Taking the Exam

1. A letter confirming your eligibility and providing an Authorization to Test (ATT) will be e-mailed to you within three weeks of receipt of your application and payment. Please check the name on the letter carefully. Your name must match the forms of identification that are accepted by the testing center. If the name information is incorrect, please contact the AFP Certification Department at 301.907.2862. If you are determined ineligible to sit for the exam, you will be contacted explaining the reason for your ineligibility and will be refunded the exam fee portion of your registration.

2. Contact the PearsonVUE Candidate Service Call Center at 866.TEST.CTP (866.837.8287) to schedule an appointment as soon as you receive your ATT. (For those outside the USA, please use one of the toll free international phone numbers.) Waiting to schedule your testing appointment may significantly limit the dates and times the center has available to seat you.

3. Arrive at the scheduled testing center no later than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment with your two forms of identification. You will need two forms of ID that include your name and signature; your primary form of ID must include a picture.

4. When the exam is completed, you will automatically receive a confirmation that you have passed the exam or a score report if you do not pass the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Changes Within the Same Testing Window and Appointment Cancellations
  If you are submitting a cancellation, transfer or deferral request to AFP, you must also cancel your appointment with the testing center. You must contact Pearson VUE at 866.837.8287 at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment to cancel your exam appointment. You may reschedule your appointment within the same testing window to a new date or change your test location. However, you must call Pearson VUE at 866.837.8287 at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Leaving a message on an answering machine is NOT an acceptable method of canceling or rescheduling your appointment to test.

• Cancellations and Requests for Refunds | Cancellation Request Form
  AFP must receive all cancellation request forms by the cancellation deadline. Cancellations may be requested by the exam candidate only. Cancellation notices by former employers or other third parties will not be honored. Candidates who submit a cancellation request form to AFP by the appropriate deadline will be refunded the exam fee portion of their registration fees. The application fee and any fees paid for membership are non-transferable and non-refundable. Reexamination and reinstatement candidates who submit a cancellation request form to AFP by the appropriate deadline will receive a refund of the examination fee, minus a $100 processing fee and any "no show" penalty fees.

• "No-show" Penalty $75 | Re-Examination Registration Form
  This fee will be assessed to all candidates who fail to cancel an existing appointment with the test center, regardless of whether they submit a written request to cancel or transfer their exam. This $75 "no-show" fee is also included in the fee for candidates who miss their appointment, cancel too late or arrive late. In this event, you will not be allowed to reschedule your exam within the current testing window, you will forfeit your examination fee, and you must remit the $375 reinstatement fee for another testing window.

• Re-examination $300 | Re-Examination Registration Form
  For candidates who were not successful on their previous exam attempt. Only candidates who have previously sat for the exam within the past three years qualify for this re-examination fee.

• Transfer Fee $125 | Transfer Request Form
  For candidates who wish to switch their testing window from the current window to the next available testing window only. There will be only one transfer per candidate. Candidates must cancel their existing exam appointment in accordance with test center cancellation policies. Otherwise, candidates will be subject to a "no-show" penalty fee of $75. Candidates must fill out the transfer form and submit with payment by the deadline.

• Re-examination plus no-show $375 | Re-Examination Registration Form
  For candidates who have previously forfeited their examination fee and candidate status by failing to maintain their scheduled exam appointment during their approved testing window. To test in the next available testing window, the examinee must remit the "no-show" penalty fee ($75) and the re-examination fee ($300).

• Substitutions
  Absolutely no substitutions may be made for the CTP examination. Individuals may not substitute another person for their exam registration.

• Deferrals/Special Circumstances | Deferral Request Form
  Under special circumstances (i.e., medical emergency, birth of a child, death of an immediate family member), AFP may allow the deferral to the next testing window only. AFP must receive all deferral request forms by the deadline. You may fax your notice to AFP's Certification department at 301.907.2864. Special circumstances must either immediately precede or coincide with the administration of the exam. All such circumstances must include supporting documentation, such as a doctor's note, within 30 days of the last day of the testing window. Approval of a deferral request is granted on a case-by-case basis. Deferrals cannot be transferred to another candidate and do not require an additional fee.

• Requesting special testing accommodations
  Candidates with documented visual, physical, hearing or learning disabilities, which would prevent them from taking an examination under standard conditions, may request special testing accommodations and arrangements. Pearson VUE requires written documentation of the disability from the candidate's doctor or from another qualified professional. This written documentation must accompany the registration form when submitted to AFP. There is no extra fee for making these arrangements. In considering a request from an applicant for special accommodations, PearsonVUE is guided by a sense of fairness. Special accommodations are granted to give an approved candidate the opportunity to be examined in an equivalent manner with other candidates, but not to provide an advantage over other candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions