CPFA study plan

Map the CPFA credential structure: list each of the seven domains, its weight, and the eligibility and renewal obligations that attach to it

Outline the certification body's program framework, including the code of conduct and professional standards a certified public finance administrator is held to

Draft a one-page glossary of investment policy terminology (authorized instruments, maturity limits, diversification, liquidity) in your own words

Compare the statutory or policy constraints that shape a public investment policy with the objectives a governing board typically sets

Assemble the standard sections of a public investment policy and explain the purpose of each section

Distinguish the roles of governing body, investment officer, and custodian in policy adoption, execution, and safekeeping

Apply prudent-person and permitted-investment concepts to three hypothetical portfolio scenarios and justify each choice

Identify the reporting, audit, and policy-review cycles that keep an investment program compliant

Explain how an investment policy translates into day-to-day cash and portfolio decisions, and where the two functions must coordinate

Describe the full cash handling lifecycle from receipt through deposit, disbursement, and reconciliation, naming the control at each handoff

Differentiate segregation-of-duties requirements for small versus large finance offices and propose workable compensating controls for a small office

Practice detecting cash-handling weaknesses by reviewing a written narrative of a department's collection process

Classify internal controls as preventive, detective, or corrective and give a public-sector example of each

Design a bank reconciliation procedure that separates preparation from approval and includes timely follow-up on exceptions

Explain physical and logical safeguards for cash, including dual custody, safe access logs, and restricted system permissions

Evaluate how an internal control framework addresses risk assessment, control activities, and monitoring

Identify the common fraud schemes that target public entities, including misappropriation of receipts, fictitious vendors, payroll manipulation, and expense reimbursement abuse

List the red flags for each scheme and explain which control would have detected it

Describe the elements of a fraud risk assessment and how management uses it to prioritize controls

Outline the response sequence when fraud is suspected: preservation of evidence, escalation, and referral to the appropriate authority

Explain the auditor's and management's distinct responsibilities for fraud prevention versus detection

Walk through the re-certification cycle: track continuing education hour requirements, reporting deadlines, and the consequences of lapse

Build a personal continuing-education log template that captures date, hours, topic, domain alignment, and documentation

Apply fraud-detection reasoning to a short case scenario and write the findings memo an examiner would expect

Identify which of your remaining weak domains the re-certification requirements emphasize and schedule study time accordingly

Describe customer service standards appropriate to a public finance office, including response times, transparency, and handling of taxpayer inquiries

Draft responses to three difficult customer scenarios (a disputed bill, a records request, an angry walk-in) that stay within policy

Revisit the program framework from week one and reconcile it with what you have learned about ethics, confidentiality, and public trust

Explain how customer service failures create fraud and control risk, such as pressure to bypass procedures or informal receipt handling

Review your annotated domain map and glossary, closing every gap you flagged in weeks one through seven

Complete a timed full-length practice set across all seven domains and score it by domain

Re-teach your two weakest domains aloud or in writing without notes, then correct what you missed

Confirm your exam logistics and re-certification paperwork are complete before test day