CFP® Syllabus 2026: Modules, Subjects, Exam Pattern & Weightage

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) certification is the global benchmark in personal financial planning, awarded by the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) and administered in India by FPSB India. Its syllabus spans three Specialist modules and one integrated final module, covering investments, retirement, tax, insurance, estate planning and the planning process itself. This guide breaks down each module, its topic weightage and the exam pattern — so you know exactly what to study before you enrol.
The credential is growing fast: the global community reached 236,300 CFP® professionals across 29 territories at the end of 2025, and India — up 9.9% to 3,534 professionals — is one of its top three growth markets (FPSB). With over 32,500 candidates sitting CFP® exams worldwide in 2025, understanding the syllabus is the first step to joining them.

The curriculum has four exams. The first three are Specialist modules, each carrying its own FPSB certification; the fourth is the integrated final module.

FPSB India offers two entry routes, and they determine how many exams you sit:

• Regular Pathway (18+ and Class 12 pass): Candidate needs to take all four exams — the three Specialist modules, then the IFP.
• Fast Track Pathway (for CA, CFA-US, CPA, CMA, ACCA, CS, CAIIB, MBA/PGDM Finance and similar, with 3 years’ relevant experience): you are exempt from the three Specialist exams and sit only the IFP final exam.

Also read — Cost of Becoming a CFP in India — Full Fee Breakdown

Covers how to gather client data, analyse options and build investment strategies — from asset classes and valuation to behavioural finance and market regulation.

Focuses on building post-retirement wealth and tax-efficient strategies for clients across life stages.

Teaches how to protect a client’s finances through insurance and how to structure the transfer of wealth.

See how each module is taught, module-wise. Explore the CFP course.

Once you clear the three Specialist exams, the IFP module brings everything together. It has two components:

• CFP Final Exam — 50 MCQs over 3 hours (100 marks), testing integrated case analysis and the financial planning standards.
• Financial Plan Assessment — Candidate prepares a complete financial plan for a client case in Excel and PDF, and submit it to FPSB for evaluation. Both can be taken in any order within six months of paying the bundle fee.

The IFP tests every planning domain you’ve studied. Approximate weightage:

This is not a curriculum module — it’s a short, self-paced course FPSB added as a certification requirement, completed on the FPSB learning portal. Regular Pathway candidates complete it after clearing the three Specialist exams; Fast Track candidates after registering. It must be finished before you enrol for the IFP.

On the Regular Pathway, most candidates finish in 1 to 1.5 years while studying alongside work or college; Fast Track candidates typically finish in 4 to 6 months. FPSB allows a maximum of three years from enrolment.

The syllabus is broad, and the final stage is applied rather than theoretical — you build full-length financial plans, not just answer MCQs. IMS Proschool, the premium education provider of FPSB India, is built around that reality:

• •  240+ hours of coaching by practising CFPs, covering every domain even with zero finance background.
  • 2,000+ practice questions and monthly revision cycles aligned to each FPSB exam window.
  •  Weekday, weekend and recorded LMS batches, with an 80% student pass rate.

How many exams and subjects are in the CFP® syllabus?
There are four exams. The three Specialist modules — Investment Planning (IPS), Retirement & Tax Planning (RTPS) and Risk & Estate Planning (REPS) — are followed by the Integrated Financial Planning (IFP) final module. Fast Track candidates sit only the IFP exam.

What subjects does the CFP® syllabus cover?
Investments and asset management, personal financial management, retirement planning, tax planning, insurance and risk management, estate planning, and the financial planning process and standards — plus a short Psychology in Financial Planning course.

Does the CFP® syllabus involve maths?
There are calculations across investment, retirement and tax topics, but a financial calculator and on-screen spreadsheet are permitted in every exam, and there is no negative marking.

What is the Financial Plan Assessment?
It’s the applied half of the IFP module: you prepare a complete financial plan for a given client case — covering goals, cash flow, investments, insurance, retirement, tax and estate — in Excel and PDF, and submit it to FPSB for evaluation.

Can I complete the CFP® syllabus in one year?
Yes. Most Regular Pathway candidates finish in 1 to 1.5 years alongside a job or degree; Fast Track candidates often finish in 4 to 6 months. The outer limit is three years from enrolment.

Can I study the CFP® syllabus without coaching?
Self-study is allowed, but the breadth of the syllabus and the applied final stage make structured coaching valuable — for domain coverage, exam-aligned mocks and building full financial plans.