Exam

Congratulations! You have successfully passed the Certified Financial Planner^® exam.

You are now in the final stages of earning CFP certification, the only globally recognized mark of professional financial planning. This result alone does not entitle you to use the CFP marks; only those who have completed all of the requirements for CFP certification and received confirmation from FP Canada are eligible to use the marks.

Your Next Steps to CFP Certification

One requirement for CFP certification is providing confirmation to FP Canada™ of having completed, at minimum, a postsecondary degree. If you have not already submitted this information, go to the “Education” panel in your FP Canada account to complete this step. If you hold a degree from outside of Canada, submit your request through an approved education verification service.

FP Canada will confirm your status in your account once we have received the documentation supplied by your academic institution and verified your degree.

You will also need to complete any outstanding qualifying financial planning work experience (for a total of three years). Work experience is a cornerstone of FP Canada certification, providing the opportunity to develop and hone your skills and demonstrate your ability to serve clients in real-world settings. For more information, including which documentation is required, visit our work experience web page.

If you have already had your postsecondary education verified by FP Canada and submitted your work experience for verification, apply for CFP certification through the “Certification” panel on your dashboard.

If you have yet to meet the work experience requirement for CFP certification, you should maintain your Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ certification by continuing to renew it annually.

National Results and Ethics Cautionary Note

Refer to the following page for the national results of the CFP exam. We have also provided an ethics cautionary note for all candidates based on some candidate answers to constructed response questions on the exam and candidate behaviour at a test centre.

Congratulations once again on your accomplishment.

NATIONAL EXAM RESULTS AND ETHICS CAUTIONARY NOTE

National Results

Ethics Cautionary Note

When exams from the October 2025 CFP exam administration were scored, several professional conduct/ethical issues were flagged in a significant number of candidate responses. In addition, inappropriate candidate behaviour at an in-person test centre raised concern. We are addressing the identified issues here as guidance for all candidates. These issues, if they had occurred with an actual client, would likely have constituted breaches of the FP Canada Standards Council™ Standards of Professional Responsibility, which is set and enforced by the FP Canada Standards Council. And, as this guidance is applicable for both QAFP^® professionals and CFP professionals, references below to CFP professionals should be interpreted as referring to both groups.

1. Duty of Loyalty (Principle 1), act in the client’s best interest (Rule 24), and gather the client’s information and identify and evaluate the appropriate financial planning strategies (Practice Standards 4 and 6)

CFP professionals shall implement only those strategies that are both prudent and appropriate for the client, and those which they reasonably believe will not materially or negatively impact the client's best interest. It is expected that CFP professionals will conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the duty of loyalty to the client, placing the client’s interest first and acting with the care, skill and diligence of a prudent financial professional. To ensure rules are followed in accordance with best practice, the FP Canada Standards Council Financial Planning Practice Standards outline the process that must be followed in any client engagement where financial planning services are being offered.

Practice Standard 4 requires that CFP professionals gather sufficient qualitative and quantitative information relevant to the engagement, and identify and resolve any gaps in information required before assessing the client’s current situation and making recommendations. Practice Standard 6 stipulates that CFP professionals identify and assess possible financial planning strategies to help achieve the client's goals, needs, and priorities. CFP professionals should also develop options and potential solutions to achieving the client's goals, needs and priorities, while recognizing personal biases and focusing on the client's best interest. For example, assuming a client has a higher or lower risk appetite based solely on their age, without conducting a thorough risk tolerance assessment, could constitute personal bias.

2. Integrity (Principle 2), Fairness (Principle 5), Professionalism (Principle 8) and maintaining integrity and professional conduct (Rule 2)

CFP professionals must treat colleagues, clients, employees, and all others fairly, respectfully and in a manner that garners trust. This includes all spoken, written, and digital communication (including social media and networking sites). All communications, in any format, should adhere to the provisions and spirit of the Code of Ethics, Rules of Conduct and Practice Standards. CFP professionals are expected to uphold the spirit of the Principles of the Code of Ethics throughout all interactions, adhere to moral rules and duties imposed by honesty and justice, and act in a manner that reflects positively upon the profession. Professionalism refers to conduct that not only inspires confidence and respect from clients, but the community. Conduct that is likely to impair trust or reflect negatively on the integrity of the profession may result in disciplinary action. Such conduct may include failing to treat colleagues, employees, and members of the public fairly, and with professionalism and integrity.

