U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination

Financial literacy skills are workforce readiness skills!

PERSONAL FINANCE TOPICS

The personal finance knowledge and skills assessed on the U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination (Exam A and Exam B) covers the following 12 content areas:

Financial Decision Making

Budgeting

Income

Taxes

Banking

Spending

Credit

Debt

Scams & Identity Theft

Insurance

Savings

Investing & Retirement

STANDARDS-BASED

The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination is based on the National Standards for Personal Financial Education by the Jump$tart Coalition and Council on Economic Education; the National Standards for Adult Financial Education by the Institute for Financial Literacy; Money Principles for All Americans by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission; and, Career & Technical Education (CTE) personal finance competencies.

INDUSTRY-APPROVED
The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination is an industry-approved certification exam.  The exam questions were developed, reviewed, and revised by national academic experts and industry leaders from the following stakeholder groups:  banking, credit unions, insurance, credit cards, wealth management, certified financial planning, universities, community colleges, adult education (ABE, ESL, HSE/GED), correctional education, workforce development, immigrant services, tribal nations, and high schools.  Details in the Exam Manual.  

TARGET AUDIENCES

The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination is an education and workforce development credential for high school, adult education (including correctional education), workforce training, and postsecondary education programs.  

LITERACY LEVELS

The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination offers two exams—Exam A and Exam B—written on different literacy levels, but both exams assess the same important personal finance content required for successful money management by high school students and adult learners.  Both exams earn the same Certificate of Certification and Digital Badge.

EXAM OPTIONS

The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination offers two exam options based on the reading level of the exam taker; however, both exams assess the same important personal finance knowledge and skills.

EXAM A

Reading Level

• Lower middle school

Exam Takers

• High school students reading below grade level and adult learners with limited literacy

Education Programs

• High school, special education (SPED), adult and literacy education, workforce training, Adult Basic Education (ABE), English Language Learners (ELL), etc.

EXAM B

Reading Level          

• High school

Exam Takers             

• High school students and adult learners

Education Programs

• High school, post-secondary, adult education, workforce training, High School Equivalency (HSE), General Education Diploma (GED), Integrated Education Training (IET), etc.

EXAM RESOURCES PACKAGE

The Exam Resources Package includes:

Free Exam Manual

Credential Administrators
Examination Review Panel

Examination Information, Administration & Ordering

Examination Blueprint

Personal Finance Competencies

Study Guide / Curriculum Framework

Practice Exam A and Practice Exam B

Curriculum Multimedia Toolkit

NOTE:  The Online Personal Finance Institute for high school teachers and adult educators is offered annually.   The Institute is aligned with the U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination, equipping participants with the content knowledge, instructional strategies, curriculum, and 400+ classroom-ready resources that they need to prepare high school students and adult learners to pass the Exam. 3-Hours of university undergraduate or graduate credit is optional for $135.