News Release
CFP Board Announces March 2023 CFP® Certification Exam Results
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) today announced the results of the March 2023 CFP® Certification Exam. The exam was administered during a March 7-14 testing window to 3,527 candidates, the largest number of people to ever sit for a CFP® Certification Exam in March. The pass rate for the March exam was 65%.
Registration for the CFP® exam showed that 69% of March candidates are under 40 years old and 36% are under 30 years old.
According to the March 2023 post-exam survey, the main reason exam-takers are seeking CFP® certification is to demonstrate expertise on the job, followed by wanting to distinguish themselves as fiduciaries by providing financial advice in the client’s best interest.
Almost 80% of exam-takers reported receiving some level of financial support from their employers during the CFP® certification process. The top three CFP Board exam preparation resources used by exam-takers were CFP Board Practice Exam 1, the Exam Candidate Handbook and the CFP Board Candidate Forum. Candidates also used the Candidate Preparation Toolkit, CFP Board webinars, supplementary resources and guidance documents and the CFP Board Mentor Program.
“These post-exam survey results show that CFP® certification remains the standard of excellence in financial planning and a mark of trust for clients wishing to work with a fiduciary,” says CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “CFP Board extends its congratulations to everyone who passed this rigorous exam. Your commitment to helping clients reach their financial goals is deeply appreciated.”
Historical exam statistics — including those from the March 2023 exam — are available on CFP Board’s exam statistics webpage.
July 2023 Exam
The CFP® exam is offered three times annually, in March, July and November. Registration for the July 2023 CFP® Certification Exam is now open. This exam will be administered from July 11 to July 18, 2023. The registration deadline is June 27, and the Education Verification deadline is June 20. Testing appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. We 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 May 16 are eligible for a discount.
To begin the path to certification, individuals aspiring to become CFP® professionals 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