context: i passed the 4 US cpa sections and the 3 cfa levels comfortably on the first try. i have worked with tons of cpa’s and cfa charterholders, ranging from big4 audit to institutional bond trading.
believe me, anyone capable of getting through the cfa exams could ‘easily’ get through the cpa exams. this is not the case for cpa’s passing the cfa exams…the majority of cpa’s working in financial reporting type jobs could never pass level II. trust me, i worked in financial reporting before escaping into investment mgmt.
both designations require tremendous dedication, but the cfa exams require a substantially higher level of problem solving and 4-5x the amount of preparation.
this is interesting and something I have heard before. The original question related to the ACA. I think it must be the case that the CPA is less challenging than the ACA. (and of course none of this stuff is rocket science in any case, CFA included)