United States
Hong KongScoring: pass or fail, and no published pass mark
Results are pass or fail with no score released. CFP Board publishes the pass rate - the share of candidates who passed - and does not publish a pass mark. The two are different quantities and are constantly confused.
The most misreported fact about this exam, and the correction is straightforward.
Pass rate is not pass mark
The pass rate is the proportion of candidates who passed - around 64 per cent across recent windows, with the July 2026 window at 66 per cent. Different things.
The pass mark is the score required to pass. CFP Board does not publish one, in any form.
A site telling you that you need 64 per cent is confusing the two. Nobody outside CFP Board knows the required score, and the pass rate does not imply it.
How the standard is set
Through a psychometric standard-setting process based on the competence required of an entry-level CFP professional, not on a target pass rate or a curve. Absolute, not relative.
Scaling then adjusts for differences in difficulty between forms, so a given standard means the same thing whichever version you sat.
It is not graded on a curve. Everyone sitting a window could pass, or none could. The standard is absolute, which also means a difficult-feeling paper does not disadvantage you relative to anybody else.
What you receive
Pass or fail, by secure email, within four weeks of the testing window closing.
Four weeks from the window's end rather than from your sitting, so sitting early in a window means waiting longer for the same result.
No score is released to anyone who passes. Candidates who do not pass receive diagnostic information showing relative performance across the knowledge domains.
What the diagnostic tells you
Relative performance rather than a score - which domains were stronger and which weaker.
It is the most useful thing to come out of a failed attempt and the right basis for a retake plan. Re-reading everything spends most of the effort on material you already had.
Unscored questions
Some items on any form may be unscored, used to gather statistics for future use. You cannot identify them. You cannot tell which.
Which means the only sensible approach is to answer everything as though it counts, and not to agonize over a question that seemed unusual.
CFP® is a registered mark of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, CFP Board. Confirm exam details against cfp.net before your sitting.
Common questions
What score do you need to pass the CFP exam?
CFP Board does not publish a pass mark in any form. The 64 per cent figure often quoted is the pass rate - the share of candidates who passed - which is a different quantity.
Is the CFP exam graded on a curve?
No. The standard is set psychometrically against the competence required of an entry-level CFP professional. Everyone in a window could pass, or none could.
When do results arrive?
Within four weeks of the testing window closing, by secure email. That is measured from the end of the window rather than from your sitting date.
Do you get a score?
No. Results are pass or fail. Candidates who do not pass receive diagnostic information on relative performance across the knowledge domains.
Are there unscored questions?
Some items may be unscored and used for statistical purposes. You cannot identify them, so the only sensible approach is to answer everything as though it counts.