Estate Planning Certificate Program (Exam)

About the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program

The Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program is a series of certificates covering the core areas of personal financial planning (PFP), including retirement, estate, risk management and insurance, and investment planning, and how tax planning relates to each area. This certificate program is a combination of education and a certificate exam that gives you the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and demonstrate competence in that specific discipline.

Bundle exam + education and save!

This PFP certificate program offers three different options:

• Certificate: You can display your competence and understanding in one or more core areas with a digital badge awarded upon completion of each certificate exam, an online proctored exam taken from the convenience of your home or office. This certificate offers optional online education to provide a thorough comprehension of the material in preparation for the exam.

• Education: If CPE is your goal, you can purchase the education, without the certificate exam, and simply earn CPE credit for your CPA license, PFS credential, and/or CFP credential. If you hold the PFS credential, there is no need to take the certificate exam because your PFS credential exam tests this material.

• Credential: If you are an active CPA who wants to obtain the PFS credential, the certificate program provides an alternative pathway for meeting the exam and education requirements. See aicpa.org/pfs for details.

The Estate Planning Certificate Program

Part of the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program, the Estate Planning Certificate Program is an informative and engaging learning experience that will enhance your knowledge of estate planning. Updated for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, this program includes eight courses covering steps in the estate planning life cycle, including gifting strategies, charitable planning, and integrating your clients' estate plans with their tax and financial plans. And, if you are seeking a thorough understanding of estate planning as outlined in the AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Body of Knowledge, this program is for you!

This series of courses includes the following:

• The Estate Planning Process
• Trusts and Estate Planning Documents
• Basic Estate and Gifting Strategies
• Advanced Estate Planning Strategies
• Closely Held Business Estate Planning
• Incapacity and Postmortem Estate Planning
• Integrating Estate Planning With the Tax and Financial Plan
• Charitable Planning

Enhanced On-Demand Format

This enhanced on-demand format offers meaningful and relevant content in the form of tables, charts, and discussion points on slides. An instructor who is an expert on the topical area breaks down complex topics, offers best practices, provides clarity, and shares insights that help the learner achieve the learning objectives for the course.

Exam Scheduling

Five to eight business days after receiving your purchase confirmation email, we will send out the Notice to Schedule (NTS) email enabling you to schedule the specific day and either online proctor time or testing center location to take the exam any time over the next 12 months.

PAYMENT OF THE EXAM FEE SERVES AS CONFIRMATION THAT YOU HAVE READ THE REGISTRATION & SCHEDULING TERMS & CONDITIONS. VIEW THE REGISTRATION & SCHEDULING TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

It is extremely important that the AICPA has the most recent contact information and email address for each registrant as your email and mailing address will be utilized for all communications regarding this exam. Log in to view or update your information.