15 Certification Programs for Careers That Pay Well

Certification Testing

Taking an exam is the final step to earning an ISA certification. Upon paying the exam fee, the application process is complete, and you have acknowledged that you meet the requirements listed below in numbers 1–3.

All ISA certification exams are closed book and have multiple choice questions. The CCST Specialist—Level 2 certification exam is three hours long and all other certification exams are four hours long. See the information below for the number of questions in each exam.

Submit payment to apply for the chosen certification when you can confirm that you meet the certification requirements to sit for the exam and can test within the deadline of the exam window of your choosing. You will be notified by email with the next steps to schedule your exam.

Register for one of the CCST review courses and apply for certification for no additional fee. The following courses qualify: Level I Review Course (TS00), Level II Review Course (TS02) or Level III Review Course (TS03). You will automatically receive an exam invitation once you start the course. By paying for the review course, you are confirming that you are aware of, have met and can document the requirements for the certification level for which you are applying.

ISA accepts payment for exam fees by check, certified check, money order, PayPal payment, wire transfer in US Dollars, or credit card. Make checks payable to ISA. For wire transfer account information, please contact ISA Customer Service. The following credit cards are accepted: AMEX, Discover card, Master Card, and VISA. Purchase orders are not accepted.

Fees are nonrefundable. It is your responsibility as the applicant to thoroughly review the requirements of the certification for which you are applying. No refunds will be made for applicants who do not appear for testing on the appropriate exam date. There are no group discounts for certification application fees.

After you pay your exam fee to complete the application process, you will receive an exam invitation (Notice to Schedule Exam) email from candidatesupport@meazurelearning.com 15 days before the beginning of your assigned exam window with steps to schedule the exam. Follow the instructions in the email to schedule your exam—online or at a test center—through the online exam scheduling system. You can get more information about your exam window deadline by accessing the “My Credentials” tab in your ISA account.

If you have not received your exam invitation within that time frame, please check your spam or junk folder for an email from candidatesupport@meazurelearning.com, as some server firewalls may block the receipt of the email. If you still are unable to find your exam invitation, please email certifications@isa.org for assistance.

See further related details on the Exam Procedures page.

If you are applying for CAP or CCST certification, you have a twelve-month exam window. You may take the exam at a test center or online during one of three exam windows (see chart below). Each exam window will have a deadline for applications to be submitted. Eligible candidates will only be able to take the exam during the following exam windows.

Review Course Testing: If you have attended a review course (paid for by you or sponsored by a company), you will receive your exam invitation near the end of your review course and have a twelve (12) month exam eligibility period based on the date of your review course.

After passing the CAP or CCST certification exam, you will earn a digital badge. To access, manage, and/or share your secure digital badge, use your email address and password to enter your BadgeCert portfolio. If it is the first time accessing your portfolio, click “Request new password?” on their login page to create your password. More information about using your digital badge can be found here.

If you feel you were wrongly denied certification, either original or renewal, from the CAP or CCST programs, then you have the right to appeal. Review the Grievances Appeal Process.

Candidates who request special test accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (or a similar international standard) must submit their test scheduling requests at least 30 days prior to their preferred test dates. Note that some special test accommodations may not be available for online testing.

If you have a request, email certifications@isa.org.

You can contact Meazure Learning by phone at +1 919-572-6880 or email candidatesupport@meazurelearning.com.

Meazure Learning's business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding holidays. Voice mail will accept candidate questions outside of these business hours.

Note: Meazure Learning, Scantron, and ProctorU are all one-and-the-same organization.

Important update: Scantron is changing to Meazure Learning. The names Scantron, Examity, and ProctorU may be continue to be used in communications from Meazure Learning during the transition period.

Certified Financial Planner (CFP): What It Is, How To Become One

Certified Financial Planner (CFP) is a formal recognition of expertise in the areas of financial planning, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and retirement saving.

Owned and awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., the designation is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board's initial exams, then continue ongoing annual education programs to sustain their skills and certification.

CFPs are there to help individuals manage their finances. This can include a variety of needs, such as investment planning, retirement planning, insurance, and education planning. The most important aspect of a CFP is to be a fiduciary of your assets, meaning that they will make decisions with your best interests in mind.

CFPs are all-encompassing, particularly when compared to investment advisors. CFPs will usually start the process by evaluating your current finances, including any cash, assets, investments, or properties, to come up with an estimate of your income and net worth. They also take a look at your liabilities, such as mortgages and student debt.

