The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam is a rigorous test designed to measure a candidate’s core competency in the knowledge, processes, and ethics required of a professional financial planner.
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To be eligible for the CFP exam, you must meet one of the following requirements:
The CFP exam contains 170 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 6 hours (split into two 3-hour sections).
The exam is split into eight content domains, and each question will either be a standalone question or a scenario-based question.
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
The questions in this domain cover the following topics:
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To register for the CFP exam, you must complete the CFP Board’s registration form and pay the examination fee. The fee for the exam increases the longer you wait to register. If you register within the first six weeks of the registration window, the fee is $825. If you register between two and seven weeks before the registration window closes, the fee will be $925. If you register in the last two weeks of the window, the fee is $1,025.
There are three available testing windows, each lasting eight days. Those windows are in March, July, and November and they each have a three-month registration window which closes two weeks before the actual exam week.
Once your registration is confirmed, you will be given instructions on how to schedule your exam appointment with Prometric.
You should arrive at your testing location 15-30 minutes before the scheduled start time. When you arrive, you will be greeted by an administrator, who will ask you to sign in and present two forms of valid identification, one of which must contain your photo.
At this point, your photograph will be taken, a metal detector scan will be performed, and a digital image of your fingerprint will be captured.
You will then be asked to put any personal items in a locker, such as your cell phone, wallet, keys, and bags. Before placing any electrical devices in your locker, be sure they are completely turned off.
After your personal items have been stored successfully, you will be led to your testing station and given a brief set of testing instructions before the exam begins. The exam is split into two 3-hour sections with one scheduled 40-minute break between sections.
This is a pass/fail exam, which means that the exact score you get does not matter, as long as it is at or above the cutoff. You’ll find out your results at the testing center immediately after completing the exam, but you’ll have to wait about four weeks for your official score report to be sent to you by mail.
If you did not pass, you will receive a diagnostic report to help you see where your weaknesses are and how to improve for your next attempt. If you did pass, you will simply receive instructions for the next steps in the certification process.
If you fail the exam, you may retake it up to five times in your lifetime.
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