3. Professionalism (Principle 8) and providing professional services in accordance with laws, regulations, rules or policies (Rule 25)

Financial planning professionals should always encourage and support compliance with the law. Recommendations should never seek to evade reporting requirements or legal obligations. In providing financial planning services, CFP professionals have an obligation to uphold industry standards and ensure their conduct aligns with professional, legal, and regulatory requirements. CFP professionals may not intentionally or recklessly assist in another person's violation of standards, laws, regulations or rules established by government agencies or other relevant authorities. Regulatory standards protect clients, promote fair and transparent practices, and assist in maintaining public trust. CFP professionals are expected to act in a manner that reflects positively upon the profession and uphold the highest standards of practice, conduct, and competence.

4. Prudent and appropriate recommendations (Rule 23)

CFP professionals must only make recommendations that are prudent and appropriate for the client (Rule 23 of the FP Canada Standards Council Rules of Conduct). As an example, when recommending any change to an investment strategy, the CFP professional must consider all the client’s suitability factors; in joint engagements, the obligation is to assess suitability separately for each party, not solely at the direction of one. Prudent strategies and recommendations will take into consideration, among other factors, the client’s current situation, goals, needs, priorities, risk tolerances and time horizons for each account.

It is inappropriate to:

• Suggest, encourage, or insist that a client amend their risk tolerance to allow the client to adopt a riskier asset allocation to better their chance of achieving a desired goal or level of investment income without full and thorough assessment.
• Recommend clients purchase insurance products and incur costs without an established insurance need or objective or where the recommendation does not align with the client’s best interest. For example, recommending a client purchase permanent life insurance for a temporary need with premiums that exceed the client’s cash flow capacity.

To ensure that the integrity of FP Canada’s certifications is upheld, CFP professionals must be knowledgeable about, and adherent to, the principles, practice standards, and applicable rules. Please refer to the Standards of Professional Responsibility for more detail.

Congratulations! You have passed the Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ exam. This achievement brings you closer to earning QAFP certification.

Your Next Steps Toward QAFP Certification

Your next requirement for QAFP certification is to submit confirmation of having completed, at minimum, a two-year college diploma program. If you have not already submitted this information, go to the “Education” panel in your FP Canada™ account to complete this step. If you hold a diploma/degree from outside of Canada, submit your request through an approved education verification service.

FP Canada will update your account once we have received the documentation supplied by your academic institution and verified your diploma or degree. 

You will also need to complete any outstanding qualifying financial planning work experience (for a total of one year). Work experience is a cornerstone of FP Canada certification, providing you with the opportunity to develop and hone your skills and demonstrate your ability to serve clients in real-world settings. For more information, including which documentation is required prior to applying, visit our work experience web page. 

If you have already had your postsecondary education verified by FP Canada (or received an exemption from this requirement from FP Canada) and have submitted your work experience for verification, apply for QAFP certification now through the “Certification” panel in your dashboard. Please note that you are only permitted to use the QAFP certification marks after your application has been approved.  

If you are considering pursuing the Certified Financial Planner^® certification, visit our website to learn more about the paths to CFP^® certification.

National Results and Ethics Cautionary Note

Please refer to the information below for the national results of the QAFP exam. We have also provided an ethics cautionary note for all candidates based on some candidate answers to questions on the exam.

Once again, congratulations on your accomplishment.

NATIONAL EXAM RESULTS AND ETHICS CAUTIONARY NOTE

National Results

Ethics Cautionary Note

When exams from the October 2025 QAFP exam were scored, ethical issues were identified when a number of candidates chose the response option that could have resulted in an ethical breach had the situation described in the question occurred in a client engagement. We are addressing the identified issues here as guidance for all candidates. These issues, were they to occur with an actual client, could be found to constitute breaches of the Rules of Conduct that are detailed in the FP Canada Standards Council™ Standards of Professional Responsibility, set and enforced by the FP Canada Standards Council™. As this guidance is applicable for both QAFP professionals and CFP professionals, references below to QAFP professionals should be interpreted as referring to both groups. 

