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Frequently Asked Questions
Categories
Education
Examination
Experience
Pre-Certification Continuing Education
Ethics
Final Steps
Additional Questions About Certification
Education
Where can I find a CFP Board Registered Program?
Toggle Open
Your first step in pursuing CFP® certification is to complete education coursework at a CFP Board Registered Program. You can search for available programs using our "Find an Education Program" search tool.
Can I submit credits from education programs that are not CFP Board registered for credit towards the coursework requirement?
Toggle Open
You can determine if previously taken courses can be credited towards the education requirement through a CFP Board Transcript Review.
If I already took the exam and did not pass, will I need to retake the education coursework?
Toggle Open
No. If you have already taken the exam, your coursework will continue to be valid. You can sign up for the CFP® exam here.
What if I don’t have a bachelor’s degree?
Toggle Open
The bachelor's degree requirement is a condition of initial certification (it is not a requirement to be eligible to take the CFP® exam). There are no exceptions.
How do I submit an international degree?
Toggle Open
International degrees may be substituted for a U.S. undergraduate degree if they receive bachelor’s degree equivalency from a third-party evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). You should request a document-by-document evaluation.
Examination
How do I register for the CFP® exam?
Toggle Open
There are two steps to complete for your registration. The first is to submit your exam application through your CFP Board online account. The second is to schedule your test date, time and location in the exam window through Prometric.
Can I register and schedule my CFP® exam before completing the coursework requirement?
Toggle Open
Yes. You can register for the CFP® exam prior to completing your coursework. However, you must make sure that CFP Board receives verification of your coursework completion by the Education Verification Deadline for that exam cycle.
Can I postpone or withdraw from my scheduled exam?
Toggle Open
You may postpone an exam only once per registration. The postponement fee is $100. Your next exam appointment must be rescheduled by the next 2 exam testing windows.
If you decide not to pursue the exam after registering and wish to withdraw your application completely, you are eligible to receive a $200 refund.
Read more about our postponement, rescheduling and withdrawal policies.
Can I change my test date, time or location in the same exam window?
Toggle Open
You may reschedule your exam date, test site location and, in some cases, test start time, within the testing window when you are scheduled. There is no charge for scheduling changes made 30 days or more in advance of exam day. Changes made 5-29 days in advance of exam day will incur a $100 scheduling change fee with Prometric. No changes to your exam are permitted less than 5 days in advance of your scheduled appointment. Exam fees are also forfeited for no-shows.
What is CFP Board’s policy for retaking the CFP® exam?
Toggle Open
You may attempt the CFP® exam a lifetime maximum of 5 times. (If you attempted the exam 4 or more times prior to January 1, 2012, you will be permitted a maximum of 2 additional attempts.) Also, you may attempt the exam a maximum of 3 times within a 24-month period. If you attempt the exam on 3 successive administrations, a 1-year sit-out period (3 exam cycles) is required before you can register for another attempt.
What can I expect on exam day?
Toggle Open
Read more about what to expect on exam day, including what to bring to the exam, how to mark questions, what formulas we provide, our calculator policy and more.
How do I receive my exam results?
Toggle Open
You will receive a preliminary pass/fail report after you complete the exam at your testing site. If you are unsuccessful, your report will include a diagnostic indicative of your strengths and weaknesses across the Principal Topics.
Official exam results are released approximately 4 weeks after the close of the exam window.
Official exam results are released approximately 4 weeks after the close of the exam window.
Experience
When can I report my experience to CFP Board?
Toggle Open
At any time! We encourage you to report early (and refresh often, if needed) in your experience reporting profile.
How are my hours calculated?
Toggle Open
Hours are calculated at a 1-to-1 ratio based on the qualifying number of hours worked per week, up to 40 hours total per week. An exception to this is the completion of the FPA Residency Program, which upon verification will add 500 hours to your Standard Pathway experience total.
Does international experience qualify for the Experience requirement?
Toggle Open
Yes. If the Experience Standards are met, international experience can qualify. Learn more about the pathways to experience.
Can I sit for the CFP® exam without having my experience completed?
Toggle Open
Yes, you can sit for the CFP® exam before meeting the experience requirement. You will have up to 5 years after successful completion of the exam to complete your required hours. Learn more about the pathways to experience.
Is there anything that does not count for experience?
Toggle Open
Activities that do not relate to the personal financial planning process for clients (such as time spent in corporate finance, training, practice management, marketing, software development or administrative duties) cannot be included in your reported number of experience hours.
