The CFP exam: format, dates, score and pass rate
The CFP exam has 170 multiple-choice questions in two 3-hour sections, with a 40-minute break, inside a 7-hour appointment. It is pass or fail, offered in 8-day windows in March, July and November, and the next window after Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, 2026 is March 16 to 23, 2027. In July 2026, 66% of candidates passed.
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How long is the CFP exam?
Testing time is six hours: three hours for questions 1 to 85 and three hours for questions 86 to 170. Each section is split into two subsections with a shared timer, and you may take an optional break after question 43. Between the two sections there is a scheduled 40-minute break.
With check-in and security, the appointment lasts seven hours. Inside each three-hour section you move at your own pace, so time spent on a long case study comes out of the time left for the rest of that section.
Source: CFP Board — Exam Format. Checked 19 October 2026.
Question types and what you can use
You answer three types of questions. Stand-alone questions are typically two to three sentences with four answer options. Short scenarios carry typically three questions each, and case studies are longer, with typically 8 to 12 questions each.
Only the financial calculators on CFP Board’s approved list are allowed into the testing room, and you must clear the calculator’s memory before each section. CFP Board provides the tax tables and formulas during the exam.
Source: CFP Board — CFP Exam Candidate Handbook, October 2026. Checked 19 October 2026.
CFP exam dates 2026 and the CFP exam schedule for 2027
The 2026 CFP test dates were the March 17 to 24 window, a July window and Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, 2026. Registration for the fall window closed on Oct. 13, 2026. CFP Board lists these next windows:
- March 16 to 23, 2027: registration opens Oct. 21, 2026; education verification deadline Feb. 23, 2027
- July 13 to 20, 2027: registration opens Feb. 17, 2027; education verification deadline June 22, 2027
Source: CFP Board — Upcoming Exam Dates & Registration Process. Checked 19 October 2026.
Registering and booking your appointment
You register and pay through CFP Board, then book a date with Prometric. Appointments are first come, first served, and CFP Board encourages registering 60 days or more in advance for the best date and site. Remote proctoring is also offered; you accept CFP Board’s Remote Testing Policy and Agreement when you register for it.
Changing your appointment within the window is free 61 or more days ahead, costs $35 at 31 to 60 days and $100 at 5 to 30 days; less than 5 days ahead no changes are allowed. Moving to a later administration is a postponement, which costs $500 and is allowed once per registration.
Source: CFP Board — Scheduling Your Testing Appointment with Prometric. Checked 19 October 2026.
CFP score: how the exam is scored
There is no published CFP score to aim for. The exam is criterion-referenced and pass or fail: each question is worth one point, and a standard-setting process fixes the cutoff score, which CFP Board does not publish.
Prometric emails a preliminary result shortly after you finish. The official result follows by email about four weeks after the window closes according to CFP Board’s scoring page, or four to six weeks according to the Candidate Handbook. If you do not pass, you receive a diagnostic report of your performance across the Principal Knowledge Topics.
Source: CFP Board — CFP Exam: Scoring & Results. Checked 19 October 2026.
CFP pass rate by administration
CFP Board publishes the CFP pass rate for each window, split into first-time takers and repeaters. The first-time CFP passing rate has stayed between 65% and 69% across the last six administrations:
- July 2026: 66% overall (3,621 sat), 69% first-time, 57% repeaters
- March 2026: 67% overall (4,391 sat), 69% first-time, 60% repeaters
- November 2025: 64% overall (3,970 sat), 65% first-time, 58% repeaters
- July 2025: 64% overall (3,214 sat), 68% first-time, 56% repeaters
- March 2025: 65% overall (3,854 sat), 68% first-time, 56% repeaters
- November 2024: 62% overall (3,755 sat), 66% first-time, 50% repeaters
Source: CFP Board — Historical Exam Statistics (July 2026). Checked 19 October 2026.
Retaking the CFP exam
If you fail, you retake the entire exam in a later window and register again. You may attempt the exam up to five times in a lifetime and three times within any 24-month period; after three attempts in 24 months you must sit out three exam administrations before registering again.
Use the diagnostic report to plan the retake. Because repeaters pass at lower rates than first-time takers, target the weak domains instead of rereading everything.
Source: CFP Board — CFP Exam Candidate Handbook, October 2026. Checked 19 October 2026.
CFP exam: questions people ask
How long is CFP exam day in total?
Seven hours: six hours of testing in two 3-hour sections, a scheduled 40-minute break, and check-in. Source: CFP Exam Candidate Handbook, October 2026, checked 19 October 2026.
How many questions are on the CFP exam?
170 multiple-choice questions, 85 in each section. Source: CFP Board Exam Format page, checked 19 October 2026.
What is the CFP passing score?
CFP Board does not publish it. The exam is criterion-referenced and pass or fail, with a cutoff set by standard setting. Source: CFP Exam Candidate Handbook, October 2026, checked 19 October 2026.
What was the latest CFP pass rate?
66% overall in July 2026, 69% for first-time takers. Source: CFP Board exam statistics, checked 19 October 2026.
What are the next CFP exam dates?
March 16 to 23, 2027 (registration opens Oct. 21, 2026) and July 13 to 20, 2027. Source: CFP Board, checked 19 October 2026.
When do I get my results?
A preliminary result by email from Prometric shortly after the exam; the official result about four to six weeks after the window closes. Source: CFP Board, checked 19 October 2026.
How long does it take to get a CFP license?
What many call a CFP license is CFP certification. CFP Board puts the typical length of the whole process at 18 to 24 months, and the average time for the coursework at 12 to 18 months; the exam is one step within it. Source: CFP Board certification process page, checked 19 October 2026.
Can I take the CFP exam online?
Yes, by remote proctoring, after accepting CFP Board’s Remote Testing Policy and Agreement; test centers are run by Prometric. Source: CFP Board, checked 19 October 2026.
