How long cfp

Without a doubt, the most common reason we encounter is simply not studying enough. CFP Board recommends you spend at least hours studying for the exam. While that sounds overwhelming, the time goes pretty quickly between pre-study, the Candidate Handbook, required education courses, question bank time, review , practice exams, and your own preparations. To be properly prepared for the exam, you need to have the space in your life to dedicate the necessary hours to study.

You can find more information about how to make time here. Spending too much or too little time on any one activity can be detrimental to your preparations. We recommend you create your study plan based off the exam weighting.

While it is tempting to start off by studying the most heavily weighted topics in depth, we recommend you learn the basics of each category first. Then work deeper into the categories based on weight and your familiarity, so you can absorb more detail and application. Create One Now. Open Menu. My Account Logout. Search Toggle Search Toggle. Search CFP Board. Search Toggle. Close Menu. Get Certified. Get Started Certification Process Overview.

Education The Education Requirement The two-part education requirement includes both 1 completing coursework on financial planning through a CFP Board Registered Program, and 2 holding a bachelor's degree or higher in any discipline from an accredited college or university.

Quick Facts Average time to complete the coursework requirement: months. More on the exam requirement Find exam resources.

Experience The Experience Requirement The experience requirement prepares you to provide personal financial planning to the public without supervision. More on the experience requirement Report your experience. More on the ethics requirement More on Our Commitment. To decide which program will work best for you, spend some time researching each program and ask successful test takers in your network about their experience with the review course of their choosing.

It may also be helpful to join the CFP Board Candidate Forum as there is a vast amount of information exchanged there. After speaking with successful test takers across the nation, we encourage at least three to five months of focused study. This will likely include studying at least 10 hours per week and should total between hours. The CFP Board recommends studying for hours, as referenced by Kaplan , while Dalton recommends a target of hours. Some test takers will need to study more than that, of course, and honest self-assessment is requisite to effective preparation.

Should you choose to purchase a review course, you will be provided with a study plan specific to their materials. The CFP Board offers a free practice test to everyone who registers for the exam.

It may be best to start with this exam to set a baseline for areas in which you need to improve. The practice exam provides you with instant feedback, including explanations for incorrectly answered questions. Perhaps you struggle with estate planning; taking a pretest will uncover specific deficiencies in your knowledge. Be sure to spend additional time reviewing these concepts and working through difficult practice problems. This is vital to assign the appropriate amount of time to each core area of the exam, as illustrated in the graphic above.

Many candidates overlook the general principles and professional conduct sections of the material. These sections cover the basic regulatory framework, the financial planning process, and the maintenance of the CFP mark. It is imperative that you get these questions right. As you work through the study material, make sure you focus on learning — not just memorizing — the material. The exam tests your ability to apply knowledge more so than just having the knowledge itself.

Make sure you understand the why in the correct answer. Further, work through as many practice questions as you can. If your exam review course offers a test bank; exhaust it. As you get closer to exam time, you should have a solid grasp on the material, have taken multiple practice exams, and should be refining your knowledge in those remaining trouble areas.

During the final two weeks, the heavy studying you did early on should be paying off, and developing confidence should be your focus. Take time to review the basics one last time and spend one final day on each topic area.

If you have the option to take the day before the exam off, it may be a good idea to do so. Spend a couple of hours that morning reviewing concepts and do something relaxing that afternoon. On the morning of the exam, be sure to allow plenty of time to get to the testing center.

Eat a healthy breakfast and remember to pack a lunch. You will not be able to bring food or beverages into the exam so pack items you can leave in a vehicle or locker. It would be wise to call ahead and ensure your center will have a locker for you. If you have a favorite candy bar or treat, put one in your lunch as a reward for completing the first half of the exam.

You must also remember your calculator and a valid, government-issued ID. Once you sit down to begin the exam, take a deep breath, and relax. We speak with hundreds of candidates every year who are successful in passing the CFP exam and many others who are not. We have found that candidates who are successful in passing the exam share the following characteristics:. On the other hand, students who do not pass the exam typically demonstrate the following characteristics:.

There are certainly underprepared individuals who pass and well-prepared individuals who do not. Many intelligent, diligent, test takers fail the exam each testing cycle. Passage or failure of the CFP exam is not a permanent indication of your ability to thrive in the profession.

Deciding when to take the CFP exam is among the most important considerations of the process. Like most answers to questions of this magnitude, it depends on the individual. Countless candidates have successfully completed the exam with both approaches.

In general, for strong students graduating from a top-tier financial planning program such as the University of Georgia , Texas Tech , Kansas State , Virginia Tech , or Golden Gate University to name a few, their best bet is to complete a review course and sit for the exam within twelve months of graduation.

The technical knowledge is still fresh, the tax laws memorized in school remain current, and the process of studying is still a natural part of the routine. Setting a goal to take the exam by a certain time months out, perhaps and then identifying tangible, short-term goals for the attainment of financial planning competency will be necessary.

Once the aforementioned goals have been accomplished, it will be time to schedule an exam, complete a review course, and pass the exam. All of this, of course, is dependent on the individual and is a decision that should be made with the help of sincere counsel.