CFA® Exam Fees in 2026 & How They Change
In this blog post, you'll learn about CFA exam fees for the 2026 exams, all levels. In 2026, CFA Institute is making some big changes to its CFA Program pricing. But this is not the first increase in CFA exam prices. The registration fees have grown year to year since 2023.
- CFA Exam Fees Increase in 2026!
- 2026 CFA exam fees
- Types of CFA exam fees
- Registration fees
- Rescheduling fee
- 2026 Level 1 CFA exam fees
- 2026 Level 2 CFA exam fees
- 2026 Level 3 CFA exam fees
- Minimum CFA exam cost
- Other CFA exam costs
CFA Exam Fees Increase in 2026!
IMPORTANT!
The 2026 level 1 CFA exam fee for early birds is USD 1,140 and the standard registration fee for level 1 CFA candidates in 2026 is USD 1,490. That's higher by USD 150 and USD 200, respectively, compared to the 2025 CFA exam registration fees.
CFA Institute has announced the CFA Program pricing changes. The $350 CFA exam enrollment fee is being eliminated, making it easier for new candidates to enter the CFA Program. However, exam registration fees go up significantly for all levels starting with the February 2026 exams.
| CFA Exam | 2025 Early-Bird Fee | 2026 Early-Bird Fee | 2025 Standard Fee | 2026 Standard Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $990 | $1,140 | $1,290 | $1,490 |
| Level 2 | $990 | $1,140 | $1,290 | $1,490 |
| Level 3 | $1,090 | $1,240 | $1,390 | $1,590 |
If you take the CFA exam in 2025, the lower registration fees still apply as shown above. But for those sitting for the exam in 2026 and beyond, the CFA exam cost is higher.
All CFA Exam Fees in 2026
The 2026 level 1 CFA exam registration fee is either USD 1140 for early birds or USD 1490 of the standard fee. As for the additional CFA exam costs, they include USD 250 of an optional rescheduling fee. It cannot be stressed enough that no enrollment fee is required any longer.
CFA Program registration for the 2026 CFA exams is open. See below when to register.
Note that the 2026 CFA exam registration fees are higher than the 2025 registration fees. Moreover, in 2026 CFA candidates will pay different fees depending on their exam level! The level 1 & level 2 2026 early-bird fee is USD 1140, while the standard fee is USD 1490. The level 3 2026 early-bird fee is USD 1240, while the standard fee is USD 1590. Read on for more.
Types of CFA Exam Fees as of 2026
Level 1, 2, 3
There are 2 types of CFA exam fees in 2026, namely:
- registration fee (all levels), and
- rescheduling fee (all levels).
CFA exam fees are the same for all candidates worldwide, regardless of whether you come from the USA, the UK, India, or any other country. Currently – i.e., if you start your CFA exam adventure in 2026 – the minimum CFA exam cost is USD 3520 due to the new 2026 registration fees. This minimum cost of USD 3520 only includes the payment for your participation in the CFA Program, i.e., your ability to take the 3 levels of the CFA exam and pass them at the first attempt. This minimum cost does not allow for any other prep costs or CFA exam retakes.
In this blog post, we explain in detail all the fees and the overall CFA exam cost, including the CFA exam course fee, whose amount you can choose if you use our portal for additional help in your CFA exam preparation. YEP, you can decide how much you pay for some extra study materials and tools because we use the Pay-What-You-Can policy .
CFA Exam Registration Fee Is Over $1140
In 2026, CFA exam registration fees increase. There are 2 types of CFA exam registration fees, early and standard, but they depend on the exam level you take:
- level 1 early fee is $1140 (up by USD 150 from 2025),
- level 2 early fee is $1140 (up by USD 150 from 2025),
- level 3 early fee is $1240 (up by USD 150 from 2025),
- level 1 standard fee is $1490 (up by USD 200 from 2025),
- level 2 standard fee is $1490 (up by USD 200 from 2025), and
- level 3 standard fee is $1590 (up by USD 200 from 2025).
As of 2025, the registration fees are NOT the same for all 3 levels of the CFA exam. See below for the deadlines applicable to your 2026 exam.
