The results are in for FP Canada’s October sitting of the Certified Financial Planner exam.

The exam was written by 456 candidates, and the pass rate for first-time writers was 66%, a release said on Monday.

The previous exam in May had 406 candidates and a pass rate of 80% for first timers, while 2023’s first sitting — in February — had 259 candidates and a 76% pass rate.

In a post-exam survey, 78% of exam writers said they took the exam to enhance their skills and better serve clients, the release said. About four in 10 (42%) said employer requirements were the reason they wrote the exam.

The October sitting was one of two hybrid CFP exams this year (i.e., offered both online and in person). The proportion of in-person candidates increased to 64% at the latest sitting, compared to 41% at the May sitting. (February’s sitting was online only.)

The next CFP exam will be held on two days: Feb. 7 and Feb. 8.

As of Sept. 30, there were about 17,300 CFP professionals, the FP Canada website says.