1. Disclosing conflicts of interest (Rule 8a) and Principle 1 – Duty of Loyalty to the Client and Principle 5 - Fairness  

QAFP professionals shall disclose to their client(s), in writing, a general summary of potential conflicts of interest between the client and the QAFP professional, between the QAFP professional’s clients in the case of a joint engagement, the QAFP professional’s employer, or any affiliates or third parties, including, but not limited to, information about any familial, contractual or agency relationship of the QAFP professional or the QAFP professional’s employer that has a potential to materially affect the relationship with the client.

2. Exercising reasonable and prudent professional judgment always (Rule 22)  

QAFP professionals shall always exercise reasonable and professional judgment which requires appropriate consideration of the client’s full financial picture and personal circumstances (the client’s goals, needs and priorities) and the interdependencies and interrelationships among them. Financial planning varies in scope and complexity, ranging from advice that is relatively straightforward and narrow to more complex engagements. 

3. Providing prudent and appropriate financial planning recommendations (Rule 23)

QAFP professionals shall make only those recommendations that are both prudent and appropriate for the client. Prudent strategies and recommendations will take into consideration, among other factors, the client’s current situation, goals, needs, priorities, risk tolerances and time horizons. QAFP professionals should also take into consideration the client’s values, attitudes and beliefs when determining whether a strategy is prudent and appropriate.

4. Providing professional services in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, rules or established policies (Rule 25) and Principle 2 – Integrity and Principle 8 - Professionalism 

QAFP professionals may not do indirectly, or through or by another person or entity, any act or thing that QAFP professionals are prohibited from doing directly. QAFP professionals shall behave and conduct their business in accordance with the established laws, regulations, rules and policies pertaining to financial planning.

To ensure that the integrity of FP Canada’s certifications is upheld, QAFP professionals must be knowledgeable about, and adherent to, the principles, and applicable rules. Please refer to the Standards of Professional Responsibility for more detail.

Overall Result

Your overall score on the is provided on the chart below. The raw pass mark required to pass the examination is scaled to the passing standard of 500; therefore, a score of 500 or better represents a pass. The marking methodology applied is explained in the applicable Guide to the QAFP Examination or Guide to CFP Examination.

Your Relative Performance by Competency Profile Area

The Competency Profile in effect at the time of your exam guides the development of FP Canada’s certification exams. Accordingly, your diagnostic results below reflect your relative performance within the categories of the Competency Profile. Your relative performance is detailed below for each of the three financial planning functions, Fundamental Financial Planning Practices and the six financial planning areas of the Competency Profile.

For ease of understanding, your performance in each category is represented in comparison with the average score of all successful candidates on the examination. For each category, a scaled score of 20 represents the average score for all successful examination candidates (four points is the standard deviation). That is, if you performed at an average level of successful candidates in any given category, you would receive a score of 20 for that category. Accordingly, a score less than 20 is below the average of successful candidates and a score greater than 20 is above the average of successful candidates.

This analysis of your results is provided to assist you in preparing for future attempts of the examination. Areas where your results show lower relative performance may represent areas for further study. For a complete understanding of the relative weightings of the Competency Profile on the exam please refer to the respective examination blueprint at our website.

National Results

If you have any questions, please contact our Certificant and Student Services Team at info@fpcanada.ca, 416.593.8587 or 1.800.305.9886. They are here from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

This letter is to advise you of the results of your recent Certified Financial Planner^® exam attempt. We regret to inform you that you were not successful in your attempt at the exam.

Overall Result

Your overall score on the CFP exam is provided in the chart below. The mark required to pass the exam is scaled to the published passing standard of 500; therefore, a score of 500 or better represents a pass. The marking methodology applied is explained in the Guide to the CFP Examination.

Your Relative Performance by FP Canada Standards Council Competency Profile Component

The FP Canada Standards Council Competency Profile for CFP Certification guides the development of the CFP exam and is the criteria for the exam. Each exam score point mark is linked to at least one competency statement, and the CFP exam is developed to adhere to the Competency Profile. Your diagnostic results below reflect your relative performance within the areas of the Competency Profile. Your relative performance is detailed below for each of the three financial planning functions, fundamental financial planning practices, and the six financial planning areas of the Competency Profile.

For ease of understanding, your performance in each area is represented in comparison to the average score of all successful candidates who took the exam. For each area, a scaled score of 20 represents the average score of all successful exam candidates (four points is the standard deviation). That is, if you performed at the average level of successful candidates in any given area, you would receive a score of 20 for that area. Accordingly, a score of less than 20 is below the average of successful candidates and a score greater than 20 is above the average of successful candidates.