From this point on they work with you to come up with an individualized financial plan. For example, say you are nearing retirement, the CFP will create a financial plan that can see you through your retirement years. Or perhaps you have a child that will be starting college. The CFP can help create a financial plan to manage that cost.

A CFP is a financial adviser who has earned a certification that indicates in-depth knowledge of financial planning. The requirements to become a CFP are some of the most difficult and stringent in the financial industry.

All CFPs are held to the standard of fiduciary duty. That means they must always put your interests as a client ahead of their own. For example, if they would more money selling one product over another, but the product that made them less money was better for you, that is the product they must recommend.

A CFP's fiduciary duty is clearly laid out by the CFP Board and states "At all times when providing financial advice to a client, a CFP professional must act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interest of the client."

The board goes on to state that three duties must be met by an adviser with a fiduciary duty. These are (1) duty of loyalty, (2) duty of care, and (3) duty to follow client instructions.

Earning the CFP designation involves meeting requirements in four areas: formal education, performance on the CFP exam, relevant work experience, and demonstrated professional ethics.

The education requirements comprise two major components. The candidate must hold a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited university or college. Second, the candidate must complete a list of specific courses in financial planning, as specified by the CFP Board.

Much of this second requirement is typically waived if the candidate holds certain accepted financial designations, such as a chartered financial analyst (CFA) or certified public accountant (CPA) designation, or has a higher degree in business, such as a master of business administration (MBA).

As for professional experience, candidates must prove they have at least three years (or 6,000 hours) of full-time professional experience in the industry, or two years (4,000 hours) in an apprenticeship role.

Lastly, candidates and CFP holders must adhere to the CFP Board's standards of professional conduct. They must also regularly disclose information about any involvement in criminal activity, questions by government agencies, bankruptcies, customer complaints, or terminations by employers. The CFP Board conducts an extensive background check on all candidates before granting the certification.

Even successful completion of the above steps doesn't guarantee receipt of the CFP designation. The CFP Board has final discretion on whether to award the designation to an individual.

The CFP exam includes 170 multiple-choice on more than 100 topics related to financial planning. The scope includes professional conduct and regulations, financial planning principles, education planning, risk management, insurance, investments, tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning.

The various topic areas are weighted, and the most recent weighting is available on the CFP Board website. Further questions test the candidate's expertise in establishing client-planner relationships and gathering relevant information, and their ability to analyze, develop, communicate, implement, and monitor the recommendations they make to their clients.

Here's some additional information on the administration, costs, and scoring of the CFP exam:

Though a certified financial planner (CPA) and a chartered financial analyst (CFA) may sound similar, they are different certifications with different job functions and clients. A CFP works with individuals, often retail clients, helping them achieve their financial goals. This includes help in investing and retirement planning.

A CFA works with corporations performing investment analysis. CFAs focus on financial reporting, analysis, and portfolio management. They can trade financial products, such as derivatives, and help in mergers and acquisitions. CFA's usually work for investment banks and hedge funds.

If you are just looking to invest money in stocks and bonds, a CFP probably isn't needed.

If you are looking to manage your finances, investment choices, estate planning, and retirement planning, a CFP can help you with all of those needs.

A CFP is a step above a non-designated financial advisor and has demonstrated expertise in financial planning.

How much a CFP costs will depend on your specific needs.

On average, a CFP charges between $1,800 and $2,500 for preparing a full financial plan. You also should expect $4,000 for a flat-fee retainer or $250 per hour for hourly services.

No, CFP and CFA are not the same.

A CFP is a certified financial planner who provides financial planning advice to individuals. This includes help with investing, retirement planning, estate planning, and tax law.

A CFA is a chartered financial analyst who may work for an investment bank or hedge fund and performs financial analysis, modeling, trading, and portfolio management services.

No, a CFP is not equivalent to an MBA.

A certified financial planner (CFP) is qualified to advise individuals on financial planning.

The holder of a master of business degree has studied the way businesses operate.

The career paths differ. A CFP works in financial consulting or wealth management. An MBA may be a business manager, portfolio manager, financial analyst, financial strategist, or even an entrepreneur.

The CFP exam requires a lot of preparation and covers a wide range of topics in depth. The best way to ensure you pass the CFP exam is by preparing for it well in advance and sticking to a study schedule.

Becoming a CFP takes education and experience, as well as a strong grasp of financial ethics. The test to gain this distinction is comprised of 170 questions and is split into two three-hour sessions.

Even if candidates pass the test and meet all the requirements, the CFP Board still has the final say about whether to award this distinction. Given the stringent requirements, CFPs can be assumed to have an in-depth understanding of financial planning.