Domain study planner
Set the weeks until your exam, your weekly hours and how confident you feel in each domain. The planner shares the hours by CFP Board's domain weights and keeps time for the full practice exam.
120 hours in all: 110 for the domains and 10 for the full practice exam with review.
| Domain | Hours |
|---|---|
| F. Retirement Savings and Income Planning18% of the exam · fair | 20 |
| D. Investment Planning17% of the exam · fair | 18.5 |
| B. General Principles of Financial Planning15% of the exam · fair | 16.5 |
| E. Tax Planning14% of the exam · fair | 15.5 |
| C. Risk Management and Insurance Planning11% of the exam · fair | 12 |
| G. Estate Planning10% of the exam · fair | 11 |
| A. Professional Conduct and Regulation8% of the exam · fair | 9 |
| H. Psychology of Financial Planning7% of the exam · fair | 7.5 |
- Week 1 Retirement
- Week 2 Retirement, Investments
- Week 3 Investments
- Week 4 Investments, General principles
- Week 5 General principles, Tax
- Week 6 Tax, Insurance
- Week 7 Insurance, Estate
- Week 8 Estate, Conduct
- Week 9 Conduct, Psychology
- Week 10 The full practice exam and review
Check your confidence first
The free diagnostic scores you in all eight domains in about 30 minutes and gives a lesson on the one to fix first.
Questions people ask
How should I split my CFP exam study time?
By weight and by weakness. Retirement Savings and Income Planning carries 18% of the exam, Investment Planning 17%, General Principles 15%, Tax Planning 14%, Risk Management and Insurance 11%, Estate Planning 10%, Professional Conduct 8% and Psychology of Financial Planning 7%. A heavy domain you feel weak in deserves the most time.
How does the planner split the hours?
It keeps 10 hours for the full practice exam and its review when the plan has 40 hours or more, then shares the rest in proportion to each domain's weight times a confidence factor: 1.5 for weak, 1 for fair and 0.6 for strong.
How long should I study for the CFP exam?
CFP Board does not set a study time. Candidates sit the exam after completing CFP Board-registered coursework, so most of the work is turning that coursework into fast, applied answers on client scenarios and case studies.
How do I know how confident to be?
Take the free 15-question diagnostic first. It scores you in each domain, then set the planner to match.