Certification

New Content and Specifications of CPFO Exams

The CPFO program consists of seven exams designed to verify knowledge in the major disciplines of government finance.

The Accounting, Debt, Planning & Budgeting, and Treasury exams are each composed of 100 multiple-choice items. The Compensation, Procurement, and Risk Assessment exams are 75 items each. A multiple-choice item consists of a stem, which poses a problem, and four possible answers. Only one answer is correct or best. For the CPFO certification exams, each item has four possible choices and is worth one point.

Examinees must answer a minimum of 80% of items correctly to receive a passing score.

See the pages linked below for more details for each exam topic area.

Specifications for Current Exams

Accounting and Financial Reporting

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Compensation and Benefits

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Debt Management

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Planning and Budgeting

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Treasury and Investment Management

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Procurement

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Risk Assessment

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