Yashika Taparia is an Economics Honours graduate from Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi. She achieved a score of 2,775 in the CFA Level II examination. The demanding nature of the CFA Level II examination is reflected in CFA pass rates: according to the CFA Institute, only 45% of candidates who appeared for the August 2026 exam passed.
Her finance journey began with an interest in businesses and a desire to understand how they operate. After completing her schooling in the national capital city with Commerce and Mathematics, she pursued Economics Honours while gaining experience through internships in finance.
Her decision to pursue the CFA course in Delhi came from her own interest in the field rather than her family’s influence. Along the way, her experience with different learning providers also shaped how she approached her Level II preparation, with a greater emphasis on organised lectures, practice questions, and applying concepts. She prepared by dedicating approximately 500 hours to her practice while managing her academic and professional commitments.
From Economics Honours to CFA
Modern Public School, Delhi, is the school where Yashika studied. For Class XII, she chose to study Commerce and Mathematics and scored an aggregate of approximately 95%. She holds a B.A. degree in Economics with Honours from Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi, and earned a GPA of 7.7.
When asked about the reasons for her choice of Commerce, she says, “My interest in commerce comes from my curiosity about the operations of various businesses and a desire to open my own business.”
After graduating, she plans to do an MBA. But through the internships, her interest in Finance led her to explore other courses. While researching other courses, she stumbled upon CFA. It matched her interests and she decided to do CFA.
In deciding this, Yashika had other important things to think about as well. She said she will be the first in her family to graduate from college. This makes her family proud, but she said her goals are just as important.
Preparing for CFA Level II: Learning Approach and Practice
Yashika says that her experience preparing for CFA Level I influenced her choice of learning provider for Level II. She explained that her earlier lectures had not been helpful, leaving her to rely on self-study towards the end. She later joined edZeb after a friend from college recommended it. It was an ideal option for her as we offer our courses are cost-effective compared to its short, understandable lectures that are better than long comprehensive lectures.
What she appreciated most was the way our faculty used to teach the concepts with examples in an easily understood language. She particularly liked how each topic was explained individually to help students grasp concepts and keep them longer in her mind. She also found the lectures organised, with separate resources for individual chapters, and described the question banks as helpful in her preparation.
Yashika used her personalised study plan to accommodate her college schedule and finance internships. Once college ended, she was able to focus more consistently on CFA Level II. She studied for around five to six hours daily, completing approximately 500 hours of preparation over six months, including lectures and practice.
Reflecting on the difference between the two examination levels, she noted that her Level I preparation had been more theory-focused, whereas Level II required greater emphasis on applying concepts. In her words, “Practice is the most important key in L2, I think.”
Her preparation therefore centred on practising questions and strengthening her ability to apply financial concepts rather than relying on lectures alone.
Applying CFA Knowledge Beyond the Examination
Yashika noted that even though her undergraduate degree gave her some insight into economics, our CFA course really helped her think and work on the ideas in a more practical way. The curriculum taught her how to link various ideas in finance that overlap, and our collective 75+ years of experienced faculty helped her understand how all concepts in economics and finance really work together.
For example, when preparing for her interviews, she said she was better prepared for those kinds of questions and was able to connect various concepts to explain her ideas better in a real-world situation.
“I have really been able to connect more of the dots, really, especially when it comes to solving problems for jobs that I am really hoping to get after graduating from this program. Because I now see how it all links back together, and really how I can connect my work and the ideas in a more real-world kind of way,” she explained.
Yashika said she plans on beginning the final Level III of the CFA Program once she gets a job. She said she is really hoping to work in other countries for her future jobs in the financial sector because she wants to pursue career opportunities on a more global scale.
Looking Ahead: Building a Career in Finance
Yashika is currently focused on securing a job as she prepares to move from academic learning into professional life. Having completed her undergraduate degree in Economics Honours and pursued CFA alongside finance internships, she hopes to apply the knowledge she has gained to real-world financial work.
Her immediate plan is to begin preparing for CFA Level III once she finds a job. Rather than committing to a fixed preparation schedule before securing employment, she intends to plan the next stage around her professional commitments. This approach follows the same practical consideration that shaped her Level II preparation, when she designed her study plan around college and internships.
Yashika is also open to exploring career opportunities outside India. The global scope of the qualification is one aspect that interests her as she considers the directions her career could take. At the same time, her interest in business remains part of her longer-term outlook. As she shared earlier in the conversation, she hopes to build a business of her own one day.
For now, her priorities are finding the right professional opportunity and progressing towards the final level of the CFA programme. Her next steps will bring together her academic background in economics, exposure to finance through internships, and the practical understanding she says she has developed while studying CFA with us.
If you also aspire to become one like her, connect with our expert counsellors on 8263900900 to directly talk to a representative and explore more accounting and finance courses to build a rewarding career across the globe.
You can also visit our office or our online site to gain information and navigate through the courses to find the one that suits you, and the institute will help you achieve your dreams.
