United States
Hong KongExam day: six hours, two sessions, one break
Arrive thirty minutes early, check in, then two three-hour sessions of 85 questions with a scheduled break between. Most of the difficulty is stamina, and the pacing plan should be decided before the day.
Six hours of testing. Longer than almost anything most candidates have done since university, and the stamina is a real part of the exam.
The shape of the day
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Arrive | 30 minutes before the appointment |
| Check-in and security | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Tutorial | A few minutes, not counted |
| Session one | 180 minutes, 85 questions |
| Scheduled break | Fixed, between sessions |
| Session two | 180 minutes, 85 questions |
| Finish | Result by email within four weeks of the window closing |
Pacing
Just over two minutes a question on average, and the average is not the budget for any of them.
Stand-alone questions should take well under a minute where you know the answer. Case studies take five. Working at a uniform pace means arriving at a case study with two minutes for something that needs five, which is the most common pacing failure on this exam.
Not constantly. At question 30 you should be roughly a third through the session; at question 60, two thirds. Two checks per session is enough to catch a problem while it is still fixable.
The break
Scheduled and fixed. Use it properly.
- Eat something. Three more hours of concentration needs fuel.
- Drink water, sensibly.
- Move. Standing up and walking resets more than sitting still does.
- Do not review anything. There is nothing you can learn in fifteen minutes that will help.
- Do not replay session one. It is finished and the second session is where the remaining marks are.
That last point is the one candidates find hardest and the one that matters most. Ruminating on a difficult case study costs you the questions in front of you.
Session two
Accuracy typically falls in the second session, and not because the questions are harder. Sustained close reading of dense client scenarios is tiring.
The counter is having practiced it. Two full-length papers in one day before the exam is the specific preparation, and candidates who have done it report a materially different second session.
Flagging and reviewing
Answer everything - there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so nothing should be blank. Flag anything uncertain and return to it.
Change an answer only when you can say what you missed the first time. Vague unease is not information.
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Common questions
How long is the CFP exam?
Six hours of testing in two three-hour sessions of 85 questions each, with a scheduled break between. Allow around seven hours for the whole appointment.
How should you pace it?
Just over two minutes a question on average, but stand-alone questions should take far less so that case studies can take five. Working at a uniform pace is the most common failure.
What should you do in the break?
Eat, drink water, and move. Do not review anything and do not replay the first session - ruminating costs you the questions in front of you.
Why does accuracy fall in the second session?
Sustained close reading of dense client scenarios is tiring. The counter is having sat two full-length papers in one day beforehand.
Should you change flagged answers?
Only when you can say what you missed the first time. Vague unease is not information, and changing on that basis costs more than it gains.