CFP syllabus, exam schedule, results and fees
The US CFP exam covers eight knowledge domains and runs in three annual testing windows. Use the calendar to choose a sitting, check its deadlines and plan for official results about four weeks after the window closes. The syllabus chart below shows the published topic weights, totaling 100%.
Exam schedule and deadlines*
2027 coverage: partial; dates through Jul 20, 2027
- Autumn 2027: Exact exam dates, registration opening, deadlines and fees are not listed in the checked official calendar.
- March and July 2027: Testing dates, registration openings and education deadlines are published. Final registration deadlines and sitting-specific fee schedules still need confirmation.
Oct 29, 2026 - Nov 5, 2026Official results: around Dec 3, 2026 (estimate)
- Registration opens
- Education verification deadline
- Final registration deadline
- Book, withdraw or postpone by
Education verification is due before final registration closes. Paying the fee does not secure a seat; book your available appointment separately with Prometric.
Mar 16, 2027 - Mar 23, 2027Official results: around Apr 20, 2027 (estimate)
- Registration opens
- Education verification deadline
- Final registration deadline
- Not listed in the checked calendar; confirm with CFP Board.
- Book, withdraw or postpone by
- Not listed in the checked calendar; confirm with CFP Board.
Education verification is due before final registration closes. Paying the fee does not secure a seat; book your available appointment separately with Prometric.
Jul 13, 2027 - Jul 20, 2027Official results: around Aug 17, 2027 (estimate)
- Registration opens
- Education verification deadline
- Final registration deadline
- Not listed in the checked calendar; confirm with CFP Board.
- Book, withdraw or postpone by
- Not listed in the checked calendar; confirm with CFP Board.
Education verification is due before final registration closes. Paying the fee does not secure a seat; book your available appointment separately with Prometric.
Exam registration fees*
Your exam fee depends on when you register. CFP Board offers early, standard and late registration rates, with the lowest fee available during early registration.
- Early registration
- US$825
- Standard registration
- US$925
- Late registration
- US$1,025
The official eight-domain syllabus
Bars share a 0-20% scale.*
What the weights mean for preparation
The domain percentages are a starting point for coverage. A small domain can still contain essential rules, and a household case may combine several domains. Do not convert 18% into a promise that an exam will contain an exact integer number of retirement questions.
Use the chart to check whether your study resources cover all eight domains, then use unfamiliar questions to identify the decisions you cannot yet perform. Allocate extra repair time to those gaps while retaining some mixed practice across the syllabus.
| Planning signal | Appropriate response |
|---|---|
| Large domain, weak performance | Protect recurring instruction and practice blocks. |
| Small domain, weak performance | Repair the specific rules; do not drop the domain. |
| Strong topic quizzes, weak cases | Practise using multiple domains in one fact pattern. |
| No evidence yet | Take a fresh diagnostic before assigning confidence. |
A domain is broader than one lesson
The public outline includes many specific topics under each heading. For example, general principles covers financial statements, time value of money and education funding, while retirement spans accumulation, distributions and business-related decisions. A short study note is an entry point into that scope, not proof of complete coverage.
When will you know your CFP exam result?
A preliminary result is available immediately after the exam. The official result arrives by email approximately four weeks after the entire testing window closes, even if you sit on its first day. An unsuccessful result includes feedback by knowledge domain.
The dates shown in the calendar are planning estimates calculated as the window closing date plus 28 days. They are not announced release dates or guaranteed delivery deadlines. Check the email address on your CFP Board account and your spam folder; contact CFP Board if your official result is missing after the expected period.
Publication dates and what is still unannounced
Registration opening dates tell you when you can apply for each sitting. They are separate from the exam window, education-verification deadline and result release. Use each window’s card for verified dates and the coverage notice for information still awaiting confirmation.
The estimated result dates follow the published four-week policy; they are not exact publication dates announced for individual windows. The current topic outline also does not give a publication date for a future syllabus revision. The source-check date on this page records our verification, not CFP Board’s publication date.
Booking, changes and other deadlines
Register and pay CFP Board, confirm education eligibility, then reserve your appointment with Prometric. The published policy requires fully registered candidates to secure a seat by the withdrawal/postponement deadline, which matches the final registration deadline. Seats are first come, first served; registering at least 60 days ahead gives you more choice.
For a later exam administration, contact CFP Board: postponement costs US$500 and is allowed once per registration into one of the next two administrations. Withdrawal by the deadline provides a US$200 refund. These are different from changing an appointment within the same testing window.
Bring matching, unexpired identification and an approved calculator. Report exam-day issues to CFP Board within 10 business days after the testing window closes.
| Same-window appointment change | Prometric change fee |
|---|---|
| 61 or more days before the appointment | No charge |
| 31-60 days before | US$35 |
| 5-30 days before | US$100 |
| Fewer than 5 days before | Changes not permitted |
Questions about this topic
Is “blueprint” CFP Board’s official page title?
CFP Board publishes Principal Knowledge Domains and Topics under “What You’ll Be Tested On.” This page maps that official content outline to study resources and adds the exam calendar requested by readers.
Do narrower techniques have their own published weights?
Not in the cited outline. A technique lesson inherits context from its parent domains; it should not claim the full domain percentage as its own allocation.
Are the result dates in this calendar confirmed publication dates?
No. They are estimates based on CFP Board’s policy of emailing official results approximately four weeks after the testing window closes. Preliminary results are available immediately after the exam.
Does paying the exam fee reserve my test appointment?
No. Register with CFP Board and confirm eligibility, then book a specific available Prometric appointment. Education verification and appointment booking have their own requirements.
Sources and editorial notes
Source check: . MiloPrep editorial team. Official rules and provider descriptions are distinguished from our original examples and study suggestions.
- CFP Board: principal knowledge topics
Eight domain weights and the scope of the topics. Domain weights are approximate; a narrower lesson has no separate published weight.
- CFP Board: dates, deadlines and fees
Published testing windows, registration openings, education-verification dates and dated exam fees. The calendar labels information not yet confirmed for each sitting.
- CFP Board: scoring and results
Pass/fail reporting, total-score assessment and diagnostic feedback for unsuccessful candidates. Does not validate a practice-score pass prediction.
- CFP Board: scheduling, postponement and cancellation
Appointment booking, withdrawal and postponement deadlines; same-window change fees; $500 postponement fee and $200 withdrawal refund under the stated conditions.
- CFP Board: exam eligibility
Coursework verification, the separate bachelor’s-degree deadline and available accelerated-pathway provisions.
- CFP Board: what to bring
Matching, unexpired government photo ID; approved financial calculators; restrictions on notes, electronics, food and water.
US CFP scope. Study examples are simplified and are not individualized financial, tax or legal advice. No independent CFP professional review is claimed. MiloPrep is not affiliated with or endorsed by CFP Board or the compared providers.
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Notes
- * Syllabus weights: Published domain weights, not trends or a personalized study-time recommendation. ↩ Return to content
- * Exam schedule and results: Registration opening dates and education deadlines are published; result dates are estimates based on CFP Board’s approximately four-week timeline. Last source check: Oct 10, 2026. Unannounced sittings have no inferred dates or result estimates. ↩ Return to content
- * Exam registration fees: Fees may change. Confirm the current amount and registration deadlines for your chosen exam window with CFP Board before paying. Pay CFP Board directly. Education, third-party review and later certification fees are separate. ↩ Return to content