Education

To sit for the CFP® Certification Examination, you must be knowledgeable in the integrated financial planning topics set forth by the CFP Board. There are three ways candidates can fulfill the required comprehension of the nearly 100 integrated financial planning topics:

1. Complete a CFP Board-Registered Program.
   A CFP Board-Registered program is a course of study that meets the core knowledge requirements on personal financial planning established by the CFP Board.
    
2. Apply for a Challenge Status.
   If you have one of the following degrees or credentials, you will automatically be eligible to apply for the CFP® Certification Examination:
   • Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®)
   • Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)
   • Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®)
   • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
   • Ph.D. in business or economics
   • Doctor of Business Administration
   • Licensed attorney
      
3. Submit a Transcript Review.
   On a case-by-case basis, the CFP Board may approve coursework taken with a non-CFP Board-Registered program as credit toward fulfilling the CFP Board required education. In addition, candidates must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university within five years after passing the exam to receive CFP® certification. For more information on the CFP Board's education requirements, visit: http://www.cfp.net/become/education.asp

Examination

After you have successfully met the education requirement, you will be eligible to apply for the CFP® Certification Examination. The CFP® Certification Examination is a comprehensive 285 question, 10-hour multiple-choice exam. The exam is divided into one 4-hour session on Friday afternoon and two 3-hour sessions on Saturday.

Exam Topic List

Topic	Percent of Exam
Fundamentals	11%
Insurance	14%
Investments	19%
Income Tax	14%
Employee Benefits	8%
Retirement	19%
Estates	15%

The exam is offered three times a year in March, July, and November at almost 50 locations nationwide. For an up-to-date list please visit http://www.cfp.net/become/examdetails.asp.

Upcoming Exam Dates

Exam Dates	Application Deadlines
March 19 - 20, 2010	February 3, 2010
July 16 - 17, 2010	June 1, 2010

Experience

Three years of relevant personal financial planning experience is required to receive certification. The candidate's qualifying experience must meet one or more of the six primary elements of financial planning as stated on the CFP Board website.

Ethics

The CFP® certificant must abide by the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which puts clients' interests first, and comply with the Financial Planning Practice Standards, which prescribe what clients should be able to expect from the financial planning engagement. For complete details regarding the CFP Board's ethics requirement, visit http://www.cfp.net/.