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News Release

CFP Board Announces July 2023 CFP® Certification Exam Results

August 15, 2023

CFP Board today announced the results of the July 2023 CFP® Certification Exam. The exam was administered during a July 11-18 testing window to 2,926 candidates, with 6% of candidates testing remotely. The pass rate for the July exam was 67%.

According to the July 2023 post-exam survey, the main reason exam-takers are pursuing CFP® certification is to demonstrate experience on the job (41%), followed by to distinguish themselves as a fiduciary (25%). Of the exam-takers, 77% reported receiving some level of financial support from their employers during the CFP® certification process.

Registration for the CFP® exam showed that 71% of July candidates are under 40 years old and 38% are under 30 years old.

The top three CFP Board exam preparation resources used by exam-takers were CFP Board Practice Exam 1, the Exam Candidate Handbook and the Candidate Preparation Toolkit. Other resources used included CFP Board supplementary resources and guidance documents, the CFP Board Candidate Forum and webinars. The 10 states with the most exam-takers were California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio and Massachusetts, with 1,562 candidates from these states sitting for the exam.

“As CFP Board continues to foster growth in the financial planning profession, we are committed to providing access to the tools CFP® certification candidates need to prepare for the exam,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “Congratulations to candidates from across the country for passing this rigorous exam.”

Statistics from previous exams — including those from the July 2023 exam — are available on CFP Board’s exam statistics webpage.

November 2023 Exam

The CFP® exam is offered three times annually, in March, July and November. Registration for the November 2023 CFP® Certification Exam is now open. This exam will be administered from October 31 through November 7, 2023. The registration deadline is October 17, and the Education Verification deadline is October 10. Testing appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. We therefore encourage individuals to register for the exam at least 60 days in advance for the best date and site availability. Early registrants who schedule exams by September 5 are eligible for a discount.

To begin the path to certification, CFP® certification candidates should create accounts on CFP.net. Here, they can access resources for all stages of their certification journey.

about cfp board

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP® certification is held by more than 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.

contact

Joseph Feese
Director of Public Relations
202-379-2305
media@cfpboard.org
X: @CFPBoard