Pathway to CFP® Certification

FPSB Ltd. is committed to developing the capability and growing the number of CFP® professionals in India so the public has increased access to advice from competent and ethical financial planners – especially during these uncertain times. Through our new pathway to CFP certification in India, FPSB Ltd. is pleased to provide a quality learning and certification experience to Indian candidates and financial advisors to support their journey to CFP certification, and towards becoming part of a community of 223,700+ CFP professionals worldwide committed to working in their clients’ best interest.

FPSB Ltd. has structured the pathway to CFP® certification in India into three specialist certifications
(FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist ; FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning; FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning ) followed by the FPSB® Integrated Financial Planning course, financial plan assessment and the CFP® exam. After registering with FPSB, candidates for CFP certification can:

  • Access learning materials for the certification through FPSB Ltd.’s online learning portal (which contains textbooks with global and India-specific content, interactive modules and practice questions)
  • Complete the education course through self-study or through one of FPSB Ltd.’s Authorized Education Providers
  • Successfully complete the certification exam
  • Complete FPSBs Professional Ethics module and agree to abide by FPSBs initial requirements
  • Be recognized by FPSB Ltd. as an:
    • FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist
    • FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist
    • FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist
    • CFP® Professional

Registration for the FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist, FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist and FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist certifications is open.

By successfully completing our pathway certification requirements, candidates can be recognized as an FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist, FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist and/or  FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist. Upon completing the three specialist certifications, candidates can enroll in the FPSB® Integrated Financial Planning Course (which includes a financial plan assessment) and then sit for the CFP exam.  Successful candidates who also meet our experience requirement are eligible to be certified as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional in India.

Here’s how it works:
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Step 1. Register with FPSB Ltd. as a Candidate for CFP Certification and Purchase Course Material for one or More Specialist Programs

The CFP® certification program in India consists of a series of three specialist certification, followed by an integrated financial planning education course, financial plan assessment and CFP exam.  Individuals who are at least age 18 and have completed HSC/12th (Std XII/HSC) may register for one of our specialist certifications.  You will need a graduate level education qualification to apply for CFP® certification.

FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist

FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist

FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist

FPSB® Integrated Financial Planning Course

 
 

Step 2. Complete the Education Requirement Through One of Three Modes

  • Are you somebody who likes to study independently, at your own pace? If so, you might want to consider the Self-Study Mode. For this mode, after you register with FPSB Ltd. as a candidate for CFP certification and access educational materials for one or more of our specialist certifications or the FPSB Integrated Financial Planning Course via FPSB Ltd.’s online learning portal, you can study for your certification exam on your own schedule. Throughout the Self Study program you will be tested on your comprehension of the education content; you will need to score 70% or higher on the course tests to be eligible to sit for the a specialist certification exam.  If you do not pass the course tests after 2 attempts, you will have to move to Instructor-Led Education Mode.
  • Would you like to have an instructor lead you through the education course to ensure you’ve mastered the content before taking the certification exam? If so, take the Instructor-Led Education Mode. For this mode, after you have registered with FPSB Ltd. as a candidate for CFP certification and purchased the learning materials for one or more of our certifications, you will enroll with an FPSB Ltd. Authorized Education Provider (in-person and/or online courses available), and complete your coursework in ~8-12 weeks (depending on course content and frequency).  Upon confirmation by the Authorized Education Provider that you have successfully completed the course of study, you will be eligible to sit for one of our certification exams.
 
 

Step 3. Meet the FPSB Ltd Ethics Requirement

To obtain and FPSB Ltd. certification, candidates need to complete FPSB Ltd.’s ethics course, and agree to abide by the FPSB Ltd. Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which sets forth requirements for ethical and professional behavior. Candidates for CFP certification need only to complete this ethics requirement one time during their pathway to CFP® certification.

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Step 4. Pass the Specialist Certification Exam

FPSB Ltd. offers three specialist certifications in India as part of our pathway to CFP® certification. To be eligible to enroll in our Integrated Financial Planning course you must have completed education courses for each specialist certifications on myFPSBLearning and completed FPSB Ltd.’s Professional Ethics course.

Please note, due to the integrity of our exam on Mettle platform, FPSB must use a Secure Lock Down Browser. In order to use this browser, both Windows and iOS is allowed. The secure browser does not allow the student to navigate to other tabs, Spreadsheet is now available in Scratchpad in the Mettle Exams.  Candidates are responsible for the integrity of the computer used during the exam, misuse could result in a canceled exam or other sanctions. Please refer to our exam webpage for more information.

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Step 5. Get Certified as a CFP Professional by FPSB Ltd.

Individuals in India can be recognized by FPSB Ltd. as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional upon:

  • Completing all education courses and successfully passing certification exams to obtain your FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist, FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist, FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist certifications
  • Meeting FPSB Ltd.’s ethics requirement
  • Completing the FPSB® Integrated Financial Planning Course and financial plan assessment
  • Successfully passing the CFP® exam
  • Meeting FPSB Ltd.’s experience requirement
  • Paying an annual CFP certification fee
 
 

Step 6. Stay Certified

Each of FPSB Ltd.’s certifications has a continuing professional development (CPD) requirement, which is five hours of CPD per year for each of the specialist certifications and 15 hours per year for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification. In addition to offering our own CPD programs, FPSB Ltd. recognizes programs being offered by various CPD providers in India.

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Thank you for your commitment to professionalism, and to providing advice competently and ethically, in your clients’ interests. We’re glad you’ve decided to come on the journey to CFP® certification, and we look forward to welcoming you to our growing global community of 2,700+ CFP professionals in India, and 223,700+ CFP professionals in 27 countries and territories worldwide.