CFA® Exam Cost Is at Least $3570 in 2025. Expensive?

CFA exam / Cost

In this blog post, you'll learn about how much the CFA exam costs in 2025 and 2026. In 2026, CFA Institute is making some big changes to its CFA Program pricing, so the costs will grow. The full CFA exam price will be lower if you take your level 1 CFA exam in 2025, especially if you need to retake it. If you're continuing your CFA exam journey as a level 2 or level 3 candidate, you may also want to consider sitting your exam this year.

1. CFA exam cost in 2025 & 2026
2. How much will I pay for 3 exam levels?
3. How to reduce CFA exam cost?
4. Other CFA exam costs
5. CFA exam course fee at Soleadea

2025 CFA Exam Cost vs 2026

Level 1 CFA exam cost is at least USD 990 in 2025 (+ USD 350 of the enrollment fee for your first level 1 exam). This level 1 registration cost grows to USD 1140 in 2026 (no enrollment fee but the registration fee goes up.)

The level 2 and level 3 registration costs also increase in 2026.

Level 2 CFA exam cost is at least USD 990 in 2025 but it increases to no less than USD 1140 in 2026.

Level 3 CFA exam cost is at least USD 1090 in 2025 but it increases to no less than USD 1240 in 2026.

CFA exam cost increases in 2026 because CFA Institute changes its pricing. The $350 CFA Program enrollment fee is to be eliminated but the exam registration fees are going up significantly for all levels starting with the February 2026 exams.

The fact that the enrollment fee is being eliminated doesn't change much. Of all the CFA exam fees, that's the one you're paying only once so the trade-off isn't that big...

Total CFA Exam Cost: Minimum Pay for 3 Levels

The total CFA exam cost is USD 3570 minimum in 2025. This price includes a one-time enrollment fee of USD 350 and a discounted early registration fee for the 3 levels of the CFA exam.

How does it add up?

Let's say you take your level 1 CFA exam in May 2025, continue with the level 2 exam in Nov 2025 and finalize by taking your level 3 exam in Aug 2026. That's USD 350 + USD 990 + USD 990 + USD 1240 = USD 3570 (2025 enrollment fee + 2025 level 1 early registration fee + 2025 level 2 early registration fee + 2026 level 3 early registration fee).

If you take your level 1 CFA exam in Aug 2025 or Nov 2025, you'll have to continue with your level 2 exam in 2026, which means your total CFA exam cost will be higher due to the increasing 2026 CFA exam prices (USD 350 + USD 990 + USD 1140 + USD 1240 = USD 3720).

Unfortunately, the cost grows with every CFA exam you take in 2026 due to the increasing registration fees as shown above. It's true that if you start you're CFA exam journey in 2026 you can save 50 bucks but there’s no guarantee that the fees won't go up again in 2027. Plus, there's a question of whether a year of waiting is worth 50 busks.

Remember that the minimum total CFA exam cost of USD 3570 leaves out any other costs, e.g. printed curriculum or additional study materials. Also, it allows no retakes or rescheduling. While rescheduling your CFA exam is an option you can surely do without, you will likely need to retake an exam or two before you actually pass all 3 exam levels.

Scholarships May Reduce Your CFA Exam Cost

The lowest CFA exam cost available to CFA candidates is when they are eligible for the CFA Institute Access Scholarship which waives the enrollment fee and reduces the registration fee to USD 400. If the Access Scholarship is awarded to you for each level, then you may cut your total CFA exam cost down to 3x400 = USD 1200! (assuming you always pass at the first attempt).

Also, the CFA Institute Student Scholarship waives the enrollment fee and reduces the registration fee to USD 600. If you are awarded the scholarship for level 1, your total CFA exam cost may be reduced to 600 + 990 + 1240 = USD 2830, but you need to be a qualifying student when entering the CFA Program. And if your school allows the scholarship for all levels, your total CFA exam cost may be reduced even to 3x600 = USD 1800.

Reduce CFA exam cost:
check your scholarship eligibility

Any Other CFA Exam Costs?

CFA exam registration fees are the direct cost. But there are also some indirect costs which may include:

• time,
• financial calculator purchase,
• cost of study materials,
• travel costs (exam day),
• accommodation costs (exam day),
• lost opportunities, etc.

Time is a valuable currency – there’s no denying it. One of the time-related truths about the CFA exam is that: the later you start your CFA exam prep, the lower your chance to pass gets!

There’s no need to put it off. You want to be smart and responsible about your CFA exam prep. You can join us by creating a free CFA exam study plan where you'll be able to:

• manage your study time effectively,
• see your chance to pass grow as you progress,
• unlock all the study tools and review apps inside your study plan.

Our study planner may be used with any kind of study resources because we know that CFA Program candidates like to use different study aids when preparing for their exam. In the market, you’ll find a whole spectrum of study materials ranging in price and quality. We go for easy solutions great for studying and revision /levels 1 & 2/: (1) bite-sized videos, (2) exam-type questions you can generate into tests varying in length and difficulty, (3) formulas you can view inside our special app, (4) abridged topic notes in the form of short printable e-books.

CFA Exam Course Fee at Soleadea

The course fee for using our CFA exam platform is groundbreaking!

You can have your CFA exam study plan + some extra study/review materials such as videos, practice questions, mocks, or e-books that can help you better prepare for your CFA exam at a fee you choose! Our Pay-What-You-Can policy allows you to go for the monthly fee you can afford and you get access to everything we currently offer.

Once again: The sooner you start to prepare for your exam, the better results you can expect.

AND REMEMBER: Each time you fail an exam, you lose not only your time and the money you paid for the exam but also an opportunity for promotion and thus a better salary. Of course, each retake means new costs, including another exam fee plus another travel and accommodation costs on the exam day.

Read Also:

• More about CFA Exam Scholarships
• 5 Steps of CFA Exam Registration
• How to Create CFA Exam Study Plan
• 2024-2026 CFA Program Changes
• Level 1 CFA Exam Study Materials

UPDATED: Feb 17, 2025

PUBLISHED: Feb 7, 2025