Accredited Financial
Counsellor Canada
Jumpstart your career and Empower Lives with Ethical Financial Literacy Counselling
Become AFCC Certified
Make a difference by helping individuals achieve financial security.
Join a community that values ethical practice and client empowerment.
Pathway to Certification
Submit Enrollment
Candidates must complete all course components within three (3) years from date of registration.
For more detailed information, you can review the Certification Lifecycle within the Candidate Handbook.
Experience Hours
Obtain or Provide Proof of 1,000 Hours of Related Experience
Course of Study and Preparation
Study AFCC Core Competencies and all Supplement Materials and Study Guides / textbooks as provided to as you prepare to sit the certification exam.
Take the Exam
The New AFCC Comprehensive Examination is a single exam comprised of 150 multiple choice questions.
The exam must be proctored by a third-party proctor.
Adhere to Code of Ethics
Also, to obtain your designation you must commit to all Post-Certification Requirements including obtaining Continuing Education Units (30 in every 2-Year Cycle) and payment the Annual Fee to maintain the designation trademark (Due June 30th)
The Professional Mark that Canadians Trust
Are You AFCC Certified?
Who is the AFCC® for?
Empowering professionals to deliver ethical financial guidance
What's Included in Your AFCC® Journey?
Comprehensive Study Materials
- Digital access to comprehensive study guides covering Personal Finance, Financial Literacy, and Client-Centric Counselling
- Hard copy supplemental materials for in-depth study
- Access to Debt Management and Credit Repair resources
Flexible Examination Options
- 150-question multiple-choice certification exam with flexible scheduling
- Choice of virtual online or in-person proctoring at approved testing centers
- Exam Form must be submitted 14-days in advance of your preferred exam date with your preferred proctor
Experience & Growth
- Track 1,000 experience hours as outlined in the Experience Guide
- The CAFE CONNECT Creator Plan (separate) provides tools for creating experience while you develop your own niche practice
- Guidance on volunteer and experience opportunities available. Contact the CAFE Certification Department for more information
Community & Support
- Join online study cohorts and access mentorship opportunities
- Access to recorded training, live workshops, and CEU webinars
- Multilingual community support in 29 languages on the Empowerment CAFÉ
How Long Does It Take?
The Accredited Financial Counsellor Canada (AFCC®) designation is designed to be comprehensive yet flexible, giving students up to 3 years from registration to complete all requirements.
Core Requirements
Perfect for those starting their journey in financial counselling
Ideal for professionals with related financial experience
Accelerated path for seasoned financial professionals
What Happens After Certification?
Becoming an AFCC® isn't just about the designation—it's about joining a mission-driven, client-first profession that goes beyond budgets and debt management.
Client-Centric Approach
Ethical & Community-Driven
Ongoing Learning
What Does It Cost?
The AFCC® certification comes with various pathways to accommodate different learning styles and circumstances. We understand that everyone's journey is unique, and we're committed to making this valuable certification accessible to all dedicated professionals.
Independent Study Program
- Complete AFCC® program registration
- Access to electronic study guides
- Hardcopy textbook included
- Examination fee included
- Eligible for CAFE membership
- Access to Empowerment CAFÉ
- Complete 1,000 hours of experience
- Adhere to Code of Ethics & Standards
Exam Challenge Through Registered Education
- Confirmation of pre-approved experience
- Challenge the AFCC® examination
- Access to Examination Resource
- Eligibility for the Empowerment CAFÉ
- Eligible for CAFE membership
- Professional credential validation
- Complete 1,000 hours of experience
- Adhere to Code of Ethics & Standards
Flexible Payment Plan Option
- We appreciate that everyone's journey is unique
- Prefer a scheduled payment plan for your AFCC® journey
- Personalized payment schedule
- Eligible for CAFE membership
- Complete 1,000 hours of experience
- Adhere to Code of Ethics & Standards
- Help your community with the AFCC® Mark
Key Milestones in the New Exam Rollout
| Month | Milestone |
|---|---|
| March 2025 | New AFCC Comprehensive Exam launches |
| April 2025 | No exams—benchmarking period |
| May 12-15, 2025 | Delayed Scoring Results Released and Testing resumes with automatic passing score(s) |
| August 15, 2025 | Last chance to take old exams |
| December 2025 | Deadline for free rewrite eligibility (if needed) |
| January 2026 | Full transition to the new AFCC Comprehensive Exam |
Special Offer: Candidates who take the exam in March 2025 as part of the testing phase receive a free rewrite if needed!
Introducing the New AFCC Comprehensive Exam: Built on World-Class Psychometric Science
The Accredited Financial Counsellor Canada (AFCC) certification is evolving to set an even higher standard for financial professionals.
The AFCC Comprehensive Exam is not just an exam - it’s a rigorously designed, high-stakes assessment of competency.
One streamlined exam (previously two exams; one for each module)
150 expertly crafted questions
Developed by CAFE using industry leading Psychometrics and AFCC Alumni Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
With the global leader in psychometrically sound credentialing, this new exam sets a higher standard in Canadian professional certification, ensuring AFCC professionals continue to raise the bar while impacting the lives of Canadians in a human-first approach.
Designed to test real-world financial literacy and counselling excellence. Requiring the ability to demonstrate applied knowledge, broad Canadian personal financial knowledge, critical thinking and counselling approaches that are client-centric . Without judgement. Without bias.
Why? Because every Canadian deserves expert guidance, not just financial survival.
Want to learn more? Watch our Learning Lab, New AFCC Comprehensive Exam Rollout
Your Certification is more than a piece of paper - It's a proven measure of expertise that sets you apart in the financial literacy and counselling industry
〰️
Your Certification is more than a piece of paper - It's a proven measure of expertise that sets you apart in the financial literacy and counselling industry 〰️
What’s Changing?
Previous Exam(s) Format:
2 separate exams (Personal Finance + Financial Counselling & Debt Management
100 multiple choice questions per exam
Required to be taken at different dates / times.
Required 2 passing scores of 70% on each examination.
New Exam Format (March 2025):
One Comprehensive Exam
150 Qualified Multiple-Choice Questions
Covers all AFCC Core Competencies in one sitting
Raises the bar to ensure the highest of ethical and professional rigour
Industry leading examination
Become AFCC Certified
Empower yourself - Empower Others
Book a Certification call today
Using your smartphone and your Camera App, scan the QR code to book a meeting with a member of our Certification Department in Canada. An AFCC Alumni will gladly help.
Otherwise, you can click the following button to be taken to the booking page directly.