CFP Board does not publish a passing percentage for the CFP® exam. The exam is pass/fail against a criterion-referenced standard: candidates pass by showing a set level of competence, not by beating other candidates or reaching a fixed number of correct answers.
What "criterion-referenced" means
Panels of practising CFP® professionals review the exam's questions and judge how a minimally competent new planner would perform on them. That judgement sets the passing standard. Because the standard reflects the difficulty of each exam, it isn't a round number, and CFP Board keeps it confidential. It also means your result doesn't depend on how well anyone else did on the same day.
The exam itself
170 multiple-choice questions in two 3-hour sections, each split into two subsections. Questions range from stand-alone items to short scenarios and longer case studies. The eight Principal Knowledge Domains are weighted:
- Retirement Savings and Income Planning: 18%
- Investment Planning: 17%
- General Principles of Financial Planning: 15%
- Tax Planning: 14%
- Risk Management and Insurance Planning: 11%
- Estate Planning: 10%
- Professional Conduct and Regulation: 8%
- Psychology of Financial Planning: 7%
What the result report shows
You receive pass or fail. Candidates who don't pass receive diagnostic information on their performance by domain, which shows where to focus for a retake.
What to aim for in practice
With no published cut score, practice scores are the only guide. ExamWize practice exams use a 70% line as an estimate. Many candidates aim higher, in the 70–80% range or above on realistic full-length practice, before sitting the real exam. Treat any practice number as a signal of readiness, not a prediction of your result.
Start with the free CFP® diagnostic and the CFP® cheat sheet. Related: is the CFP exam hard? and how long to study for the CFP exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is the passing score for the CFP exam?
CFP Board doesn't publish one. The exam is pass/fail against a criterion-referenced standard set by panels of CFP® professionals for each exam.
Is the CFP exam curved?
No. Because the standard is criterion-referenced, your result depends on your own performance against the standard, not on how other candidates did.
What practice score should I aim for?
There is no official target. Many candidates aim for 70–80% or more on realistic full-length practice exams before sitting the real one.