United States
Hong KongThe experience requirement: 6,000 hours, or 4,000 supervised
Six thousand hours of professional experience related to the financial planning process, or four thousand hours through the apprenticeship pathway under direct supervision. It may be completed before or after the exam.
The requirement that takes longest and blocks nothing in the meantime, which is why it is frequently misunderstood.
The two pathways
| Standard pathway | Apprenticeship pathway | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 6,000 | 4,000 |
| Supervision | Not required to be direct | Direct supervision by a CFP professional |
| Scope | Related to the financial planning process | All seven steps of the process |
| Roughly equates to | Three years full time | Two years full time |
The apprenticeship route is shorter and more demanding in what it requires of the role - direct supervision and exposure to the whole process rather than part of it.
What counts
Experience related to the personal financial planning process, which is broader than most candidates assume.
- Delivering financial planning to clients.
- Supervising people who do.
- Supporting the process - paraplanning, analysis, plan preparation.
- Teaching the subject matter at an appropriate level.
- Certain related roles in insurance, investment, tax and estate work.
Paraplanning counts, which is the most useful thing for someone early in their career to know. So does supporting work that never faces a client.
Experience may be completed before or after passing, and hours count from up to ten years before certification and up to five years after the exam. Many candidates have already accumulated most of it without realizing.
What does not count
Purely administrative work with no analytical content. Pure sales with no planning element. Unrelated employment.
The distinction is whether the work relates to the financial planning process rather than whether it happened at a financial firm.
Recording it
Hours are reported to CFP Board with the role, the dates, the duties and a verification contact.
Keep a record as you go. Reconstructing three years of hours retrospectively from memory is unpleasant and less accurate than a running note, and a former employer's willingness to verify is easier to secure while you still work there.
If you are not in the industry yet
The apprenticeship pathway at 4,000 hours is the shorter route and requires a role with direct supervision by a CFP professional across the whole process.
A paraplanner position at a planning firm is the standard entry point, and it counts from the first day.
CFP® is a registered mark of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, CFP Board. Confirm requirements against cfp.net, which is the authority.
Common questions
How many hours of experience does the CFP require?
Six thousand hours of professional experience related to the financial planning process, or four thousand through the apprenticeship pathway under direct supervision by a CFP professional.
Does paraplanning count?
Yes. Supporting the planning process through analysis and plan preparation counts, and so does work that never faces a client. The test is relation to the process, not client contact.
Can experience be completed after the exam?
Yes. It may come before or after, with hours counting from up to ten years before certification and up to five years after the exam.
What does not count?
Purely administrative work with no analytical content, pure sales with no planning element, and unrelated employment. Working at a financial firm is not itself the test.
How should you record hours?
As you go, with role, dates, duties and a verification contact. Reconstructing three years retrospectively is unpleasant, and securing an employer's verification is easier while you still work there.