Additionally, clients may not be immediate family members, as defined by FINRA Rule 3240.
How do I report self-employed, pro bono or volunteer experience?
Toggle Open
You will report this type of experience the same way that you would any other experience, with the exception being the supervisor requirement. In lieu of having a supervisor, you will need to provide the contact information for a Qualified Attester, who must hold one of the credentials below:
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
- Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®)
- Ph.D. in business or economics*
- Licensed attorney – (inactive license acceptable)
- Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – (inactive license acceptable)
*Degree must be from an accredited U.S. college or university.
Pre-Certification Continuing Education
When do I start accruing CE?
Toggle Open
Your pre-certification CE accrual begins 13 months after passing the exam and continues until both the Experience and bachelor’s degree requirements have been fulfilled. If these requirements are done within a year of passing, you will not need to complete CE to become certified.
You can find all approved CE courses using our "Find a CE Program" search tool.
Do I need to complete an Ethics CE course?
Toggle Open
No, you do not need to complete an Ethics CE course. The Ethics requirement to become certified includes agreeing to adhere to our Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, signing an Ethics Declaration and Agreement, and CFP Board conducting a background check.
Is there a deadline to complete my pre-CE?
Toggle Open
Any accrued credits must be completed within 6 months of completing your Experience and degree requirements.
While you are working to complete your Experience and/or degree, pre-certification CE credit hours do not need to be completed within the year they have been accrued. Any CE credit hours you complete in excess of your requirement at that point in time, will be stored in your account and carried over to any additional hours you accrue before becoming certified. CE credit hours earned to meet the pre-certification CE requirement cannot be carried forward to meet the CE renewal requirements for CFP® certification.
How are CE credits reported to CFP Board?
Toggle Open
The CE provider will report your attendance and course completion to CFP Board. We recommend that you provide that CE provider with your CFP Board ID number for this purpose.
If the course you are reporting is not pre-approved with CFP Board, you can still receive credit through a non-registered course review, which does incur a fee.
How do I view my CE summary?
Toggle Open
You can view your CE summary using your CFP Board Account Dashboard once the requirement becomes active at that 13th month after passing the exam (if you are still working on your experience and/or degree requirements). To do this, log in and click on the Education tab in your account, then scroll down to the Continuing Education section.
Ethics
When can I fill out the Declaration and Agreement?
Toggle Open
You will have access at any time to fill out the Declaration and Agreement in your CFP Board online account.
What are the Fitness Standards?
Toggle Open
The Fitness Standards provides the standards against which CFP Board evaluates the ethical fitness of a candidate working toward CFP® certification and a former CFP® professional seeking reinstatement. The Fitness Standards contain three categories of conduct that may prevent an individual from obtaining CFP® certification: (a) Conduct that Presents an Absolute Bar, (b) Conduct that Renders an Applicant Currently Ineligible, and (c) Conduct that requires the Applicant to petition the DEC for an order finding ethical fitness in accordance with CFP Board’s Procedural Rules (“Conduct that Requires a Petition for Fitness”). Learn more about the Fitness Standards.
What happens if I have engaged in Conduct that Presents an Absolute Bar?
Toggle Open
CFP Board staff will notify you that it believes you have engaged in conduct that presents an absolute bar under the Fitness Standards. Absent a showing that you did not engage in that conduct, you will not be able to be certified. Learn more about the Fitness Standards.
What happens if I have engaged in Conduct that Renders an Applicant Currently Ineligible?
Toggle Open
CFP Board staff will notify you that it believes you have engaged in conduct that renders you currently ineligible, such as conduct that resulted in a regulatory suspension that currently is in effect. Absent a showing that you did not engage in that conduct, you will need to wait until you regain eligibility to apply. Once that occurs, you may still need to file Petition for Fitness to be certified. Learn more about the process for resolving a Petition for Fitness in CFP Board’s Procedural Rules.
What happens if I have engaged in Conduct that Requires a Petition for Fitness?
Toggle Open
CFP Board staff will notify you of the requirement to file a Petition for Fitness in a formal written notice. You can then file a written Petition for Fitness and present the relevant information. CFP Board’s Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (the DEC), a body composed of CFP® professionals and public members, will issue an order resolving a Petition. The three potential outcomes are as follows: (a) grant a Petition for Fitness, (b) grant a Petition for Fitness with Private or Public Notice, or (c) deny a Petition for Fitness and Temporarily or Permanently Bar the Applicant from certification. Learn more about the process for resolving a Petition for Fitness in CFP Board’s Procedural Rules.
