Total Number of Active CFP® Professionals Projected to Surpass 100,000 Certificants in U.S.
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CFP Board today announced the results of the March 2024 CFP® Certification Exam. The exam was administered during a March 12-19 testing window to 3,683 candidates. This is the largest number of people to ever sit for a CFP® Certification Exam in March, breaking last March’s record of 3,527 exam-takers. The pass rate for the March 2024 exam was 68%.
“This unprecedented turnout for the March 2024 CFP® exam reflects the recognition of CFP® certification as the standard for competent, ethical financial planning,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “As more Americans seek trusted and qualified advisors, the value of CFP® certification becomes increasingly evident. We congratulate all those who sat for the exam, and we look forward to welcoming the new CFP® certificants to our community of dedicated financial professionals.”
Based on the March CFP® exam results, CFP Board projects that the total number of active CFP® professionals will soon surpass 100,000 certificants in the U.S., representing about one-third of retail financial advisors.
According to the March 2024 post-exam survey, the main reason exam-takers are pursuing CFP® certification is to demonstrate expertise in their job (87%), followed by to distinguish themselves as a fiduciary (73%). Of the exam-takers, 59% reported receiving some level of financial support from their employers during the CFP® certification process.
Registration for the CFP® exam showed that 68% of March candidates are under 40 years old and 37% are under age 30. The 10 states with the most exam-takers were California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado and Massachusetts, with 1,895 candidates from these states sitting for the exam.
Statistics from previous exams — including those from the March 2024 exam — are available on CFP Board’s exam statistics webpage.
July 2024 Exam
The CFP® exam is offered three times annually, in March, July and November. Registration for the July 2024 CFP® Certification Exam is now open. This exam will be administered from July 9-16, 2024. The registration deadline is June 25, and the Education Verification deadline is June 18. Testing appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. We therefore encourage individuals to register for the exam at least 60 days in advance for the best date and site availability.
To begin the path to certification, CFP® certification candidates should create accounts on CFP.net. Here, they can access resources for all stages of their certification journey.
ABOUT CFP BOARD
CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP® certification is held by nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.
SOURCE CFP Board
