AMHERST, MA—The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association® (CAIA) today announced the opening of registration for the March 2010 CAIA Level I and Level II examinations.

The March 2010 curriculum has been significantly updated with the publication of three new books written specifically for the CAIA program. The March 2010 curriculum will include new material on distress investing, multi-strategy hedge funds, risk management, credit derivatives, the role of quantitative methods in due diligence, as well as previously published articles on the investment implications of climate change and the causes and consequences of the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

"The CAIA program has always evolved to reflect changes in the alternatives industry. However, the March 2010 curriculum represents a fundamental change in the curriculum’s construction,"said Hossein Kazemi, program director for the CAIA Association.

"The publications our candidates will be reading were designed and developed on behalf of the CAIA Program with the help of our membership. Through their volunteer work, members provided valuable comments on the direction and content of our curriculum. Their suggestions were used by an experienced group of authors to produce the majority of our reading material. As always, in order to offer our candidates the most recent developments in the area of alternative investments, the readings will also include collections of recently published articles."

Reflecting the increased complexity of the alternative investment industry, the new curriculum raises the bar for those considering the program. The prerequisite diagnostic review (PDR), a voluntary online tool that allows potential candidates to confirm their knowledge of the baseline skills required to begin studying the CAIA curriculum, has been expanded as well. A new set of readings covering quantitative methods has been added to the prerequisite requirements. Those considering the CAIA program are strongly encouraged to take the new PDR before commencing their studies.

Since its inception in 2002, more than 10,000 individuals have enrolled in the CAIA program, the only professional financial designation for the alternatives industry. Over 3,200 individuals now hold the CAIA designation.