Holders of certain degrees and/or approved credentials are permitted to apply to write the CFP Examination without formally completing further education courses provided that they satisfy the following criteria:

1. The candidate must have one of the following degrees/credentials approved by Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC):

• Certified General Accountant (CGA)
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
• Chartered Accountant
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
• Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA)
• Lawyer
• PhD in finance, business or economics

2. Candidates must provide attestation from their governing professional body confirming their membership in good standing. Holders of a PhD must provide proof of successful completion of the specific PhD program.

3. On the CFP Examination application, candidates must attest they have completed three years of qualifying work experience [1] as of the date of the application. Please note that FPSC will only consider experience gained within the last 10 years. For purposes of this requirement, qualifying work experience is based on a 35-hour work-week and is defined as full-time (or equivalent part-time) personal financial planning related employment or self-employment for compensation. In the performance of their employment responsibilities, the candidate must apply the job-related knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgments as required for the CFP Examination. This experience may be gained in the performance of the following activities:

• Financial Planning
• Financial Management
• Asset Management (Investment Planning)
• Risk Management (Insurance Planning)
• Tax Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Estate Planning
• Teaching at a post-secondary level
• Portfolio Management

The above list is not all-inclusive and all work experience submissions are subject to approval. FPSC will consider other relevant experience upon request. Work experience gained outside of Canada will be accepted if it can be verified that it is equivalent to comparable experience within Canada. FPSC reserves the right to require that a minimum period of work experience is gained within Canada.

To verify experience, the candidate must provide a letter signed by his or her current supervisor or manager providing details of the candidate’s current position, nature of activities, work start date and the signatory’s contact information. The candidate also must submit the Work Experience Template and an up-to-date résumé detailing previous work experience. Candidates must include specific start and completion dates. Dated work experience will only be considered if the role and responsibilities are consistent with those of a comparable position in today’s environment. The information supplied may be subject to verification by FPSC.

4. Candidates qualifying under the Approved Prior Credentials policy are limited to a maximum of two Examination attempts. After two attempts, candidates must enroll in and complete an FPSC Accredited Education Program in order to re-qualify to write the CFP Examination.