Are any of the outcomes resolving a Petition for Fitness public?
Toggle Open
CFP Board publishes a Public Notice, Temporary Bar, and Permanent Bar in accordance with the Procedural Rules, including by issuing a press release.
Final Steps
When can I pay my certification fee?
Toggle Open
You can make your payment in your online account once all other requirements are completed: Education, Examination, Experience, CE (if applicable) and Ethics.
How will I know that I am certified?
Toggle Open
You will receive an email once you make your payment confirming you are certified. Per this email, you can start using the CFP® marks. By the next day, you will receive access to your digital certificate and about 2-3 weeks later you will receive your hard copy certificate. Once your payment is processed, your Account Dashboard will also convert to the CFP® professional version, granting you access to the CFP® professional features.
Additional Questions About Certification
How do I find a review course and study for the CFP® exam?
Toggle Open
We recommend joining our online community, the Candidate Forum, to connect with other candidates on what they are doing to prepare for the exam. There are many discussions around review course providers.
We also recommend checking out our exam preparation page, which provides information on testing strategies and the CFP Board Practice Exam.
Does CFP Board provide any help to assist in my job search process?
Toggle Open
Yes! We provide free access to our Career Center, which has many financial planning job postings. Use your CFP Board account information to log in, post your resume and search for openings.
Is there anywhere I can connect with current CFP® professionals for help?
Toggle Open
Yes! We offer a free Mentor Program for candidates who are sitting for the next CFP® exam. Enrollment is only open for two weeks at the beginning of each exam registration period. For more information, please visit the Mentor Program or email us at [email protected].
Does CFP Board provide any financial assistance to take the coursework or exam?
Toggle Open
You can search for all available scholarships administered by CFP Board Center for Financial Planning.
Should you tell clients you're earning CFP certification?
Toggle Open
Yes. Read about what key talking points to use with your clients.
How do most CFP® professionals pay for certification?
Toggle Open
Most CFP® professionals rely on a combination of funding sources. Read about the most common options here
Categories
Education
Education
Where can I find a CFP Board Registered Program?
Toggle Open
Your first step in pursuing CFP® certification is to complete education coursework at a CFP Board Registered Program. You can search for available programs using our "Find an Education Program" search tool.
Can I submit credits from education programs that are not CFP Board registered for credit towards the coursework requirement?
Toggle Open
You can determine if previously taken courses can be credited towards the education requirement through a CFP Board Transcript Review.
If I already took the exam and did not pass, will I need to retake the education coursework?
Toggle Open
No. If you have already taken the exam, your coursework will continue to be valid. You can sign up for the CFP® exam here.
What if I don’t have a bachelor’s degree?
Toggle Open
The bachelor's degree requirement is a condition of initial certification (it is not a requirement to be eligible to take the CFP® exam). There are no exceptions.
How do I submit an international degree?
Toggle Open
International degrees may be substituted for a U.S. undergraduate degree if they receive bachelor’s degree equivalency from a third-party evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). You should request a document-by-document evaluation.
Examination
How do I register for the CFP® exam?
Toggle Open
There are two steps to complete for your registration. The first is to submit your exam application through your CFP Board online account. The second is to schedule your test date, time and location in the exam window through Prometric.
Can I register and schedule my CFP® exam before completing the coursework requirement?
Toggle Open
Yes. You can register for the CFP® exam prior to completing your coursework. However, you must make sure that CFP Board receives verification of your coursework completion by the Education Verification Deadline for that exam cycle.
Can I postpone or withdraw from my scheduled exam?
Toggle Open
You may postpone an exam only once per registration. The postponement fee is $100. Your next exam appointment must be rescheduled by the next 2 exam testing windows.
If you decide not to pursue the exam after registering and wish to withdraw your application completely, you are eligible to receive a $200 refund.
Read more about our postponement, rescheduling and withdrawal policies.
Can I change my test date, time or location in the same exam window?
Toggle Open
You may reschedule your exam date, test site location and, in some cases, test start time, within the testing window when you are scheduled. There is no charge for scheduling changes made 30 days or more in advance of exam day. Changes made 5-29 days in advance of exam day will incur a $100 scheduling change fee with Prometric. No changes to your exam are permitted less than 5 days in advance of your scheduled appointment. Exam fees are also forfeited for no-shows.
