This article has been updated to clarify that the CFA Institute will hold its exams at approved test locations.
Advisors who’ve enjoyed working from home during the pandemic will soon be able to write exams from the comfort of their living rooms.
FP Canada will offer online exams for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) designations this November. Candidates will have the option to write in-person exams in regions where test centres are still operational.
“As the global pandemic continues, ensuring the health and safety of our exam candidates, volunteers, staff and all other stakeholders is our top priority,” Cary List, president and CEO of FP Canada, said in a statement.
The QAFP exam will now take place on Nov. 23. The CFP exam will take place over three days — November 24, 25 and 26, 2020 — to accommodate the new online option and to facilitate physical distancing at in-person exam centres.
In a release, FP Canada said that it has yet to determine whether online exams will continue beyond November.
The CFA Institute has announced that it is permanently transitioning all three levels of the CFA Program to computer-based testing in 2021. The final paper-based tests will take place in December.
“While the last paper-based test marks the end of an era for CFA Institute, technological advances in computer-based testing enable us to meet the growing global testing demands of candidates and will improve their experience with a wider selection of test venues and more flexible scheduling options,” Margaret Franklin, president and CEO of the CFA Institute, said in a release.
CFA candidates will need to go to approved locations to take the computer-based tests.