United States
Hong KongCFP exam dates and how registration actually works
The CFP exam is offered in three testing windows a year - March, July and November - administered by Prometric. You register through CFP Board, and the fee rises from USD 825 to 1,025 as the window approaches. Results arrive by secure email within four weeks of the window closing.
The CFP exam does not run on demand. There are three windows a year, and missing one costs you roughly four months.
That single fact should shape your whole plan, because it means the exam date is fixed before your readiness is, and everything else has to bend around it.
The three windows
- Windows
- March, July and November
- Administered by
- Prometric
- Registered through
- CFP Board
- Format
- 170 questions across two sessions
- Session length
- Three hours each, six hours total
- Results
- Pass or fail, by secure email within four weeks of the window closing
Within each window you choose a specific date and a Prometric center, subject to availability. Popular centers in large metros fill early, which is the practical reason to register at the start of a registration period rather than the end.
Registration pricing punishes hesitation
| When you register | Fee |
|---|---|
| Early bird | USD 825 |
| Standard | USD 925 |
| Final week | USD 1,025 |
Two hundred dollars between the cheapest and dearest way to sit the same exam. Checked against CFP Board's registration page on 1 September 2026.
There is no discounted resit. Failing means registering again at the standard rates, so a second attempt costs about USD 925 plus a four-month wait. That is the real price of sitting before you are ready.
You cannot register until the coursework is done
This is the part that catches people planning backwards from a date. CFP Board requires you to complete a Registered Program's coursework before you sit - not before you certify, before you sit.
That coursework averages twelve to eighteen months. The degree requirement is more forgiving: a bachelor's in any discipline, and you may complete it within five years after passing. The experience requirement - 6,000 hours professional or 4,000 apprenticeship - can also come later.
So the sequence that actually gates your exam date is: coursework first, everything else negotiable.
Choosing which window
If your coursework finishes in, say, February, the March window is technically available and almost always the wrong choice. The common guidance is around 250 to 300 hours of dedicated exam preparation on top of the coursework, and that is not a four-week job alongside a full-time role.
The better read is to pick the window that gives you three to four clear months after coursework ends, and to accept that this usually means skipping one.
There is a real argument the other way, and it is worth stating: momentum is an asset, and people who leave a long gap after coursework often find the material has gone cold. If you can genuinely commit fifteen to twenty hours a week, the nearer window is defensible.
What results look like
Pass or fail. No score, no percentage, no breakdown by domain beyond a diagnostic indication for candidates who did not pass. Within four weeks of the window closing, by secure email.
CFP Board publishes the pass rate for each window afterwards - it has been running around 64%, and the July 2026 window came in at 66%. That is the pass rate, meaning the share of candidates who passed. It is not a pass mark, and CFP Board publishes no pass mark of any kind.
Competitors routinely present the 64% pass rate as though it were the score you need. It is not. CFP Board does not publish a cut score, scaled or raw, and anybody telling you what percentage you need to get right has invented it.
Common questions
How often is the CFP exam offered?
Three times a year, in March, July and November testing windows. Within each window you select a specific date and Prometric test center, subject to availability. There is no on-demand testing.
How much does it cost to register for the CFP exam?
USD 825 for early-bird registration, 925 standard, and 1,025 in the final week before the deadline. A retake is a fresh registration at the same rates, so there is no reduced fee for a second attempt.
When do I get my CFP exam results?
Pass or fail by secure email within four weeks of the testing window closing. You do not receive a numerical score. Candidates who do not pass receive diagnostic information about their relative performance across the knowledge domains.
Can I register before finishing my coursework?
No. CFP Board requires completion of a Registered Program's education requirement before you sit the exam. The bachelor's degree and the experience hours may be completed afterwards, but the coursework cannot.
Which testing window should I choose?
The one that leaves three to four clear months after your coursework ends. With roughly 250 to 300 hours of preparation typically needed, the window immediately after coursework is usually too soon unless you can commit fifteen-plus hours a week.