CFA® Exam Dates & Scheduling for 2025

Staying informed about updates from the CFA Institute (CFAI), including exam dates and locations, is essential for planning an effective study schedule for the CFA exam. Awareness of registration dates is also beneficial, as fees vary depending on when you register: early registration offers a discounted price, while late registration incurs a higher fee.

CFA Exam Schedule 2025

In 2025, as in 2024, the CFA exam will be administered four times for Level 1, three times for Level 2, and twice for Level 3. The CFAI implemented this schedule change to expedite the release of Level 3 results, which typically take longer than the other two levels.

How to Schedule, Defer, and Reschedule Your CFA Exam?

To sit for the CFA exam, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Have a bachelor's degree or be in the final year of pursuing one
  2. Have four years of related work experience
  3. Have at least four years of education and work experience

Once you've completed the following CFA Exam requirements, you are now ready to schedule your exam.

Scheduling the Exam

Scheduling the CFA exam involves "register and pay" and "schedule your exam." First, register and pay for the exam on the CFA Institute's website. Then, book your exam using the scheduling link in your registration dashboard.

Prometric's scheduling tool, provided by Prometric Testing Centers, helps you select your testing center, dates, and time slots. After scheduling, you will receive a confirmation email from Prometric with your exam day and time. If you are still waiting to receive this email, your appointment has not been set, and you should contact Prometric immediately.

Although Prometric assists with exam scheduling, the CFAI website remains your primary source for the most up-to-date CFA exam information.

All testing center locations and seats for the CFA exam are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Adjusting the date range in your search can show you additional testing dates that may work for you.

If you are still looking for a Prometric testing center in your preferred area, check again, as seats are frequently added. Use the city and country filters when searching for testing locations. Far more Prometric testing centers are available when you search using these factors than by nation.

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Rescheduling the Exam

If you need to reschedule your CFA exam, ensure you do so before your exam window deadline. Rescheduling costs $250 and must be done through your Prometric Scheduler. If Prometric reschedules your exam, you will be assigned a new date within the same location and exam window. If no slots are available at the original location, you will be rescheduled within a 50-mile radius of your initial center.

Deferring the Exam Date

Candidates may defer their CFA exam on a case-by-case basis. Deferment considerations include the following events affecting the candidate or an immediate family member:

  • Life-threatening illness during the exam window
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Military service (candidate only) during the exam window
  • Pregnancy (candidate only)
  • Natural disasters in the candidate's area

You must provide documentation to support your request for a free emergency deferral. A deferral approval and processing time can take up to six weeks. Once your account is updated, the CFAI will notify you via email, allowing you to register for your next exam.

Candidates experiencing a non-life-threatening qualifying pandemic-related illness/issue are eligible for reduced registration fee deferrals. This option lowers your next registration fee to $399. If your situation does not fit within these parameters, you may withdraw your exam registration.

Canceling the exam

The CFAI allows candidates to withdraw or cancel their exam registration until five days before the beginning of their exam window. Unfortunately, if you withdraw or cancel your exam, you will not receive a refund for the enrollment and registration fees. These fees will also not be deferred or transferred to another CFA exam.

Furthermore, if you do not withdraw your registration five days before the exam window starts, you cannot re-register for the next exam until the current exam results are released.

How to Be Prepared for Exam Day?

The computer-based CFA exams are administered at over 400 Prometric testing centers worldwide. After registering, you will be given a list of seating options and test centers. Following the seat assignment, you will also be notified about lunch, parking, and other details to help plan your day effectively.

Over 400 Prometric testing facilities across the world offer computer-based CFA exams. Upon registering for an examination level, you are given seating options for the various test centers. After the seat allotment, the test center will notify you about lunch, parking, and other details to set your reminders straight for the day.

Consider arriving 45 minutes early to avoid any delays in the registration procedure.

Items Permitted

  1. Glasses
  2. Face mask
  3. CFAI-approved calculators
  4. A valid international travel passport
  5. Calculator cases and keystroke cards

During the examination, You will receive scratch paper, a whiteboard, or an erasable writing tablet. Also, some personal goods may be inspected as part of the check-in procedure. Certain vital medical items may be permitted in the testing room, but only with prior authorization.

Items Not Permitted

  1. Food or drinks
  2. Calculator manuals
  3. Wallet/ money purse
  4. Weapons of any kind
  5. Any desk clock or timer, including wristwatches
  6. Study materials, including notes, papers, textbooks, or study guides
  7. Baggage of any kind, including transparent bags, backpacks, handbags, tote bags, briefcases, luggage, carrying cases, passport covers, or eyeglass cases
  8. Jewelry (other than wedding or engagement rings), ornate hair clips, headbands, combs, barrettes, tie clips, or cufflinks
  9. Mobile phones, cameras, headsets, computers, tablets, wearable technology (such as fitness tracking devices), smartwatches, or any Bluetooth-enabled or remote communication or photographic devices
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Frequently Asked Questions

Exam results are expected to be available 8–10 weeks after an exam window for Level 1 and Level 2, and approximately ten weeks for Level 3.

Yes, you can. If you need to change your testing location, log into your CFA Institute account and click the “Manage Your Exam” link. You must make the changes by the rescheduling deadline and pay a rescheduling fee of $250.

Prometric will first notify you via email if your exam is canceled. Since the emails will be sent from donotreply@prometric.com, add this email address to your safe sender list so that this message does not end up in your spam folder. CFAI will contact you within 15 days of the cancellation to let you know your next steps.

Read more about the CFA Exam

CFA Exam Registration and Cost
Looking for prerequisites for the CFA exam? Here’s a detailed read regarding the eligibility, registration criteria, and the costs involved.
About the CFA Exam
Made up your mind to appear for the CFA exam? Here’s everything that you would need to know before you get into the process.
CFA Requirements
Wondering what the requirements are for the CFA exam? Here’s a list of eligibility criteria for a seamless application process.
CFA Pass Rates and Scores
Aiming for a high CFA score? Here’s everything you need to know about CFA scoring, pass rates, and the minimum passing score.
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