CFA Exam Personal Belongings Policy

You are strongly encouraged to leave your personal belongings at home or in your car. As a courtesy, your test center will have an area designated for personal belongings. If you must bring personal belongings to the test center, please ensure they are clearly identifiable as many items look the same, particularly mobile phones.

If proctors or security personnel find items that are not permitted, they will be required to place them in the personal belongings area. You will not have access to these items during the exam, only during the lunch break and at the conclusion of the exam.

Please note that it is not the responsibility of the test center, proctors, or security personnel to ensure the safety of the materials in the personal belongings area. CFA Institute, testing personnel, the test center, and vendors are not responsible or liable for stolen, lost, misplaced or damaged personal property in the personal belongings area or at the test centers.

You must follow these guidelines at your test center. With your cooperation, candidates will be checked in promptly and seated on time.

The following items must be kept on your desk:

• Exam admission ticket
• Valid international travel passport
• Approved calculators
• Approved writing instruments (pencils for Levels I and II, pens and pencils for Level III)

The following items may be kept on your desk, if needed:

• Manual pencil sharpeners (no knives)
• Erasers, with no paper holder or cover
• Loose calculator batteries (no packaging) and screwdriver for battery replacement
• Calculator cases and keystroke cards
• Eyeglasses, but not the eyeglasses case
• Earplugs
• Wristwatches (analog and digital) with alarms and timers silenced; however, all smart watches are prohibited 

The following items are permitted in the testing room but must remain in your pockets or under your chair when not in use:

• Wallet (money purse)
• Medicine, tissues, and other necessary medical or personal items
• Gum, hard candy, cough drops
• Eyeglasses case
• Keys

The following items are not permitted:

• Food or drinks
• Baggage of any kind, including transparent bags, backpacks, handbags, tote bags, briefcases, luggage, carrying cases, passport covers, or pencil cases
• Study materials, including notes, papers, textbooks, or study guides
• Scratch paper, present/future value tables, or calculator manuals
• Highlighters, correction fluid, correction tape, or rulers
• Knives of any type, including box cutters and knives used as pencil sharpeners
• Mobile phones, cameras, headsets, computers, tablets, wearable technology such as fitness tracking devices, smart watches, or any other remote communication or photographic devices
• Any type of desk clock or timer