The Best 9 CFP® Exam Prep Courses and Materials

Taking the CFP® exam is a necessary step if you’d like to become a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®). Utilizing CFP® exam prep materials and resources can help you better understand the scope of what’s covered and what to expect on test day. Exam prep options include self-guided courses and classes taught live, in-person or virtually.

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What Does the CFP® Exam Cover?

The CFP® exam, administered by the CFP Board three times per year, is required to become a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®). The exam consists of 170 multiple-choice questions designed to test your knowledge of financial planning. Questions span eight key areas:

Professional conduct and regulation
General principles of financial planning
Risk management and insurance planning
Investment planning
Tax planning
Retirement savings and income planning
Estate planning
Psychology of financial planning

Taking the exam is a prerequisite to earning a CFP® designation and working as a Certified Financial Planner™. The exam is pass/fail and each question is worth one point. According to the CFP Board’s 2025 November exam statistics, the overall pass rate is 64%.

Taking advantage of CFP® exam prep courses could help you improve your odds of passing on the first try. Here are eight possibilities you may consider as you prepare for the exam.

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1. Pro Exam Tutors

Cost: $297 for the two-day course; $100 to $125 per hour for tutoring services

Pro Exam Tutors offers two options for CFP® exam prep: a two-day interactive course and private tutoring. CFP candidates who enroll in the two-day course get access to:

Over six hours of instruction from a CFP Board-certified professional
A recording of the live review
A copy of the slide deck covering course materials
Answers to their most important CFP® exam questions

Compared to other CFP® exam prep options, this course is much less intensive. However, if you’ve already studied for the exam independently, you may find it useful for reviewing key concepts.

If you’re interested in tutoring services, you can choose from one-on-one or group sessions. Tutoring sessions are offered via Zoom and offer an opportunity to explore individual knowledge areas in-depth. No contract is required and you can decide how many tutoring hours you’d like to sign up for.

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2. Boston Institute of Finance

Cost: $2,995 to $4,990

The Boston Institute of Finance (BIF) offers a premium study experience for CFP candidates, with both instructor-led and self-paced exam prep options. Its long-standing presence in the field gives candidates confidence that BIF’s course materials and teaching methods are both tested and effective.

Students at BIF can choose from self-paced online courses, live online classes or a blended approach. This flexibility allows students to tailor their study plan to their schedule and preferred learning style.

Many students appreciate the balance of guided instruction with the freedom to revisit materials at their own pace.

3. Florida Atlantic University

Cost: $850; free for students who complete the CFP Board’s required courses at FAU

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) offers a CFP® exam prep program that blends academic rigor with practical training. The course is taught over six Saturday sessions and can be attended on campus or online. Coursework spans a total of 36 classroom hours and includes:

Lectures
Executive summaries
Online quizzes
Practice exams

As part of a well-established university, the course benefits from a structured curriculum designed to cover all areas of the CFP Board exam. Students gain a strong foundation in topics ranging from retirement planning to estate strategies, with content carefully aligned to the exam’s learning objectives.

4. Zahn Associates

Cost: $1,195 for live review classes

Zahn Associates is a leading partner for CFP® exam education and test prep, including on-demand classes and live reviews. The company’s exam prep strategy is broken into three components:

A recommended prestudy period consisting of 100 to 120 hours spent covering CFP® exam knowledge areas. Students have access to two Zahn workbooks that include quizzes, cases and mock exams.
A live review class lasting four days and consisting of 34 hours of classroom instruction. Reviews are held in-person twice annually at locations around the country.
A post-study period following the live review in which you spend another 60 to 80 hours reviewing everything you’ve learned in advance of sitting for the CFP® exam.

If you need more help, Zahn also offers one-on-one private tutoring for an additional fee. Pricing and availability are dependent on the instructor’s schedule and your time zone.

5. JR Financial Group

SmartAsset: The best 5 CFP exam prep courses

Cost: $1,395

JR Financial Group offers a comprehensive four-day live review covering all topics included on the CFP® exam.

Unlike larger programs that cater to hundreds of students at once, JR Financial Group maintains small class sizes and tailors study strategies to each candidate’s unique strengths and weaknesses. This individualized support helps students stay motivated and accountable throughout their preparation.