What is CFP Board’s policy for retaking the CFP® exam?
Toggle Open
You may attempt the CFP® exam a lifetime maximum of 5 times. (If you attempted the exam 4 or more times prior to January 1, 2012, you will be permitted a maximum of 2 additional attempts.) Also, you may attempt the exam a maximum of 3 times within a 24-month period. If you attempt the exam on 3 successive administrations, a 1-year sit-out period (3 exam cycles) is required before you can register for another attempt.
What can I expect on exam day?
Toggle Open
Read more about what to expect on exam day, including what to bring to the exam, how to mark questions, what formulas we provide, our calculator policy and more.
How do I receive my exam results?
Toggle Open
You will receive a preliminary pass/fail report after you complete the exam at your testing site. If you are unsuccessful, your report will include a diagnostic indicative of your strengths and weaknesses across the Principal Topics.
Official exam results are released approximately 4 weeks after the close of the exam window.
Official exam results are released approximately 4 weeks after the close of the exam window.
Experience
When can I report my experience to CFP Board?
Toggle Open
At any time! We encourage you to report early (and refresh often, if needed) in your experience reporting profile.
How are my hours calculated?
Toggle Open
Hours are calculated at a 1-to-1 ratio based on the qualifying number of hours worked per week, up to 40 hours total per week. An exception to this is the completion of the FPA Residency Program, which upon verification will add 500 hours to your Standard Pathway experience total.
Does international experience qualify for the Experience requirement?
Toggle Open
Yes. If the Experience Standards are met, international experience can qualify. Learn more about the pathways to experience.
Can I sit for the CFP® exam without having my experience completed?
Toggle Open
Yes, you can sit for the CFP® exam before meeting the experience requirement. You will have up to 5 years after successful completion of the exam to complete your required hours. Learn more about the pathways to experience.
Is there anything that does not count for experience?
Toggle Open
Activities that do not relate to the personal financial planning process for clients (such as time spent in corporate finance, training, practice management, marketing, software development or administrative duties) cannot be included in your reported number of experience hours.
Additionally, clients may not be immediate family members, as defined by FINRA Rule 3240.
How do I report self-employed, pro bono or volunteer experience?
Toggle Open
You will report this type of experience the same way that you would any other experience, with the exception being the supervisor requirement. In lieu of having a supervisor, you will need to provide the contact information for a Qualified Attester, who must hold one of the credentials below:
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
- Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®)
- Ph.D. in business or economics*
- Licensed attorney – (inactive license acceptable)
- Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – (inactive license acceptable)
*Degree must be from an accredited U.S. college or university.
Pre-Certification Continuing Education
When do I start accruing CE?
Toggle Open
Your pre-certification CE accrual begins 13 months after passing the exam and continues until both the Experience and bachelor’s degree requirements have been fulfilled. If these requirements are done within a year of passing, you will not need to complete CE to become certified.
You can find all approved CE courses using our "Find a CE Program" search tool.
Do I need to complete an Ethics CE course?
Toggle Open
No, you do not need to complete an Ethics CE course. The Ethics requirement to become certified includes agreeing to adhere to our Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, signing an Ethics Declaration and Agreement, and CFP Board conducting a background check.
Is there a deadline to complete my pre-CE?
Toggle Open
Any accrued credits must be completed within 6 months of completing your Experience and degree requirements.
While you are working to complete your Experience and/or degree, pre-certification CE credit hours do not need to be completed within the year they have been accrued. Any CE credit hours you complete in excess of your requirement at that point in time, will be stored in your account and carried over to any additional hours you accrue before becoming certified. CE credit hours earned to meet the pre-certification CE requirement cannot be carried forward to meet the CE renewal requirements for CFP® certification.
How are CE credits reported to CFP Board?
Toggle Open
The CE provider will report your attendance and course completion to CFP Board. We recommend that you provide that CE provider with your CFP Board ID number for this purpose.
If the course you are reporting is not pre-approved with CFP Board, you can still receive credit through a non-registered course review, which does incur a fee.
How do I view my CE summary?
Toggle Open
You can view your CE summary using your CFP Board Account Dashboard once the requirement becomes active at that 13th month after passing the exam (if you are still working on your experience and/or degree requirements). To do this, log in and click on the Education tab in your account, then scroll down to the Continuing Education section.
Ethics
When can I fill out the Declaration and Agreement?
Toggle Open
You will have access at any time to fill out the Declaration and Agreement in your CFP Board online account.
