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U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination
COMING SOON *** COMING SOON *** COMING SOON ***
Personal finance knowledge and skills offer freedom, hope, and empowerment, creating a less stressful future filled with agency and financial choices while breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and reducing the risk of financial dependence, exploitation and fraud.
DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination is customized for high school students and adult learners who are new to money management and lack readiness for existing certifications, measuring a foundational understanding of practical, timely personal finance knowledge and skills, including an introduction to wealth-building strategies such as investing and retirement planning. Two exam options are available based on the literacy level of the exam taker to ensure equitable accessibility and accurate assessment of their preparedness to achieve a financially literate, prosperous future.
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.
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.
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.
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.
PREPARATION RESOURCES
The Exam Resources Package includes:
- Free Exam Manual:
- Credential Administrators
Examination Review Panel - Examination Information, Administration & Ordering
- Examination Blueprint
- Personal Finance Competencies
- Credential Administrators
- Study Guide / Curriculum Framework
- Practice Exam A and Practice Exam B
- Curriculum Multimedia Toolkit – COMING SOON!
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, adult and literacy education, workforce training, Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL)
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)
SCOPE
The personal finance knowledge and skills required for high school students and adult learners who are new money managers differ based on their financial situations, access to resources, and financial goals. For these individuals, being financially literate often focuses on managing more short-range financial goals and navigating challenges related to limited resources. In contrast, once they have achieved more immediate personal finance goals, they are in a better position to focus on topics like wealth building, investment strategies, tax optimization, and retirement planning.
The U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination is an entry-level assessment that is customized to measure a foundational understanding of practical, timely personal finance knowledge and skills especially relevant for high school students and adult learners who are in the beginning phase of their financial journey. The exam also assesses wealth-building topics such as investing and retirement planning, although to a lesser degree.
INSTITUTES OFFERED
NOTE: The Online Personal Finance Institutes for high school teachers and adult educators (two separate Institutes) are offered annually. The Institutes are 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.