A fifth of test takers failed to turn up to the notoriously difficult chartered financial analyst exams this year — a number that has remained stubbornly high despite the CFA Institute’s efforts to bring it down.

More than 55,000 of the 250,000 students due to sit the exams in June were no-shows, the institute said. Students are set to receive their results in early August and around half of the candidates sitting each level usually pass.