National Results and Ethics Cautionary Note

Please refer to the last page for the national results of the CFP exam. We have also provided an ethics cautionary note for all candidates based on some candidate answers to constructed response questions on the exam and candidate behaviour at a test centre.

Rescore Requests

If desired, you may request that your exam be re-scored. The fee for re-scoring is $350.

The exam responses for the multiple-choice component of the CFP exam are exported directly from the exam software, and each constructed-response item is marked by two (and frequently three) scorers. In addition, as a quality control measure, all exams with scores that fall close to the pass mark are manually checked, and the accuracy of those scores is verified. As a result, it is unlikely that any exam score will change from “fail” to “pass” due to any manual rechecking after the results are released.

If you would like to have your exam rescored, send an email request that includes your name and the exam date to info@fpcanada.ca within 30 days of the release of the exam results.

Requests received more than 30 days after the release of the exam results (January 16, 2026) will not be processed. Candidates who request a manual rescoring will receive a letter with the results of the rescoring indicating only if the exam result is unchanged or has changed from fail to pass; no additional diagnostic information or commentary on candidate performance will be provided. Results of the re-scoring will be released within 30 days after we receive your rescoring request. In the event that your exam result changes from a fail to a pass, you will be reimbursed your rescoring fee.

Maintaining Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ Certification

You should maintain your QAFP^® certification by continuing to renew it annually. Review the QAFP Certification Policies for information on maintaining your certification. 

To be eligible for CFP certification, successful exam candidates must hold a postsecondary degree or have more than 10 years of relevant work experience. QAFP professionals in good standing may be exempt from this requirement if they have held QAFP certification for a minimum of five years Visit our postsecondary certification requirements page to learn more.

Your Next Steps Towards CFP Certification

You may attempt the CFP exam a maximum of four times and must successfully complete it within four years of completing your prerequisite education. Your next steps are as follows.

1. Reattempt the CFP exam

We encourage you to take the CFP exam at the next sitting. Register by March 18, 2026, to receive early enrolment pricing for the May 2026 exam. The May 2026 CFP exam will be available through online proctoring and at in-person test centers.

2. Access FP Canada’s Study Toolkit

Create a study plan using the FP Canada Study Toolkit, which includes a range of study tools. You can also use the above analysis of your detailed exam results to focus your studying efforts. Log into your FP Canada account to access the toolkit. You'll find it in the "Exam" panel on your dashboard.

3. Prepare with the Practice Exam

When you register for the exam, consider purchasing the practice exam at the same time. This study tool allows you to experience what it’s like to take the exam and provides feedback on your performance. Candidates who have prepared with the practice exam in the past said they were more familiar with the exam software, felt that the diagnostic report provided useful feedback on their performance, and felt better prepared to write the exam. Learn more about the practice exam.

Your Next Steps Towards FP Canada Certification

Certified Financial Planner^® Certification

You may attempt the CFP exam a maximum of four times and must successfully complete it within four years of completing your prerequisite education. Your next steps are as follows:

1. Reattempt the CFP exam

We encourage you to take the CFP exam at the next sitting. Register by March 18, 2026 to receive early enrolment pricing for the May 2026 exam. The May 2026 CFP exam will be available through online proctoring and at in-person test centres.

2. Access FP Canada’s Study Toolkit

Create a study plan using the FP Canada Study Toolkit, which includes a range of study tools. You can also use the above analysis of your detailed exam results to focus your studying efforts. Log into your FP Canada account to access the toolkit. You’ll find it in the “Exam” panel on your dashboard.

3. Prepare with the Practice Exam

When you register for the exam, consider purchasing the practice exam at the same time. This study tool allows you to experience what it’s like to take the exam and provides feedback on your performance. Candidates who prepared with the practice exam in the past have said they were more familiar with the exam software, felt that the diagnostic report provided useful feedback on their performance, and felt better prepared to write the exam. Learn more about the practice exam.

Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ Certification

You may also choose to pursue QAFP^® certification as your primary certification or as a path toward CFP certification. QAFP certification is designed to ensure professionals are equipped to offer holistic financial advice for today's speed of life. QAFP certification is also approved by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) for use of the “Financial Planner” title in Ontario. To pursue QAFP certification, you must complete a comprehensive education program and pass the QAFP exam. The next sitting is February 2026. Learn more about QAFP certification.