CFA Exam Rescheduling Fee Is $250
The CFA exam rescheduling fee is a fee introduced in 2021 for candidates of all levels. Its purpose is to make the rescheduling of your CFA exam appointment possible even after the registration and scheduling periods for your exam have closed.
Each rescheduling of your appointment will cost you USD 250. Costs aside, it’s good that CFA Institute provides such an option. Why? CFA exams are now held within longer exam windows (not on one single day as it was before). You need to decide when exactly to take your exam and then self-schedule using the so-called ProScheduler available on a dedicated platform. The problem is that your ideal date and test center may already be taken. That’s one example when the rescheduling option may come in handy. You may still try to change your exam date and/or test center if the one you initially chose is not the most convenient. Mind that the exam scheduling is done on the first-come, first-served basis, so it may not be the best idea to delay your exam appointment reservation.
For your CFA exam, you need to:
- register + pay the applicable fees
- schedule your exam (no payment)
- reschedule, if you wish, after making an additional payment ($250 each re-appointment)
2026 Level 1 CFA Exam Fees and Deadlines
In 2026, 4 level 1 exam windows are available to CFA candidates, in Feb, May, Aug, and Nov. Registration for the 2026 level 1 CFA exams is now open. The exact CFA exam registration fee depends on when you register for your exam:
The deadlines end at 11:59 p.m. ET.
FEB 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 29 Apr 2025.
| Feb 2026 Level 1 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1140 early registration fee | until 7 July 2025 |
| $1490 standard registration fee | until 29 Oct 2025 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 22 Jan 2026 |
Feb 2026 Level 1 registration window: 29 Apr – 29 Oct 2025
Feb 2026 Level 1 scheduling window: 29 Apr – 5 Nov 2025
Feb 2026 Level 1 Pay by Invoice deadline: 19 Sept 2025
L1 EXAM: 2-8 Feb 2026
MAY 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 12 Aug 2025.
| May 2026 Level 1 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1140 early registration fee | until 14 Oct 2025 |
| $1490 standard registration fee | until 12 Feb 2026 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 1 May 2026 |
May 2026 Level 1 registration window: 12 Aug 2025 – 12 Feb 2026
May 2026 Level 1 scheduling window: 12 Aug 2025 – 18 Feb 2026
May 2026 Level 1 Pay by Invoice deadline: 3 Jan 2026
L1 EXAM: 12-18 May 2026
AUG 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 11 Nov 2025.
| Aug 2026 Level 1 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1140 early registration fee | until 21 Jan 2026 |
| $1490 standard registration fee | until 6 May 2026 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 7 Aug 2026 |
Aug 2026 Level 1 registration window: 11 Nov 2025 – 6 May 2026
Aug 2026 Level 1 scheduling window: 11 Nov 2025 – 13 May 2026
Aug 2026 Level 1 Pay by Invoice deadline: 27 March 2026
L1 EXAM: 18-24 Aug 2026
NOV 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 11 Feb 2026.
Nov 2026 Level 1 registration window: 11 Feb 2026 – 11 Aug 2026
L1 EXAM: 11-17 Nov 2026
Level 2 and Level 3 CFA Exam Fees
For level 2 and level 3 CFA exams, you also need to pay your registration fee, which always depends on when you register. The 2026 CFA exam registration fees and deadlines are given below.
2026 Level 2 CFA Exam Fees and Deadlines
The deadlines end at 11:59 p.m. ET.
MAY 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 12 Aug 2025.
| May 2026 Level 2 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1140 early registration fee | until 14 Oct 2025 |
| $1490 standard registration fee | until 12 Feb 2026 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 8 May 2026 |
May 2026 Level 2 registration window: 12 Aug 2025 – 12 Feb 2026
May 2026 Level 2 scheduling window: 12 Aug 2025 – 18 Feb 2026
May 2026 Level 2 Pay by Invoice deadline: 3 Jan 2026
L2 EXAM: 19-23 May 2026
AUG 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 11 Nov 2025.
| Aug 2026 Level 2 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1140 early registration fee | until 21 Jan 2026 |
| $1490 standard registration fee | until 6 May 2026 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 14 Aug 2026 |
Aug 2026 Level 2 registration window: 11 Nov 2025 – 6 May 2026
Aug 2026 Level 2 scheduling window: 11 Nov 2025 – 13 May 2026
Aug 2026 Level 2 Pay by Invoice deadline: 27 March 2026
L1 EXAM: 25-29 Aug 2026
NOV 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 11 Feb 2026.
