CFP® CE Requirements and FAQs
The hours your CFP® certification needs, how our final exams work and how we report your credits. CFP Board is the ultimate authority on your certification.
What are the CFP® CE requirements?
CFP® professional
30hours of CE
every two years
2of those hours
must be ethics
CFP Board requires 30 hours of CE every two-year reporting period, 2 of them from a CFP Board pre-approved ethics program (an ethics course that is not pre-approved counts only as general CE) and the other 28 in any Principal Knowledge Topic. We report your credits to CFP Board for you.
- Your term ends on the last day of your certification renewal month.
- Hours above 30 do not carry over to your next reporting period, and one program's hours cannot be split across two periods.
Your final exam
Do I need a proctor during my exam?
No. Self-study final exams for CFP® CE do not require a monitor.
What are the requirements for my course's final exam?
Self-study final exams are open book. CFP® professionals may refer to the course material as often as needed. Most of our courses allow you to download the class materials as a PDF. Please check the details page of your desired course to see if such material is available.
The final exam must be passed with a score of 70 percent or higher to receive credit. Students have unlimited attempts to pass the exam.
Are there time limits on my course or exam?
No. You may spend as much time with the course material as you feel necessary, and you may come and go from that material as often as you like. There is no time limit on our exams, however all exams must be completed within one sitting. Once started, if an exam is abandoned for any reason you will need to begin that exam from the beginning when you next return.
Do take special note that every course has an expiration date, which is based on both the state approval and your website purchase date. In order to receive credit you must complete the course before that expiration date.
Credits and fees
How long will it take to have my credits processed?
Most students will have their credits processed the same day on which they complete their final exam. If a course is completed outside of our normal business hours, these credits will be processed on the morning of the next business day. Once your credits have been successfully filed, you will receive a notification email that also contains your Certificate of Completion.
Are there roster fees for CFP® CE?
A roster fee of $1.25 per credit is required to report CFP® CE credit. This fee will be added to your order total during checkout and is then sent by us to CFP Board upon completion.
May I re-take a course for credit that I have already completed successfully?
Only once per compliance period. CFP® Certification CE credits a course once per 2-year compliance period, so you may take the same course again for credit after your license has renewed.
Are you an approved CFP® CE sponsor?
Yes. Our CFP Board sponsor number is 4717.
Disclaimer: InsuranceStudy provides this information as a courtesy to individuals who are subject to continuing education (CE) as CFP® professionals. Although reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate and current, neither InsuranceStudy nor its employees warrant or represent that this information is accurate and current. All information is subject to change without notice. We encourage you to contact the relevant licensing body and/or your carrier to find the most up-to-date and personally relevant requirements.