Maintaining Your Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ Certification

You should maintain your QAFP^® certification by continuing to renew it annually.

To be eligible for CFP certification, successful exam candidates must hold a postsecondary degree or have more than 10 years of relevant work experience. QAFP professionals in good standing may be exempt from this requirement if they have held QAFP certification for a minimum of five years. Visit our website to learn more.

Your Next Steps Towards CFP Certification

Our records indicate that you have either exhausted your eligible attempts for the CFP exam or that your qualifying prerequisite education eligibility for the CFP exam has expired. To continue on the path to certification, you have the following options:

1. Requalify for and reattempt the CFP exam

To be eligible to write the May 2026 exam, you must successfully complete the FP Canada Institute™ CFP Professional Education Program. For more information, refer to the CFP Certification Policies. Upon completion, you can register to write the exam. Registration for the May 2026 CFP exam is available on our website until April 8, 2026. The May 2026 CFP exam will be available through online proctoring and at in-person test centres.

2. Access FP Canada’s Study Toolkit

Create a study plan using the FP Canada Study Toolkit, which includes a range of study tools. You can also use the above analysis of your detailed exam results to focus your studying efforts. Log into your FP Canada account to access the toolkit. You’ll find it in the "Exam" panel on your dashboard.

3. Prepare with the CFP Practice Exam 

When you register for the exam, consider purchasing the practice exam at the same time. This study tool allows you to experience what it’s like to take the exam and provides feedback on your performance. Candidates who have prepared with the practice exam in the past said they were more familiar with the exam software, felt that the diagnostic report provided useful feedback on their performance, and felt better prepared to write the exam. Learn more about the practice exam.

Your Next Steps Towards FP Canada Certification

CFP Certification

Our records indicate that you have either exhausted your eligible attempts at the CFP exam or that your qualifying prerequisite education eligibility for the CFP exam has expired. To continue on the path to certification, you have the following options:

1. Requalify and reattempt the CFP exam

To be eligible to write future CFP exams (including the May 2026 exam), you must successfully complete the FP Canada Institute™ CFP Professional Education Program. For more information refer to the CFP Certification Policies. Upon completion, you can register to write the exam. Registration for the May 2026 CFP exam is available on our website until April 8, 2026. The May 2026 CFP exam will be available through online proctoring and at in-person test centres.

2. Access FP Canada’s Study Toolkit

Create a study plan using the FP Canada Study Toolkit, which includes a range of study tools. You can also use the above analysis of your detailed exam results to focus your studying efforts. Log into your FP Canada account to access the toolkit. You’ll find it in the “Exam” panel on your dashboard.

3. Prepare with the CFP Practice Exam

When you register for the exam, consider purchasing the practice exam at the same time. This study tool allows you to experience what it’s like to take the exam and provides feedback on your performance. Candidates who have prepared with the practice exam in the past said they were more familiar with the exam software, felt that the diagnostic report provided useful feedback on their performance, and felt better prepared to write the exam. Learn more about the practice exam.

Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ Certification

You may also choose to pursue QAFP^® certification as your primary certification or as a path toward CFP certification. QAFP certification is designed to ensure professionals are equipped to offer holistic financial advice for today's speed of life. QAFP certification is also approved by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) for use of the “Financial Planner” title in Ontario. To pursue QAFP certification, you must complete a comprehensive education program and pass the QAFP exam. The next sitting is February 2026. Learn more about QAFP certification on the FP Canada website.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your options and next steps, contact FP Canada’s Certificant & Student Services team at info@fpcanada.ca, or call us at 416.593.8587 (or toll free at 1.800.305.9886).

We wish you success in your continued pursuit of FP Canada certification.

NATIONAL EXAM RESULTS AND ETHICS CAUTIONARY NOTE

National Results

Ethics Cautionary Note

When exams from October 2025 CFP exam administration were scored, several professional conduct/ethical issues were flagged in a significant number of candidate responses. In addition, inappropriate candidate behaviour at an in-person test centre raised concern. We are addressing the identified issues here as guidance for all candidates. These issues, if they had occurred with an actual client, would likely have constituted breaches of the FP Canada Standards Council™ Standards of Professional Responsibility, which is set and enforced by the FP Canada Standards Council. And, as this guidance is applicable for both QAFP professionals and CFP professionals, references below to CFP professionals should be interpreted as referring to both groups.

