The results are in for FP Canada’s February sitting of the certified financial planner (CFP) exam.

The exam was written by 283 candidates, and the pass rate for first-time writers was 72%, a release said on Wednesday.

The previous exam in October had 456 candidates and a pass rate of 66% for first timers.

At the February sitting, 76% of surveyed exam writers said they wrote the exam to enhance their skills and better serve clients, 42% said they wrote it to fulfil employer requirements, and 38% cited use of the “financial planner” title under title protection as a motivating factor.

There were about 17,500 CFP professionals in Canada as of March 31, FP Canada’s website says.