CFA Exam Registration and Fees
Registering for the CFA exam involves a few distinct steps and costs. Here’s what to expect when you sign up for Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3.
Enrollment Fee
First-time candidates pay a one-time enrollment fee when they register for Level 1 for the first time. This fee covers your entry into the CFA Program and is separate from each level’s exam registration fee.
Registration Pricing Windows
- Early registration: the lowest exam fee, available soon after the prior sitting ends
- Standard registration: a moderate increase over the early-bird price
- Late registration: the highest price tier, just before the registration deadline closes
Registration Deadlines
Deadlines are set separately for each testing window and each pricing tier. CFA Institute publishes the exact dates on its official registration calendar, so candidates should confirm current deadlines there rather than relying on prior-year schedules, since exam dates and cutoffs can shift from year to year.
What Happens After You Register
Once registered, you’ll select a testing appointment, receive scheduling confirmation, and gain access to the official curriculum materials for your level. From there, the real work begins: building a study plan and working through practice questions.
Start Practicing Today
Return to the CFA exam overview for scoring, pass rates, and syllabus details, or head straight to our CFA practice tests to try a free sample exam.