The Financial Planning Profession’s Momentum Continues with Another Record CFP® Exam
CFP Board Announces July 2026 CFP® Exam Results
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CFP Board today announced the results of the July 2026 CFP® Certification Exam, administered during a July 14-21 testing window. This was the largest July exam in history, with 3,621 candidates sitting for the exam. The pass rate for the July 2026 exam was 66%.
“Record exam participation is worth celebrating, but the story is bigger than growth alone,” said CFP Board CEO K. Dane Snowden. “Together with firms, academic institutions and others across the profession, we are building a stronger workforce and helping more Americans access trusted, holistic financial planning.”
Growing Diversity and Age Trends Continue
The exam also achieved new July exam records for women candidates (1,011) and for racially and ethnically diverse candidates (834), making July 2026 the third most diverse exam of all time. Of the candidates registered for the CFP® exam, 75% were under 40 years old, and 44% were under age 30. Similar trends for younger candidates were seen in the March 2026 Exam.
According to the July 2026 post-exam survey, the main reason exam candidates seek CFP® certification is to demonstrate their expertise (39%), followed by distinguishing themselves as a fiduciary (33%). The majority (64%) of July exam-takers say they received some level of financial support from their employers on their path to CFP® certification.
The 10 states with the most CFP® exam candidates were California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Exam candidates from those states made up 54% (1,959 individuals) of the total July 2026 candidate cohort.
Statistics from previous exams, including those from the July 2026 exam, are available on CFP Board’s exam statistics webpage.
October 2026 Exam
The CFP® exam is offered three times annually, in March, July and October/November. Registration for the October 2026 CFP® Certification Exam is now open. This exam will be administered from October 29 – November 5, 2026. The registration deadline is October 13, and the Education Verification Deadline is October 6. 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 more than 109,000 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.
CONTACT: Jane Riley Jacobsen, Director of Public Relations, O: 202-379-2305
M: 703-801-5376, Email: media@cfpboard.org