Nov 2026 Level 2 registration window: 11 Feb 2026 – 11 Aug 2026
L1 EXAM: 18-22 Nov 2026
2026 Level 3 CFA Exam Fees and Deadlines
The deadlines end at 11:59 p.m. ET.
FEB 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 29 Apr 2025.
| Feb 2026 Level 3 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1240 early registration fee | until 7 July 2025 |
| $1590 standard registration fee | until 29 Oct 2025 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 18 Jan 2026 |
Feb 2026 Level 3 registration window: 29 Apr – 29 Oct 2025
Feb 2026 Level 3 scheduling window: 29 Apr – 5 Nov 2025
Feb 2026 Level 3 Pay by Invoice deadline: 19 Sept 2025
L3 EXAM: 29 Jan-1 Feb 2026
AUG 2026 CFA exam registration window opens on 11 Nov 2025.
| Aug 2026 Level 3 Fees | WHEN? |
|---|---|
| $1240 early registration fee | until 21 Jan 2026 |
| $1590 standard registration fee | until 6 May 2026 |
| $250 rescheduling fee | until 3 Aug 2026 |
Aug 2026 Level 3 registration window: 11 Nov 2025 – 6 May 2026
Aug 2026 Level 3 scheduling window: 11 Nov 2025 – 13 May 2026
Aug 2026 Level 3 Pay by Invoice deadline: 27 March 2026
L1 EXAM: 13-17 Aug 2026
TYPES OF CFA EXAM FEES: SUMMARY
- enrollment fee:
obligatory (just until 2026 exams!) first level 1 exam only USD 350 one-time payment - registration fee:
obligatory (always!) all 3 levels each exam you take or retake over USD 900 or over USD 1200 depending on when you register - rescheduling fee:
optional all 3 levels each exam you take or retake USD 250 per exam re-appointment - cost of the print version of the curriculum:
optional all 3 levels around USD 299 plus shipping fee per level post-registration
CFA Exam Cost: How Much Will I Pay for 3 Exam Levels?
The minimum total cost of the CFA Program is now USD 3520 and includes a discounted early registration fee for the 3 levels of the CFA exam. It means that if you start your CFA exam adventure in 2026, you'll pay no less than USD 3520, supposing that no further increase in CFA exam prices takes place in 2027.
MINIMUM COST OF CFA EXAM (all 3 levels):
USD 1140 of level 1 early registration fee (2026)
+ USD 1140 of level 2 early registration fee (2026)
+ USD 1240 of level 3 early registration fee (2027)
= USD 3520 (read more)
The minimum total CFA exam cost of USD 3520 allows no retakes or rescheduling. While rescheduling is an option you can surely do without, you will likely need to retake an exam or two before you actually pass all 3 levels of your CFA exam.
Needless to say, this minimum total cost of USD 3520 leaves out any other costs like printed curriculum or additional study materials. You can read more about the CFA exam cost and how to reduce it on our blog.
CFA Exam Course Fee at Soleadea
The course fee for using our CFA exam platform is groundbreaking! And you can surely use some help with your CFA exam prep.
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.
AND REMEMBER: The sooner you start to prepare for your exam, the better results you can expect.
About Soleadea:
Our CFA Exam Study Planner is available to candidates of all levels at groundbreaking Pay-What-You-Can prices. You decide how much you want to pay for our services. After you activate your account, you get unlimited access to our Study Planner 4.0 with study lessons inside, various level 1/level 2 study materials & tools, regular review sessions, and a holistic growth approach to your preparation. Join
Read Also:
- More about CFA Exam Scholarships
- 5 Steps of CFA Exam Registration
- How to Create CFA Exam Study Plan
- 2026 CFA Program Changes
- Level 1 CFA Exam Study Materials