Prepare for the Exam

Domains

The CTFA advisory board has determined that a competent trust advisor professional's expertise includes the following domains:

Fiduciary Principles and Applications
Integrated Planning and Advice (Financial and Tax)
Asset Management - Interaction of All Asset Types
Administration of Trust Accounts
Risk/Compliance Management
Ethics
Relationship Management

Please review the CTFA Examination Outline for additional details, as well as the FAQ Document and Webinar on Exam Changes.

Study Resources

While ABA recommends these resources as appropriate examination preparation, ABA does not guarantee that you will pass the exam by completing these educational programs or studying these materials alone. The CTFA exam assesses not only your knowledge of the topics on the exam outline, but also your application of that knowledge. You should refer frequently to the CTFA Exam Outline when preparing for the exam.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The only legitimate resource for ABA’s certifications, including reference materials, are available on www.aba.com. Any other resources or guides related to ABA’s certification programs offered for sale on third party platforms such as Amazon and eBay is not authorized by the ABA and such purchases are at the buyer’s risk. While it is not illegal for publishers to write separate resources to potential customers, it can be difficult to determine the legitimacy of offers from these organizations, especially if they contain unauthorized uses of ABA’s federally protected logo. If you do not make your purchase with ABA directly, we will not be able to assist you in any capacity. Please contact ABA Customer Service at 1-800-BANKERS to be directed to a legitimate resource.

Certificates
Schools
Exam Prep
Reference Guide
Other Options

Certificates

New Certificates

View All Certificates

Schools

ABA Wealth and Trust Schools

Younger generations of clients are looking for expert help in planning their financial futures. Are you ready to address their unique needs? Invest in training from ABA Wealth and Trust Schools to build expertise and sharpen your competitive edge.

Levels 1 and 2 have been redesigned to include all content covered for the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation. The advanced school has been reengineered to include lectures and applicable case studies to strengthen your expertise and provide continuing educations credits.

Explore the Schools

Exam Prep

CTFA Exam Online Prep

An interactive, user-friendly online course that allows students to study at their own pace, with access to resources and practice tests modeled after an actual exam.

Take the Course

Reference Guide

Reference Guides to Wealth Management and Trust

The 4-series reference guides, updated annually, are comprehensive resources for today's wealth advisor, including expanded topics to meet diverse client expectations, with two entire volumes focused on integrated planning and advice.

The Reference Guides to Wealth Management and Trust are updated annually and released in the spring. If you are taking the exam during the February exam window, the Reference Guide released the prior year will suffice. If you are taking the exam at any other time in the year, the Reference Guide released in the spring is recommended. The Reference Guides are available for pre-order beginning in January.

View the Guides

Other Options

Non-ABA Options

Campbell University's Trust & Investment Management Degree*
Cannon Financial Institute Trust Schools (Level I, II and III)*
Florida Trust and Wealth Management Schools (Junior and Senior level)* earned through Florida Bankers Association and completion of the ABA CTFA Exam Online Prep.
University of Delaware's Trust Management Minor* (when coupled with a Finance or Financial Planning major)

*This is not an endorsement of the program or its sponsor.

Exam Format, Scoring and Reporting

200 multiple-choice questions (see Sample Questions)
Maximum 4 hour timeframe allowed
The February exam will only cover laws and regulations in effect through 12/31 of the prior year. All other exams will cover current laws and regulations.
Calculators will be provided
Instant "Pass/Fail" outcome provided for most computer based exams at test sites. Occasionally, instant outcomes are not provided while statistical analysis is conducted.
Official score reports delivered via email within 6 weeks after the close of the exam window
For full details, read the Certification Exam FAQs

Examination Misconduct

All persons taking one of ABA Professional Certifications' examinations are expected to abide by all rules and regulations governing the examination before, during and after the examination. Possession of copies of any current or previous examination given by ABA Professional Certifications is not authorized and is a violation of the rules governing certification exams. Persons taking an ABA Professional Certifications examination are not permitted to take notes, photos, videos or retain any other kind of records about the examination.

Any person found to have violated any of the rules governing ABA Professional Certifications exams, or to have conducted themselves in a dishonest or unethical manner with respect to the taking of an ABA Professional Certifications exam is subject to sanctions determined to be appropriate by ABA Professional Certifications, in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to: denial of certification; denial of the right to take any or all ABA Professional Certifications examinations. We reserve the right to pursue any and all remedies available to it, including legal remedies, with respect to any violation of its examination rules against anyone who violated ABA Professional Certifications examination rules or aided another in violating these rules.

Show MoreLess

Ready to Apply?

Apply for the CTFA Exam

Have a Certifications account or retaking an exam? Log In
Need Help? View Application Video