The CFP® exam tests whether you can apply financial planning knowledge to real client situations, across professional conduct, general planning, insurance, investments, tax, retirement, estate planning and the psychology of financial planning.
Exam format at a glance
| Format | 170 multiple-choice questions in two 3-hour sections, each divided into two subsections. Question types include stand-alone items, short scenarios and case studies. |
| Cost | CFP Board lists the exam fee on its website — check CFP Board for current pricing. |
| Scoring | Pass/fail against a criterion-referenced standard. CFP Board does not publish a percent cut score, so practice scores here use a 70% line as an estimate, not a prediction. |
| Validity | Passing the exam is one of the requirements for CFP® certification, along with education, experience and ethics. |
Who this exam is for
- Candidates who have completed CFP Board-registered education
- Financial professionals preparing to sit for the CFP® exam
- Retake candidates targeting weak domains
How to actually study for it
- Retirement (18%) and investments (17%) are the largest domains — build depth there first.
- Practice time value of money and investment return calculations until they're quick.
- Know the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, including when the fiduciary duty applies.
- Work case studies end to end: gather facts, analyze, then recommend.
Where to go next
Start with the free 10-question diagnostic to see where you actually stand, or go straight to the one-page CFP Exam cheat sheet. The full CFP Exam practice exam covers every domain at the real exam's weighting, with every answer explained.