Frequently asked questions about our
online programmes

The programme is made up of 10 modules. The first five modules start off at a more basic level for people who have little experience in environment, social and governance (ESG), and the second five modules move on to more advanced areas of ESG.

The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) programme’s aim is to provide the necessary training for the efficient valuation, measurement and integration of ESG issues into investment analysis.

The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) programme has developed and matured over time. The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) Programme was conceived by the EFFAS Commission on ESG in 2008 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Bassen in cooperation with a team of experts. First launched in 2014, the CESGA programme is continually updated to ensure it remains state of the art and relevant for today’s challenges.

The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) programme is consolidated in the market and increasingly recognised in Europe as it gains presence through our expanding number of title holders. Our corporate clients who trust our programme to train and certify their employees.

The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) programme is a comprehensive well-tuned programme combining the academic knowledge and professional skills required for the efficient valuation, measurement and integration of ESG issues into investment analysis.

Many leading banks and companies are integrating ESG into their business models and are either training their staff in the area of ESG or making knowledge in this area a requirement for future employees.

This EFFAS certificaton programme will benefit your carrier enhancing your understanding of:

• ESG impacts on risk and return from various
• Systematisation of different ESG investmentapproaches and strategies.
• The market drivers for further ESG integration.
• Embedding ESG across the whole in the investment process chain.
• Integration of ESG factors in valuation models.
• Responsible Investing across different asset
• ESG Reporting standards.

1. Enrol on the CESGA Programme
2. Pass the CESGA exam.

The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) programme is particularly aimed at financial analysts and portfolio managers who want to integrate ESG data in their capital allocation processes, but also, in general, all investment professionals increasingly committed to ESG issues. Other specialists such as corporate sustainability officers, investor relations managers, auditors and consultants will find this course interesting to develop a better understanding of the needs of capital markets in terms of ESG information. Summing up it is ideal for asset owners, asset managers, corporate consultants, financial planners, and family offices who wish to embrace ESG integration holistically.

All the learning materials are provided online when you sign up to the course. You do not need to buy any additional materials.

All the materials can be downloaded in PDF format from the platform. If you need to print them you can, however, we would like you to consider the environmental impact before printing.

The EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) online price is €1,250 (+VAT if applicable) in the territories available in the EFFAS Academy, for 6 month’s access to the following tools/materials:

• E-seminars for each module (recorded videos for e-learning)
• Course Slides
• Supplementary references and sources
• Self-assessment Centre (Multiple-Choice Questions)

In some areas course and examination prices may vary due to specific administration and/or invigilation costs.

This varies between candidates and whether they have prior ESG experience. With no prior ESG knowledge we recommend at least 80 to 120  hours. This is made up of around  10 hours of videos, an hour per Module,  and then time studying the accompanying slides and the additional materials. Students can then attempt the self-assessment questions. From their self-assessment results students can decide whether they need to spend more time studying the materials.

In general, the objective is to make clear to participants the importance of ESG issues in investment processes. On completing the programme students will have the knowledge and an understanding of:

• ESG impacts on risk and return from various angles.
• Systematization of different ESG investment approaches and strategies.
• The market drivers for further ESG integration.
• Embedding ESG across the whole in the investment process chain.
• Integration of ESG factors in valuation models.
• Responsible Investing across asset classes.
• Systematically assessing different ESG Reporting standards.

Once you have purchased the programme and received the order completed email (funds received) you will receive an email from notify@xchool.es with your login details (if not, please check your spam).

Once you receive the login details you will have six month’s access to the learning platform and materials. If necessary, you can purchase extensions to the learning platform for periods of six months.

No. The programme is designed to be completely self-study and online.

The Programme has been  developed by the EFFAS ESG Commission in cooperation with experts from our partners at DVFA (Germany), SFAF (France), AIAF (Italy) and IEAF (Spain). More information is available on the Expert Team section from our programme brochure.

The EFFAS Commission on ESG issues -CESG- has been instrumental in communicating the needs of investment professionals in capital markets and the corporate area; in providing practical advice in the form of Key Performance Indicators (EFFAS KPIs for ESG) and interactive data formats; and helping to enhance the integration of extra-financials in classic investment methods. For more information click here.

EFFAS provides 4 exam sessions each year which are normally held in March, June, September and December.  You can check the next session here.

It is only possible to register for the EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) Diploma exam when a student has signed up for the programme.

The examination costs €250 (+VAT if applicable). Costs can vary between examination venues due to differing administration and invigilation costs.

The exam is two and a half hours long (150 minutes) and based on the complete CESGA syllabus with the following two-part structure:

• Multiple Choice Questions 50%. The questions are randomly set from all the different syllabus topics
• Practical Case study 50%. The case study is a due diligence to assess a company and explain the different steps to be undertaken for integrating ESG information.

To pass the examination, students must demonstrate their knowledge by gaining more than 50% of the total examination points and in each part have more than 30% of the answers correct.

When you register for the EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA) programme you also purchase your right to your chosen exam session and venue.  If you do not pass the initial exam you can purchase the right to sit exams in later sessions. If you purchase the right to sit an exam in a later session you must check with EFFAS whether the syllabus has changed since sitting your first exam. You can purchase from EFFAS an additional six month’s access to the platform if required.

If you have special requirements please contact exam@effas-academy.com who will be able to deal with your case on an individual basis.

Unfortunately, we cannot refund you the exam fees and you will need to register for another examination at your own expense.

EFFAS as awarding body does not accept requests by the candidates to review the examination paper nor does it provide detailed information on scores and/or percentage of correct answers / failures in the corresponding examination to the candidate. The qualification results granted by EFFAS will be SUITABLE or NOT SUITABLE and results are not open to appeal.

At present around 70% of the candidates who have taken the examination have passed.

It is a self-study online training programme designed to provide financial advisors and people working in finance in banking, insurance, and advising clients with the basic concepts and an understanding of the regulatory requirements to allow them to give transparent advice to retail investors in ESG. The programme is divided into 5 Modules with two case studies to put what is learnt into practice.

The access to the learning programme and one right to sit the certification exam are sold as a package for €510.

Normally there are four certification exams each year. The upcoming exams dates can be found here.

You have access to the interactive learning platform for 3 months to study the 5 Modules which include E-seminars (videos), Course slides and self-assessment questions. The estimated preparation time for the programme is 20 hours.