1. Duty of Loyalty (Principle 1), act in the client’s best interest (Rule 24), and gather the client’s information and identify and evaluate the appropriate financial planning strategies (Practice Standards 4 and 6)

CFP professionals shall implement only those strategies that are both prudent and appropriate for the client, and those which they reasonably believe will not materially or negatively impact the client's best interest. It is expected that CFP professionals will conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the duty of loyalty to the client, placing the client’s interest first and acting with the care, skill and diligence of a prudent financial professional. To ensure rules are followed in accordance with best practice, the FP Canada Standards Council Financial Planning Practice Standards outline the process that must be followed in any client engagement where financial planning services are being offered.

Practice Standard 4 requires that CFP professionals gather sufficient qualitative and quantitative information relevant to the engagement, and identify and resolve any gaps in information required before assessing the client’s current situation and making recommendations. Practice Standard 6 stipulates that CFP professionals identify and assess possible financial planning strategies to help achieve the client's goals, needs, and priorities. CFP professionals should also develop options and potential solutions to achieving the client's goals, needs and priorities, while recognizing personal biases and focusing on the client's best interest. For example, assuming a client has a higher or lower risk appetite based solely on their age, without conducting a thorough risk tolerance assessment, could constitute personal bias.

2. Integrity (Principle 2), Fairness (Principle 5), Professionalism (Principle 8) and maintaining integrity and professional conduct (Rule 2)

CFP professionals must treat colleagues, clients, employees, and all others fairly, respectfully and in a manner that garners trust. This includes all spoken, written, and digital communication (including social media and networking sites). All communications, in any format, should adhere to the provisions and spirit of the Code of Ethics, Rules of Conduct and Practice Standards. CFP professionals are expected to uphold the spirit of the Principles of the Code of Ethics throughout all interactions, adhere to moral rules and duties imposed by honesty and justice and act in a manner that reflects positively upon the profession. Professionalism refers to conduct that not only inspires confidence and respect from clients, but the community. Conduct that is likely to impair trust or reflect negatively on the integrity of the profession may result in disciplinary action. Such conduct may include failing to treat colleagues, employees, and members of the public fairly, with professionalism and integrity.

3. Professionalism (Principle 8) and providing professional services in accordance with laws, regulations, rules or policies (Rule 25)

Financial planning professionals should always support compliance. Recommendations should never seek to evade reporting requirements or legal obligations. In providing financial planning services, CFP professionals have an obligation to uphold industry standards and ensure their conduct aligns with professional, legal, and regulatory requirements. CFP professionals may not intentionally or recklessly assist in another person's violation of standards, laws, regulations or rules established by government agencies or other relevant authorities. Regulatory standards protect clients, promote fair and transparent practices, and assist in maintaining public trust. CFP professionals are expected to act in a manner that reflects positively upon the profession and uphold the highest standards of practice, conduct, and competence.

4. Prudent and appropriate recommendations (Rule 23)

CFP professionals must only make recommendations that are prudent and appropriate for the client (Rule 23 of the FP Canada Standards Council Rules of Conduct). As an example, when recommending any change to an investment strategy, the CFP professional must consider all the client’s suitability factors; in joint engagements, the obligation is to assess suitability separately for each party, not solely at the direction of one. Prudent strategies and recommendations will take into consideration, among other factors, the client’s current situation, goals, needs, priorities, risk tolerances and time horizons for each account.

It is inappropriate to:

• Suggest, encourage, or insist that a client amend their risk tolerance to allow the client to adopt a riskier asset allocation to better their chance of achieving a desired goal or level of investment income without full and thorough assessment.
• Recommend clients purchase insurance products and incur costs without an established insurance need or objective or where the recommendation exceeds the client’s best interest. For example, recommending a client purchase permanent life insurance for a temporary need with premiums that exceed the client’s cash flow capacity.

To ensure that the integrity of FP Canada’s certifications is upheld, CFP professionals must be knowledgeable about, and adherent to, the principles, practice standards, and applicable rules. Please refer to the Standards of Professional Responsibility for more detail.

This letter is to advise you of the results of your recent Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ exam attempt. We regret to inform you that you were not successful in your attempt at the exam.

