CFP Board Announces November 2024 CFP® Certification Exam Results, Sets New Annual Record

CFP Board today announced the results of the November 2024 CFP® Certification Exam. The exam was administered during a November 6-13 testing window to 3,755 candidates, with 6% of candidates testing remotely. This is the second-largest number of people to ever sit for a CFP® Certification Exam in November. The pass rate for the November exam was 62%.

In 2024, a total of 10,437 candidates took the exam, setting a new high for the annual number of CFP® exam-takers.

"Record-breaking CFP® exam participation highlights the growing demand for CFP® certification as the standard in financial planning," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "This milestone reflects wide recognition of the value of competent, ethical financial advice. We celebrate the commitment of all those who sat for the exam and welcome these future CFP® professionals into our dedicated community."

According to the November 2024 post-exam survey, the main reason exam-takers are pursuing CFP® certification is to demonstrate expertise in their job (38%), followed by to distinguish themselves as a fiduciary (34%). Of the exam-takers, 33% reported receiving some level of financial support from their employers during the CFP® certification process.

Registration for the CFP® exam showed that 69% of November candidates are under 40 years old, and 39% are under age 30. The 10 states with the most exam-takers were California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio and Colorado, with 1,957 candidates from these states sitting for the exam.

Statistics from previous exams - including those from the November 2024 exam - are available on CFP Board's exam statistics webpage.

March 2025 Exam

The CFP® exam is offered three times annually, in March, July and November. Registration for the March 2025 CFP® Certification Exam is now open. This exam will be administered from March 18-25, 2025. The registration deadline is March 4, 2025, and the Education Verification deadline is February 25, 2025. 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.