CFP vs ChFC
Which should you take first?
There is no required order: the CFP and ChFC come from different organizations, CFP Board and The American College, and neither requires the other. The CFP is one 170-question exam plus education and experience requirements; the ChFC is 8 courses, each with its own proctored final exam and no single cumulative exam.
Side by side
| Fact | CFP | ChFC |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 170 | Not published by The American College. Each required course has its own proctored final exam. |
| Duration | Two 3-hour sessions in one day | Not published by The American College; each course exam is proctored separately. |
| Passing score | Pass/fail only. CFP Board does not publish a fixed passing percentage; the cutoff is set through a criterion-referenced standard-setting process. | Not published by The American College. |
| Prerequisites and sponsorship | Bachelor's degree (any discipline) from an accredited institution — may be completed up to 5 years after passing the exam; completion of CFP Board-registered education coursework (or equivalent via transcript review or an accelerated path for certain existing credentials/degrees) covering the 8 Principal Knowledge Topic domains, including a capstone financial-plan-development course; and clearance under CFP Board's Fitness Standards (background/ethics review). Full certification (beyond sitting the exam) also requires a work-experience requirement of 6,000 hours under the Standard Pathway or 4,000 hours under the Apprenticeship Pathway. | High school diploma or equivalent to enroll (no bachelor's degree required). To be awarded and use the ChFC designation, candidates must complete all 8 required courses/exams, have three years of full-time business experience in a related field within the five years preceding the award, and agree to the College's Code of Ethics. |
| Who it's for | Aspiring and practicing financial planners and advisors, including career-changers and students, pursuing the CFP mark, a voluntary certification administered by CFP Board. | Financial services professionals (advisors, planners, insurance and retirement specialists) seeking a comprehensive, applied financial-planning credential covering insurance, tax, retirement, investment, and estate planning. Positioned by the College as a practical, real-world-scenario-focused alternative/complement to the CFP mark. |
Last verified 2026-10-28
How they differ
The CFP is a voluntary certification administered by CFP Board, completed with a single exam plus education and experience requirements. The ChFC is conferred by The American College of Financial Services through 8 required courses.
- Structure: one certification exam for the CFP versus a final exam in each of 8 ChFC courses.
- Degree: the CFP requires a bachelor's degree, which may be completed up to 5 years after passing the exam; the ChFC requires a high school diploma or equivalent to enroll.
- Experience: the CFP requires 6,000 hours (Standard Pathway) or 4,000 hours (Apprenticeship Pathway); the ChFC requires three years of full-time experience within the five years preceding the award.
- Passing score: CFP Board does not publish a fixed passing percentage; The American College does not publish one for ChFC course exams.
What each exam covers
CFP
- Professional Conduct and Regulation8%
- General Principles of Financial Planning15%
- Risk Management and Insurance Planning11%
- Investment Planning17%
- Tax Planning14%
- Retirement Savings and Income Planning18%
- Estate Planning10%
- Psychology of Financial Planning7%
ChFC
- HS 300 - Financial Planning: Process and Environment
- HS 311 - Fundamentals of Insurance Planning
- HS 321 - Fundamentals of Income Taxation
- HS 326 - Planning for Retirement Needs
- HS 328 - Investments
- HS 330 - Fundamentals of Estate Planning
- HS 333 - Personal Financial Planning: Comprehensive Case Analysis
- HS 347 - Contemporary Applications in Financial Planning
CFP exam detailsChFC exam details
Already working in the field?
Advisor Training is brought to you by Parsonex, a wealth-management firm. If you are an experienced professional, you can learn about working with us.
Learn about Parsonex