adjustment has had a net positive effect on candidate scores and pass rates in most exam sessions.
Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/cfa-ethics-section.asp#ixzz2CgQWnPHF
 
Alladin wrote:
The FAQ section of the CFA Institute addresses this issue under a question that says “what is the ethics adjustment?” The CFA Institute notes here that when its Board of Governors instituted a policy to place particular emphasis on ethics, from the 1996 exams onwards, performance on the ethics section became a factor in the pass/fail decision for candidates with scores close to the minimum passing score (or MPS, which the Institute never publishes). It adds that this ethics adjustment can have a positive or negative impact on such candidates’ final results. Most importantly, the CFA Institute confirms that this adjustment has had a net positive effect on candidate scores and pass rates in most exam sessions.
so good score cna mae u pass. But bad score wont make u fail
Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/cfa-ethics-section.asp#ixzz2CgQWnPHF
 
Alladin wrote:
The FAQ section of the CFA Institute addresses this issue under a question that says “what is the ethics adjustment?” The CFA Institute notes here that when its Board of Governors instituted a policy to place particular emphasis on ethics, from the 1996 exams onwards, performance on the ethics section became a factor in the pass/fail decision for candidates with scores close to the minimum passing score (or MPS, which the Institute never publishes). It adds that this ethics adjustment can have a positive or negative impact on such candidates’ final results. Most importantly, the CFA Institute confirms that this adjustment has had a net positive effect on candidate scores and pass rates in most exam sessions.
Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/cfa-ethics-section.asp#ixzz2CgQWnPHF
Thanks for the pointer.
So one can conclude that a) it works both ways, but b) with a net positive impact on an overall basis.
 
vicky_cool400 wrote:
Thanks i am securing above 73 in CFA mocks overall and 60 in ethics
I would go do some more ethics questions if I were you. 1263427 things will happen on the exam day that could affect your performance. Even if the actual exam is of the same difficulty as the mock, you may score less, which means that 73 is pretty borderline. So do more practice questions (by more I mean LOADS) during these last two weeks, just to be safe you know.
 
Yes i will give CFA june and dec 2012 mock this week. Lets see how much i score overall and ethics
 
Dont leave it to chance Vicky, nail Ethics down. You have two weeks. Invariably, always the first option which you choose out of your instincts is the right one and most likely you change your answers after some thought which could be wrong :)
I am entirely talking about a case where you have two answers 50-50, I always choose the one which I thought first :) I wouldnt say this is the way to do Ethics, sometimes its just a habit/instinct which can get you the answers right.
Good luck fellas!
 
i just did ethics assessment test and scored 14 out 30 (47%).. is this a good one?
 
You have to score exceedigly well in other subjects to overpass low score in ethics . If your score is low in ethics and in other subjects also you will fail.
 
Back
Top