Apply for the Exam Online

The CFP® Certification Examination is designed to assess your ability to apply financial planning knowledge to real-life financial planning situations. By passing this exam, you demonstrate to the public that you are at the appropriate level of competency required to practice financial planning.

You can apply for the CFP® Certification Examination after you have successfully met eligibility requirements by fulfilling the educational coursework requirement. The coursework requirement can be met in several ways, including completing a CFP Board-Registered Program, completing equivalent coursework subject to CFP Board's transcript review process, or having one of the designations, credentials or degrees pre-approved by CFP Board.

To complete the online exam application, you will need to:

• Set up a secure online account with CFP Board.
• Log in to your account.
• Provide or update your contact information.
• Verify successful completion of the education requirement (including information such as the name of the educational institution and program you completed, the date you completed an educational program, or information about your professional license or credential).
• Choose the date and location of the exam you wish to take.
• Provide your electronic signature and acknowledge CFP Board's right to investigate the statements made in your online exam application.
• Pay the $595 exam fee by credit card* (Visa, MasterCard or American Express).

*If you do not wish to pay the exam fee online, please contact our Support Specialists at mail@cfpboard.org or 800-487-1497.

At the end of the online exam application, you will receive instructions on how to provide any additional documentation required to complete your exam registration.

Begin the Exam Application Process

Create an online account: If this is your first time applying for the CFP® Certification Examination, you will need to create a secure online account with CFP Board and then log in to start the application process.
 

Login to your account: If you have previously applied for the exam or have already created your online account, you may simply log in to your secure CFP Board account to start the application process.

If you have questions about applying for the CFP® Certification Examination, please contact CFP Board at 800-487-1497 or examinations@cfpboard.org.

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Eligibility

You can apply for the CFP® Certification Examination after you have successfully completed an acceptable course of study (or its equivalent). The educational coursework requirement can be met in several ways, including completing a CFP Board-Registered Program, completing equivalent coursework subject to CFP Board's transcript review process, or having one of the designations, credentials or degrees pre-approved by CFP Board. Click here to read more about the education requirement, or consult the Guide to CFP® Certification for complete details regarding the education requirements for CFP® certification.

While the requirements for CFP® certification may be changed from time to time, you will be expected to meet the requirements in place at the time you apply for the CFP® Certification Examination. Individuals applying for CFP® certification must have a bachelor's degree, in any discipline, in order to obtain CFP® certification. The college degree requirement is a condition of initial certification; however, it is not a requirement to be eligible to take the CFP® Certification Examination and does not have to occur before sitting for the exam or fulfilling the work experience. Please consult the Guide to CFP® Certification for more details regarding the requirements for CFP® certification.

Beginning in 2012, the education requirements for CFP® certification include completion of a financial plan development course registered with CFP Board. Completion of the course is required for those who register under “Challenge” status for the March 2012 or later administrations of the CFP® Certification Examination, and for students of CFP Board-Registered Programs whose initial dates of matriculation (initial enrollment) occur on or after January 1, 2012. Learn more >

If you have completed the education requirement for CFP® certification and are ready to apply for the CFP® Certification Examination, you may apply online.

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Schedule and Deadlines

The CFP® Certification Examination is a 10-hour examination, divided into one four-hour session (Friday afternoon) and two three-hour sessions (Saturday). The exam is offered three times a year. The next exam dates will be:

CFP Board must receive complete exam applications no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the application deadline. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.

A complete exam application consists of:

• Completed application form
• $595 examination fee paid in full
• Appropriate qualifying eligibility documentation (i.e., copy of the transcript, copy of designation/degree, or letter of authorization)

Withdrawal:If you are unable to take the CFP® Certification Examination on the dates for which you registered, you have the following options:

• Withdraw from the exam and re-register for a later exam, paying a $50 re-registration fee.
• Withdraw from the exam and request a refund of the refundable portion of your exam fee ($50 of the exam fee is non-refundable).

You may withdraw from the exam and immediately re-register or request a refund, or you can maintain a credit with CFP Board of the refundable portion of your exam fee and re-register or request a refund up to 24 months from the date of the exam for which you last registered. If you fail to re-register or request a refund within this 24-month period, the entire exam fee will be forfeited.

CFP Board must receive requests for withdrawal from the CFP® Certification Examination no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the withdrawal date listed above. Requests for withdrawal received after the withdrawal date listed above will not be honored and the entire exam fee will be forfeited. CFP Board will consider waiving the fee forfeiture in case of a medical emergency. Your request for such a waiver must be made in writing and supported by documentation from a physician, which clearly states that you are physically unable to appear for the exam due to personal or immediate family medical issues. Your request must be received by CFP Board within 10 business days after the exam dates. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Requests received after the 10 business day timeframe, or not supported by verifying documentation, will not be reviewed.

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Exam Site Locations

The CFP® Certification Examination is offered in the following cities across the United States. International sites can be established on a case by case basis for a fee of $1,475 in addition to the $595 exam fee.

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