Question 1Income tax fundamentals and calculations
A 17-year-old whom his parents claim as a dependent earns $4,000 of wages from a summer job and has $300 of bank interest in 2026. What is his standard deduction?
CFP exam dates
The exam runs in 8-day windows in March, July and November. The next windows are March 16 to 23, 2027 and July 13 to 20, 2027. CFP Board has not yet listed the November 2027 window.
| March 2027 | March 16 to 23 |
|---|---|
| July 2027 | July 13 to 20 |
| Windows | 8 days, three times a year |
| Results | About 4 weeks after the window |
Windows and deadlines
| Window | Registration opens | Education verified by |
|---|---|---|
| October 29 to November 5, 2026 | June 2, 2026 (closed October 13, 2026) | October 6, 2026 |
| March 16 to 23, 2027 | October 21, 2026 | February 23, 2027 |
| July 13 to 20, 2027 | February 17, 2027 | June 22, 2027 |
How registration works
- You can register before you finish your coursework, but CFP Board must receive verification by the window's education deadline; if it does not, the registration is withdrawn and a $500 postponement fee applies.
- Registration is $825 early bird, $925 standard and $1,025 in the final week.
- After registering you book a seat at a Prometric test center. From the November 2026 exam, remote testing is by request only, for candidates in the United States who live more than 60 miles from a Prometric test center or have a medical condition or physical limitation that requires it.
- A bachelor's degree can come later: it must be completed within 5 years of passing the exam.
Choosing a window
Count back from the window: finish your coursework in time for its education deadline, leave weeks for full practice exams, and register early for the lower fee. The study planner turns the weeks you have into hours for each domain.
Try 3 questions
Question 2Gift, estate and GST tax
In 2026 a grandmother pays $60,000 of her grandson's tuition directly to his university and also gives him $19,000 in cash. She makes no other gifts to him. How much is a taxable gift?
Question 3Consumer protection laws
A client finds a late payment on her credit report for a loan she paid on time every month. What is the MOST appropriate first step under the Fair Credit Reporting Act?
Next step
Questions people ask
When is the next CFP exam?
After the October 29 to November 5, 2026 window, the next are March 16 to 23, 2027 and July 13 to 20, 2027.
When does registration open for March 2027?
October 21, 2026. The education verification deadline for that window is February 23, 2027.
When is the November 2027 CFP exam?
CFP Board has not yet published the November 2027 window. It runs windows in March, July and November each year.