CFP Module 2 exam-day guide
CFP Module 2 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original physical ID in the name used on your registration. Confirm with the provider which forms of ID are accepted and whether a secondary ID is required; do not rely on a photocopy or a digital image.
Admission or confirmation document
Print or save the appointment confirmation showing your test date, time, and location or remote-proctoring link. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or whether an electronic version is acceptable.
Know your test-day logistics
Confirm the exact start time, arrival or check-in window, and address or platform in advance. For in-person testing, plan to arrive ahead of the check-in deadline; confirm with the provider how late arrivals are handled.
Approved calculator
Confirm with the provider which calculator models are permitted and whether an on-screen calculator is supplied. If a physical calculator is allowed, bring a model you have practiced with and check battery condition.
Permitted writing materials
Confirm with the provider whether scratch paper, a pen or pencil, or an erasable board is provided or must be brought. Some testing centers supply these and prohibit outside materials.
Remote-testing environment and equipment
If testing remotely, confirm system requirements, camera and microphone needs, and the room and desk rules with the provider. Test your equipment and internet connection at least a day ahead.
Personal items plan
Confirm with the provider what must be stored or left outside the testing room, such as phones, watches, bags, and notes. Plan where these will go so you are not rushed at check-in.
Know the break policy
Confirm with the provider whether breaks are scheduled, optional, or prohibited, and whether the clock stops during breaks. Plan hydration and restroom use around that policy.
Review the scoring and format
Confirm with the provider the number of questions, time limit, question format, and how the exam is scored, including whether there is a penalty for guessing. Use this to set your pacing plan.
Pacing plan
Write down your target average time per question and the checkpoint times at which you should be roughly halfway and three-quarters through. Rehearse this on a full-length practice set.
Rest and nutrition plan
Arrange a normal night's sleep and a light meal before the exam. Avoid trying new caffeine levels or foods on exam day.
Backup plan for disruptions
Note the provider's contact channel for technical problems or emergencies and confirm their policy on rescheduling or reporting issues. Phrase any assumption about make-up options as something to confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Review your own summary sheets, formula list, and error log from practice questions. Do one timed mixed-topic set to check pacing, then review only the questions you missed and note the reasoning error rather than the answer.
Confirm logistics: reread the confirmation for time, location or platform, and ID requirements. Check with the provider on any rule you are unsure about, such as calculator model, scratch paper, or break policy, rather than guessing on exam day.
Protect sleep. Shift your schedule so you are awake and alert at the exam start time, and avoid late-night cramming in the last two nights.
Do a light review only: key formulas, planning-process steps, and the topics you repeatedly miss. No new practice exams and no new topics.
Prepare and pack everything on the checklist: ID, confirmation, approved calculator, and any permitted materials. For remote testing, run a full equipment and connection check and clear your desk.
Set two alarms, confirm travel time or log-in time, and plan meals. Decide in advance what you will do with your phone and other prohibited items.
Eat a normal light meal, hydrate moderately, and avoid heavy caffeine if you are not used to it. Arrive or log in early per the provider's check-in window.
Do not review dense new content. Skim only your one-page formula and process sheet, then put it away. Remind yourself of your pacing checkpoints.
Read the call of the question first, then scan the facts for what is relevant. Watch for words like except, not, and most likely, and for questions asking for the next or best step in a planning process.
Apply your pacing checkpoints. If a question stalls you, mark it, make a reasonable choice if the format allows, and move on; return only if time permits. Confirm with the provider whether answers can be changed and whether unanswered questions are scored as wrong.
Follow the break policy exactly, keep track of time if the clock runs during breaks, and use scheduled breaks to reset rather than to review material.
Note which topics felt weak while memory is fresh, and confirm with the provider how and when results are released and what the retake policy is.
Rules to check
Bring original government-issued photo ID in the name on your registration. Confirm with the provider which ID forms are accepted and whether a second form is required; without acceptable ID you may be refused admission.
Follow all check-in and security procedures, including any bag, phone, watch, or electronic-device restrictions. Confirm with the provider what is prohibited and where items must be stored.
Use only permitted calculators and materials. Confirm with the provider the approved calculator models and whether scratch paper or writing tools are supplied or must be brought.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam or attempt to access notes, devices, or outside assistance. Remote sessions may be recorded or proctored; confirm with the provider how monitoring works.
Follow the provider's break rules. Confirm whether breaks are scheduled or optional, whether the clock stops, and what you may access during a break before you leave the testing room.
Understand the scoring: confirm with the provider the number of scored questions, the time limit, the passing standard, and whether wrong or unanswered questions are penalized, so you can decide when to guess and when to move on.
If a technical problem, illness, or emergency occurs, stop and contact the proctor or provider through their stated channel immediately. Confirm with the provider how incidents are documented and what rescheduling options exist.
Do not assume you may leave early, change answers after a section closes, or bring food and drink into the testing room. Confirm each of these with the provider in advance rather than on exam day.