CFP Professional Competency Examination study guide
CFP Professional Competency Examination · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER credential is described by the Financial Planning Standards Board as the most desired and respected global certification for those seeking to demonstrate a commitment to competent and ethical financial planning practice. It is aimed at financial planners and advisers who want to signal to clients and potential clients that they have met rigorous competency, ethics and professional practice standards for comprehensive financial planning. Certification is not a one-off event: CFP professionals must meet initial and ongoing education, experience and professional development requirements, pass a rigorous exam that assesses competency, and adhere to a code of ethics, pledging to provide financial planning in the interests of clients. FPSB and its network of organizations administer, or are preparing to administer, the program in 29 countries and territories, and there were over 236,000 CFP professionals worldwide at the end of 2025. The CFP Professional Competency Examination study guide has 4 sections and about 1,715 words.
01Financial planning practice and ethics
Domain 1 - Financial planning practice and ethics - tests whether you can run an engagement correctly and diagnose ethical failure inside an ordinary fact pattern. Items rarely ask you to recite a principle; they describe a client situation and expect you to name the missing process step or the duty that was breached.
432 words, about 2 min02Financial planning competency and professional standards
Domain 2 - Financial planning competency and professional standards - tests what competence requires, how it is maintained, and where its boundary lies. Most items involve a planner asked to advise outside their expertise.
436 words, about 2 min03Client interests and best interest advice
Domain 3 - Client interests and best interest advice - tests whether you can place the client's interest ahead of your own and prove it. Fact patterns usually conceal a compensation conflict.
415 words, about 2 min04Compliance with laws and regulations
Domain 4 - Compliance with laws and regulations - tests whether you know which rules attach to which activity, and what to do when a client request collides with them. Advising on securities, selling insurance, arranging mortgages and managing money on a discretionary basis are licensed activities with different registration, capital and conduct requirements.
432 words, about 2 min