Overall Result

Your overall score on the QAFP exam is provided in the chart below. The raw pass mark required to pass the exam is scaled to the published passing standard of 500; therefore, a score of 500 or better represents a pass. The marking methodology applied is explained here.

Your Relative Performance by FP Canada Standards Council Competency Profile Component

The FP Canada Standards Council Competency Profile for QAFP Certification guides the development of the QAFP exam and is the criteria for the exam. Each exam question is linked to at least one competency statement and the QAFP exam is developed to adhere to the Competency Profile. Your diagnostic results below reflect your relative performance within the categories of the Competency Profile. Your relative performance is detailed for each of the three financial planning functions, fundamental financial planning practices, and the six financial planning areas of the Competency Profile.

For ease of understanding, your performance in each category is represented in comparison with the average score of all successful candidates on the exam. For each category, a scaled score of 20 represents the average score for all successful candidates (four points is the standard deviation). That is, if you performed at the average level of successful candidates in any given category, you would receive a score of 20 for that category. Accordingly, a score of less than 20 is below the average of successful candidates and a score greater than 20 is above the average of successful candidates.

National Results and Ethics Cautionary Note

Please refer to the final pages for the national results of the QAFP exam. We have also provided an ethics cautionary note for all candidates based on some candidate answers to questions on the exam.

Rescore Requests

If desired, you may request that your exam be rescored. The fee for rescoring is $100.

FP Canada carefully extracts and scores all answers from the exam software. Consequently, it is highly unlikely that any exam score will change from “fail” to “pass” because of any manual rechecking after the results are released.

If you would like to have your score manually rechecked, you may email a request to the Certificant and Student Services Team at info@fpcanada.ca within 30 days of the release of exam results. Requests must include your name and the exam date.

Requests received more than 30 days after the release of the exam results (or after December 12, 2025) will not be processed. Candidates who request a manual rescoring will receive a letter with the results of the rescoring indicating only if the exam result is unchanged or has changed from fail to pass; no additional diagnostic information or commentary on candidate performance will be provided. Results of the rescoring will be released within 30 days after we receive your rescoring request. In the event of a discrepancy between the manual check and the electronic results, manual results will prevail, and the $100 fee will be returned.

Your Next Steps Towards Certification

Pursuing QAFP Certification

The next scheduled sitting of the QAFP exam is February 4, 2026. You may attempt the QAFP exam a maximum of four times upon successful completion of the QAFP Professional Education Program or CFP Professional Education Program.

Your next steps are as follows:

1. Reattempt the QAFP exam on February 4, 2026

We encourage you to reattempt the exam at the next sitting, which takes place on February 4, 2026. Register by December 2, 2025 to receive early enrolment pricing for the exam. The February 2026 QAFP exam will be available through online proctoring only.

Candidates seeking QAFP certification must hold a diploma or degree from a postsecondary institution or qualify for a work experience exemption. Learn more about the postsecondary requirements here.

2. Access FP Canada’s Study Toolkit

Create a study plan using the FP Canada Study Toolkit, which includes a range of study tools. You can also use the above analysis of your detailed exam results to focus your studying efforts. Log into your FP Canada account to access the Toolkit. You'll find it in the "Exam" panel on your dashboard.

3. Prepare with the Practice Exam

When you register for the exam, consider purchasing the Practice Exam at the same time. This study tool not only provides feedback on your performance but allows you to experience what it’s like to take the exam. Candidates who prepared with the Practice Exam in the past said they were more familiar with the exam software, felt the diagnostic report provided useful feedback on their performance, and felt better prepared to write the exam. Learn more about the Practice Exam.

Your Next Steps

Our records indicate that you have exhausted your eligible attempts at the QAFP exam or that your completion of the FP Canada Professional Education Program has expired. To continue on the path to certification, you have the following options:

1. Requalify and Reattempt the QAFP Exam

The path to QAFP certification has changed. To be eligible to write the February 2026 exam, you must provide new and current evidence of completion of the QAFP Professional Education Program or CFP Professional Education Program, irrespective of previous qualification. To learn more about the path to QAFP certification and for more information, refer to the QAFP Certification Policies. Upon completion, you can register to write the exam. Registration for the February 4, 2026 QAFP exam is available on your dashboard until January 13, 2026. The February 2026 QAFP exam will be available through online proctoring only.