What are the Fitness Standards?
Toggle Open
The Fitness Standards provides the standards against which CFP Board evaluates the ethical fitness of a candidate working toward CFP® certification and a former CFP® professional seeking reinstatement. The Fitness Standards contain three categories of conduct that may prevent an individual from obtaining CFP® certification: (a) Conduct that Presents an Absolute Bar, (b) Conduct that Renders an Applicant Currently Ineligible, and (c) Conduct that requires the Applicant to petition the DEC for an order finding ethical fitness in accordance with CFP Board’s Procedural Rules (“Conduct that Requires a Petition for Fitness”). Learn more about the Fitness Standards.
What happens if I have engaged in Conduct that Presents an Absolute Bar?
Toggle Open
CFP Board staff will notify you that it believes you have engaged in conduct that presents an absolute bar under the Fitness Standards. Absent a showing that you did not engage in that conduct, you will not be able to be certified. Learn more about the Fitness Standards.
What happens if I have engaged in Conduct that Renders an Applicant Currently Ineligible?
Toggle Open
CFP Board staff will notify you that it believes you have engaged in conduct that renders you currently ineligible, such as conduct that resulted in a regulatory suspension that currently is in effect. Absent a showing that you did not engage in that conduct, you will need to wait until you regain eligibility to apply. Once that occurs, you may still need to file Petition for Fitness to be certified. Learn more about the process for resolving a Petition for Fitness in CFP Board’s Procedural Rules.
What happens if I have engaged in Conduct that Requires a Petition for Fitness?
Toggle Open
CFP Board staff will notify you of the requirement to file a Petition for Fitness in a formal written notice. You can then file a written Petition for Fitness and present the relevant information. CFP Board’s Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (the DEC), a body composed of CFP® professionals and public members, will issue an order resolving a Petition. The three potential outcomes are as follows: (a) grant a Petition for Fitness, (b) grant a Petition for Fitness with Private or Public Notice, or (c) deny a Petition for Fitness and Temporarily or Permanently Bar the Applicant from certification. Learn more about the process for resolving a Petition for Fitness in CFP Board’s Procedural Rules.
Are any of the outcomes resolving a Petition for Fitness public?
Toggle Open
CFP Board publishes a Public Notice, Temporary Bar, and Permanent Bar in accordance with the Procedural Rules, including by issuing a press release.
Final Steps
When can I pay my certification fee?
Toggle Open
You can make your payment in your online account once all other requirements are completed: Education, Examination, Experience, CE (if applicable) and Ethics.
How will I know that I am certified?
Toggle Open
You will receive an email once you make your payment confirming you are certified. Per this email, you can start using the CFP® marks. By the next day, you will receive access to your digital certificate and about 2-3 weeks later you will receive your hard copy certificate. Once your payment is processed, your Account Dashboard will also convert to the CFP® professional version, granting you access to the CFP® professional features.
Additional Questions About Certification
How do I find a review course and study for the CFP® exam?
Toggle Open
We recommend joining our online community, the Candidate Forum, to connect with other candidates on what they are doing to prepare for the exam. There are many discussions around review course providers.
We also recommend checking out our exam preparation page, which provides information on testing strategies and the CFP Board Practice Exam.
Does CFP Board provide any help to assist in my job search process?
Toggle Open
Yes! We provide free access to our Career Center, which has many financial planning job postings. Use your CFP Board account information to log in, post your resume and search for openings.
Is there anywhere I can connect with current CFP® professionals for help?
Toggle Open
Yes! We offer a free Mentor Program for candidates who are sitting for the next CFP® exam. Enrollment is only open for two weeks at the beginning of each exam registration period. For more information, please visit the Mentor Program or email us at [email protected].
Does CFP Board provide any financial assistance to take the coursework or exam?
Toggle Open
You can search for all available scholarships administered by CFP Board Center for Financial Planning.
Should you tell clients you're earning CFP certification?
Toggle Open
Yes. Read about what key talking points to use with your clients.
How do most CFP® professionals pay for certification?
Toggle Open
Most CFP® professionals rely on a combination of funding sources. Read about the most common options here

Insights Delivered to Your Inbox
Start Your Journey to CFP® Certification
- Track your progress with the CFP® Certification Tracker
- Post your resume at the Career Center
- Connect with a mentor who can guide you
- Register and prepare for the exam
- Find career and financial support
- Connect with other candidates at our online forum