CFP vs ChFC

Last verified October 28, 2026

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.

Source: CFP, CFP Board exam details

Source: ChFC, The American College exam details

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.