Candidates seeking QAFP certification must hold a diploma or degree from a postsecondary institution. Learn more about the postsecondary requirements.

2. Access FP Canada’s Study Toolkit

Create a study plan using the FP Canada Study Toolkit, which includes a range of study tools. You can also use the above analysis of your detailed exam results to focus your studying efforts. Log into your FP Canada account to access the Toolkit. You'll find it in the "Exam" panel on your dashboard.

3. Prepare with the Practice Exam

When you register for the exam, consider purchasing the Practice Exam at the same time. This study tool not only provides feedback on your performance but allows you to experience what it’s like to take the exam. Candidates who prepared with the Practice Exam in the past said they were more familiar with the exam software, felt the diagnostic report provided useful feedback on their performance, and felt better prepared to write the exam. Learn more about the Practice Exam.

Interested in Pursuing Certified Financial Planner^® Certification?

If you have successfully completed the prerequisite certification education from the FP Canada Institute™ or from a recognized education provider and your goal is to obtain CFP^® certification, you can attempt the CFP exam without first obtaining QAFP certification.

To be eligible to write the CFP exam, you must successfully complete the CFP Professional Education Program within the previous four years. Learn more about the paths to CFP certification on the FP Canada website.

Candidates seeking CFP certification must hold, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree from a postsecondary institution (or have ten or more years of qualifying work experience). Visit the postsecondary requirements page on our website to learn more.

If you have any questions or you would like to discuss your options and next steps towards obtaining an FP Canada certification, contact the Certificant & Student Services team at info@fpcanada.ca or 1.800.305.9886.  

We wish you success in your continued pursuit of FP Canada certification.

NATIONAL EXAM RESULTS AND ETHICS CAUTIONARY NOTE

National Results

Ethics Cautionary Note

When exams from the October 2025 QAFP exam were scored, ethical issues were identified when a number of candidates chose the response option that could have resulted in an ethical breach had the situation described in the question occurred in a client engagement. We are addressing the identified issues here as guidance for all candidates. These issues, were they to occur with an actual client, could be found to constitute breaches of the Rules of Conduct that are detailed in the FP Canada Standards Council™ Standards of Professional Responsibility, set and enforced by the FP Canada Standards Council™. As this guidance is applicable for both QAFP professionals and CFP professionals, references below to QAFP professionals should be interpreted as referring to both groups. 

1. Disclosing conflicts of interest (Rule 8a) and Principle 1 – Duty of Loyalty to the Client and Principle 5 - Fairness  

QAFP professionals shall disclose to their client(s), in writing, a general summary of potential conflicts of interest between the client and the QAFP professional, between the QAFP professional’s clients in the case of a joint engagement, the QAFP professional’s employer, or any affiliates or third parties, including, but not limited to, information about any familial, contractual or agency relationship of the QAFP professional or the QAFP professional’s employer that has a potential to materially affect the relationship with the client.

2. Exercising reasonable and prudent professional judgment always (Rule 22)  

QAFP professionals shall always exercise reasonable and professional judgment which requires appropriate consideration of the client’s full financial picture and personal circumstances (the client’s goals, needs and priorities) and the interdependencies and interrelationships among them. Financial planning varies in scope and complexity, ranging from advice that is relatively straightforward and narrow to more complex engagements. 

3. Providing prudent and appropriate financial planning recommendations (Rule 23)

QAFP professionals shall make only those recommendations that are both prudent and appropriate for the client. Prudent strategies and recommendations will take into consideration, among other factors, the client’s current situation, goals, needs, priorities, risk tolerances and time horizons. QAFP professionals should also take into consideration the client’s values, attitudes and beliefs when determining whether a strategy is prudent and appropriate.

4. Providing professional services in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, rules or established policies (Rule 25) and Principle 2 – Integrity and Principle 8 - Professionalism 

QAFP professionals may not do indirectly, or through or by another person or entity, any act or thing that QAFP professionals are prohibited from doing directly. QAFP professionals shall behave and conduct their business in accordance with the established laws, regulations, rules and policies pertaining to financial planning.

To ensure that the integrity of FP Canada’s certifications is upheld, QAFP professionals must be knowledgeable about, and adherent to, the principles and applicable rules. Please refer to the Standards of Professional Responsibility for more detail.