The program integrates practical applications into its teaching, ensuring that students not only memorize formulas and rules but also understand how to apply them in real-world client scenarios.

This emphasis on connecting theory to practice not only prepares candidates for the exam but also equips them for the challenges of a career in financial planning.

Review classes are offered multiple times throughout the year to allow CFP candidates sufficient time to attend before their scheduled exam date. Courses can be taken in-person at selected locations, or virtually.

6. College of Financial Planning (Kaplan)

Cost: $599 to $1,399

The College for Financial Planning is a Kaplan company well-known in the test prep space, with more than 74,000 finance professionals having successfully completed this CFP® exam prep course. There are two study packages to choose from:

The top-tier Premium package offers onsite, on-demand and live CFP® exam prep courses, all of which are led by expert faculty from the College for Financial Planning. Other benefits include mock exams, a review question bank, a video library and study checklists.
The Essential package is a budget-friendly study option that includes CFP certification textbooks, financial calculator videos, a digital workbook, a review question bank and study checklists. If you’d like a mock exam, you’ll need to pay a separate fee.

Both programs are designed to help you complete your exam preparation in 10 weeks. The Premium review package includes Kaplan’s Pass Protection guarantee. Eligible students who take the CFP® exam but don’t achieve a passing grade can request a full refund or complete another premium review for free.

7. Brett Danko Comprehensive Review

Cost: $1,270 to $2,970

The Brett Danko Education Center program offers a live review, meaning it assumes that you’ve already done some self-study on your own. Review sessions last four days and the fee includes all course materials, including pre-study materials, case studies and a study plan.

Three course packages are available: Comprehensive, Signature and Plus.

The Comprehensive package includes access to over 3,500 sample questions, quizzes, mock exams and case studies. The live review session equates to 35 classroom hours and you can complete your studies in-person or virtually.
The Signature package includes all the features of the Comprehensive plan, along with six additional quizzes and six additional case studies, plus access to Signature Calls with 16 hours of online group sessions.
The Plus option comes with all Signature benefits and includes 12 additional quizzes, nine additional case studies and an average of 20 to 25 hours of recordings of pre-study class materials presented by instructors.

Lunch is provided for the first three days of in-person classes, regardless of which package you choose. As with the other CFP® exam prep courses listed here, students are expected to complete a pre-study and post-study period prior to taking the exam.

8. Dalton Education

Cost: $1,595 to $2,395

Dalton Education offers an in-depth study program that spans three phases:

Pre-study, providing foundational knowledge with over 100 to 125 hours of study time using six educational booklets, recorded online lectures and a question bank with more than 2,800 practice questions.
Live review, with 36 hours of live instruction offered virtually or in person
Post-study, lasting 40 to 60 hours and including access to office hours with an instructor, the practice question bank and mock exams that mimic the CFP® exam.

Despite its 99% pass rate, Dalton offers a Guarantee to Pass bundle, which guarantees you will get a 100% refund if you complete the entire course but do not pass the exam. It’s exceptionally comprehensive and comes with numerous resources to help you study for the CFP® exam as effectively as possible.

Tips for Studying for the CFP® Exam

The CFP Board offers some tips and strategies to help you prepare for the CFP® exam, including these best ways to prepare:

Develop a study plan leading up to the exam that allows you to cover all areas of the test in the timeframe you have allowed yourself.
Make time to study consistently on a weekly basis and include exam prep as part of your regular routine.
Ask for support as needed to maintain your study routine and ensure you are thoroughly prepared for the exam.
Take advantage of CFP® exam prep materials, including courses, workbooks, practice tests and flashcards.
Practice good self-care to maintain your physical, mental and emotional health during the study period.

Forming a study group or finding a study buddy may also be helpful if you have a similar study style. You can divide up study tasks or quiz one another to test your knowledge.

If you would rather study alone, consider asking someone to be an accountability partner to help track your progress.

Bottom Line

Preparing for the CFP® exam can be a time-consuming process, but it is a necessary step if you want to pursue a job in the financial planning industry. Comparing the best CFP® exam prep courses and study materials can help you put together a plan so that you can approach the test with confidence. This can make all the difference in not only passing the exam but also ensuring you become the best financial advisor possible for your future clients.

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