1. ICAN
Difficulty: 8/10
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) is a professional accountancy body in Nigeria. It is one of the two professional accountancy associations with regulatory authority in Nigeria. ICAN, one of the first professional body in Nigeria to be chartered offers certification in the area of Accountancy. Qualified candidates are awarded the ACA designation.
https://www.icanig.org/

2. ANAN
Difficulty: 6/10
Founded in 1979, The Association of National Accountants of Nigeria is one of the two professional accountancy associations with regulatory authority in Nigeria, the other body being ICAN. The ANAN certification is open only to graduates of Accountancy, unlike ICAN. Hence, most candidates find the exams easier due to less gatekeeping requirements which is more stringent in ICAN.
https://anan.org.ng/

3. ICAEW
Difficulty: 8/10
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is a professional membership organization that promotes, develops and supports chartered accountants and students around the world. As of July 2022, it has over 198,000 members and students in 147 countries. ICAEW was established by royal charter in 1880. Similar to ICAN, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is one of the toughest professional exams in the world. Qualified candidates get the ACA designation.
https://www.icaew.com/

4. CPA -USA
Difficulty: 7/10
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United States, the CPA is a license to provide accounting services to the public.

5. ACCA
Difficulty: 6/10
Founded in 1904, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is the global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification. It has 240,952 members and 541,930 future members worldwide which can be attributed to an aggressive marketing drive worldwide that portrays the certification as "international". The Royal Charter was granted to the association on 25 November 1974. Prior to this time, the association went by the name Association of Certified Accountants.
https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en.html

6. CIMA
Difficulty: 6/10
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), is a global professional management accounting body based in the UK. CIMA offers training and qualification in management accountancy and related subjects. It is focused on accountants working in industry and provides ongoing support and training for members.
https://myfuture.cimaglobal.com/

7. FINRA Series 7
Difficulty: 5/10
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a private American corporation that acts as a self-regulatory organization that regulates member brokerage firms and exchange markets. The Series 7 exam, also known as the General Securities Representative Exam (GSRE), is a test for entry-level registered representatives, that demonstrates competency to buy or sell security products such as corporate securities, municipal securities, options, direct participation programs, investment company products and variable contracts. The Series 7 exam ensures a baseline level of proficiency for individuals starting their careers in the financial industry. It is particularly important for newly hired personnel who may lack prior exposure to finance-related subjects during their university education. Passing the Series 7 exam is often a requirement for other FINRA exams, including those related to options trading and managerial roles.
https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/series7

8. CFA
Difficulty: 9/10
The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program is a postgraduate professional certification offered internationally by the US-based CFA Institute (formerly the Association for Investment Management and Research, or AIMR) to investment and financial professionals. The program teaches a wide range of subjects relating to advanced investment analysis—including security analysis, statistics, probability theory, fixed income, derivatives, economics, financial analysis, corporate finance, alternative investments, portfolio management. With only about 190,000 charter holders worldwide, the CFA exams are noted to be notoriously difficult, with low pass rates. It is considered by many as the gold standard qualification in finance.
https://www.cfainstitute.org/

9. CIIA
Difficulty: 9/10
Considered as the 'European' version of the CFA, The Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA) is an internationally recognized, advanced professional qualification programme and certification for individuals working in the finance and investment industry. This designation is awarded by the Association of Certified International Investment Analysts (ACIIA), which is an association of professional bodies from over 20 different countries consisting of 60,000 plus professionals. The body of knowledge covers Equity Valuation and Analysis, Fixed Income Valuation and Analysis, Derivative Valuation and Analysis, Economics, Corporate Finance, Financial Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis, and Portfolio Management. As at 2023, holders of this designation are about 10,491 globally. It is very rare to find a Nigerian holder of this certification.
https://www.aciia.org/

10. ACS
Difficulty: 7/10
The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, established in 1990, awards the ACS designation to qualified candidates who meet certain membership requirements.
https://cisinigeria.org/

11. CISI -UK
Difficulty: 6/10
The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment is a global professional body for those in the financial and investment profession. It offers a range of qualifications and resources for professional development, as well as setting standards of conduct and ethics for those in the industry. The CISI Exam focuses on technical knowledge and practical skills.
https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2/cisi-website/homepages/cisi-financial-services-professional-body-nigeria

12. FRM
Difficulty: 7/10
The Financial Risk Manager (FRM) exam is conducted by Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). Candidates gain the FRM designation upon successfully passing the exams.
The GARP FRM accreditation is globally recognized as the premier certification for financial risk professionals dealing in financial markets. To earn the FRM certification, candidates must pass two rigorous exams and also work two years in the field of risk management. Another reputable alternative risk management certification to FRM is the PRM designation offered by PRIMA. This is designed primarily for professionals who are already working as risk managers in sectors other than finance/financial market.
https://my.garp.org/sfdcApp#!/registration/frm


13. CIBN
Difficulty: 6.5/10
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) is in charge of this one. It took the toxic corrupt manger of the bank where I worked over 10 years to pass 😆.
https://www.cibng.org/

ANAN suppose be 4/10. CFA, ICAEW,ICAN, CIIS are really tough to pass.

OK. I no dey write

Please bump up the difficulty of ACCA, and make CFA a 10/10 in difficulty biko

what about FRM? i guess 9 0r 10/10

JoshTim:
what about FRM? i guess 9 0r 10/10

I wanted to include before.
Most of those American exams are not as difficult as people say they are. The problem is usually lack of preparation and fear.

WhisperedNoise:
Please bump up the difficulty of ACCA, and make CFA a 10/10 in difficulty biko

Don't judge it's difficulty by the high failure rate in level 1. This is due mainly to lack of preparation and fear on the part of the test takers, and the need to screen out people. The latter is necessary to prevent a glut in the industry; a situation whereby almost everyone have the certification.

youngestgrad:
ANAN suppose be 4/10. CFA, ICAEW,ICAN, CIIS are really tough to pass.

Which one is CIIS?

Mystery2020:

Don't judge it's difficulty by the high failure rate in level 1. This is due mainly to lack of preparation and fear on the part of the test takers, and the need to screen out people. The latter is necessary to prevent a glut in the industry; a situation whereby almost everyone have the certification.

Hmmmm
I've never seen it in this light. Thanks for sharing.