CFP exam cost
Registration is $925 at the standard rate, $825 if you register early and $1,025 in the final week. Plan your total and your window's deadlines below.
Total registration fees
$825
1 × $825 early bird registration
- Registration
- $825 early, $925 standard, $1,025 late
- Postponement
- $500
- Most attempts
- 5 in a lifetime, 3 in any 24 months
Fees
| Early bird registration | $825, until 6 weeks before the registration deadline |
|---|---|
| Standard registration | $925 |
| Late registration | $1,025, in the final week of registration |
| Postponement to a later window | $500, once per registration, to one of the next two administrations |
| Coursework not verified in time | Registration withdrawn and the $500 postponement fee applied |
| Change inside your window | Free 61 or more days ahead, $35 at 31 to 60 days, $100 at 5 to 30 days, none inside 5 days |
| Withdrawal | $200 refund by the late registration deadline |
Deadlines for the next windows
The exam runs in 8-day windows in March, July and November. You can register before you finish your coursework, but CFP Board must verify it by the window's education deadline.
Coursework verified by
Feb 23, 2027
For the March 16, 2027 to March 23, 2027 window.
- Registration opens
- October 21, 2026
- Exam dates
- Mar 16, 2027 to Mar 23, 2027
- Results
- Official results by email about 4 weeks after the window closes
Retake rules
| Each retake | The whole exam, at the applicable registration fee |
|---|---|
| Lifetime limit | 5 attempts |
| In any 24 months | 3 attempts; after three failures, sit out 3 exam administrations |
| If you do not pass | A diagnostic report of your performance across the Principal Knowledge Topics |
See where you stand first
The free diagnostic has 15 questions across all eight domains and takes about 30 minutes. No account. You get your score in each domain and a short lesson on the one to fix first.
CFP Board exam dates and fees · CFP Board rescheduling and cancellation policies
Questions people ask
How much does the CFP exam cost?
CFP Board's standard registration rate is $925. An early bird rate of $825 applies until 6 weeks before the registration deadline, and a late rate of $1,025 applies in the final week of registration.
How much does it cost to retake the CFP exam?
A retake is the whole exam again at the applicable registration fee. You may attempt the exam at most 5 times in a lifetime and 3 times in any 24 months; after three failures in 24 months you sit out three exam administrations.
What does it cost to move my exam?
Changing your date, site or time inside your registered window is free 61 or more days ahead, $35 at 31 to 60 days and $100 at 5 to 30 days; no changes are allowed inside 5 days. Moving to a later window is a postponement, $500, allowed once per registration.
Can I get a refund?
A candidate who withdraws by the late registration deadline can receive a $200 refund. Missing the exam forfeits the whole fee, though it does not count as an attempt.
Is the practice exam included?
CFP Board includes its own full-length, 170-question practice exam with registration.