ACFE · Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Certified Fraud Examiner Exam

CFE

The CFE Exam is the ACFE's credentialing test for anti-fraud professionals, recognized worldwide by employers, auditors, and law enforcement as the leading standard in fraud examination. It runs across three rigorous sections totaling 310 questions, and every section must independently clear a 75% threshold — there is no averaging across the exam. Your eligibility window is only 60 days, so a stalled section can hold up a credential that directly affects pay, promotion, and forensic engagements. This page breaks down exactly what the exam tests, how it is delivered, and how to get it done right.

6.5h total seat time
310 Questions
75% to pass each section
Center or Online

Pay Only After You Pass

No upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. We advertise guaranteed results — 100% pass guaranteed or money back.

Exam Spec Sheet

Provider ACFE
Format Closed-book · 3 sections
Total time 6.5 hours across sections
Questions 310 (120 / 120 / 70)
Pass mark 75% per section
Fee $480 (retakes $110/section)
Proctoring Prometric ProProctor
Window 60 days · 5 attempts/section
Language English
See CFE Help Options

EXAM FORMAT

How the CFE Exam is built — at a glance

120

Fraud Schemes & Financial Crimes

120 questions in 2.5 hours. Covers asset misappropriation, corruption, financial-statement fraud, and the major occupational fraud schemes.

120

Fraud Investigations & Legal Issues

120 questions in 2.5 hours. Tracing assets, interviewing, evidence gathering, expert testimony, and the law that governs fraud cases.

70

Fraud Prevention & Deterrence

70 questions in 1.5 hours. Criminology, ethics, fraud risk assessment, and the controls that prevent and deter fraud.

Timing & scheduling

The three sections add up to 310 questions and about 6.5 hours of seat time. You do not have to sit them all in one day — you can schedule them separately, but all three must be completed within your 60-day eligibility window. Questions are multiple-choice and True/False.

How scoring works

Each section is scored independently and you must answer at least 75% of that section's questions correctly to pass it. There is no averaging across sections — every section clears 75% on its own merits. You get up to five attempts per section; the first is included in the application fee and each failed retake costs $110.

WHAT'S TESTED

Three sections — bars show each section's share of the 310-question total

1

Fraud Schemes & Financial Crimes

39%

Identifying and understanding occupational fraud schemes: asset misappropriation, bribery and corruption, financial-statement fraud, and money laundering. 120 of the 310 questions.

2

Fraud Investigations & Legal Issues

39%

Investigative methods, taking statements and interviewing, tracing illicit transactions, gathering and reporting evidence, and the criminal, civil, and evidentiary law a fraud examiner must apply. 120 of the 310 questions.

3

Fraud Prevention & Deterrence

22%

Why people commit fraud — criminology and the fraud triangle — plus ethics, fraud risk assessment, corporate governance, and the controls that prevent and deter fraud. 70 of the 310 questions.

Because every section must independently hit 75%, a single weak area — most often the legal content in Fraud Investigations & Legal Issues — can hold up the whole credential even when your fraud-scheme knowledge is strong. Balanced preparation across all three bodies of knowledge is what separates a clean pass from a stalled application.

DELIVERY & PROCTORING

Two ways to sit the exam — and what to expect on test day

At a Prometric test center

You sit each section in a quiet, monitored Prometric center. Staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room. The exam is closed-book — no reference materials, notes, or outside resources are permitted at any point.

Online, proctored via ProProctor

You take the exam from a private room at home, live-proctored through Prometric's ProProctor platform. You'll complete a system check, a government ID verification, and a webcam room scan before each section unlocks. The same closed-book rules apply remotely.

ID & identity check

A valid, unexpired government photo ID whose name matches your ACFE profile exactly. The proctor captures a photo before the section unlocks.

Environment scan

A clear desk, no reference materials, no second monitor, no phone within reach, and a 360° webcam scan of the room. No one else may enter while you test.

During the section

Stay in frame and on-camera throughout. The work must be completed independently. Leaving the seat, talking aloud, or losing connection can flag the session.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS

The CFE is built for anti-fraud and forensic professionals

  • Auditors and internal auditors moving into fraud examination
  • Forensic accountants and financial-crime analysts
  • Investigators, examiners, and law-enforcement professionals
  • Compliance, risk, and AML / anti-corruption officers
  • Accountants and CPAs adding a recognized fraud credential

PREREQUISITES & DIFFICULTY

Real eligibility rules — and a high bar per section

  • Associate Membership of the ACFE is required to sit the exam
  • Minimum 40 qualifying points to sit; 50 points to be credentialed
  • Two years of fraud-related professional experience to certify
  • Points come from education plus fraud-related experience

Difficulty: The CFE is wide rather than deep — it spans accounting, criminology, investigation technique, and law, and each section demands a 75% score with no averaging. The legal content trips up the most candidates, and the 60-day window adds real schedule pressure. That breadth-plus-deadline combination is exactly the pressure point our help is designed to remove.

HOW EXAM ASSIST HELPS YOU PASS THE CFE

The CFE is a broad, three-section credential with a hard 75% bar on each part and a 60-day window counting down. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted fraud-examination specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.

1

Share your exam details

Tell us which sections you still need, your delivery method (center or ProProctor), your eligibility-window dates, and your target timeline. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.

2

Get an honest feasibility answer

We review your remaining sections and window and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.

3

The sitting is handled

Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a CFE specialist who maps the work around all three bodies of knowledge, the 75% per-section bar, and the ProProctor environment — discreetly and confidentially.

4

Settle after the verified result

You only pay once your passing result is confirmed on your official ACFE record. No verified result, nothing owed.

Ready to lock in your CFE credential?

Tell us where you are in the exam and get an honest, pay-after-you-pass plan for the sections you have left.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED

Straight answers about the CFE Exam

What score do you need to pass the CFE Exam? +
You must answer at least 75% of the questions correctly in each of the three sections. The sections are scored independently, so a strong result in one area cannot offset a sub-75% result in another. Each section must clear the 75% bar on its own to earn the Certified Fraud Examiner credential.
How many sections and questions are on the CFE Exam? +
The CFE Exam has three sections totaling 310 questions: Fraud Schemes and Financial Crimes (120 questions, 2.5 hours), Fraud Investigations and Legal Issues (120 questions, 2.5 hours), and Fraud Prevention and Deterrence (70 questions, 1.5 hours). Questions are multiple-choice and True/False, and the exam is closed-book.
Can I take the CFE Exam online from home? +
Yes. The ACFE delivers the CFE Exam through Prometric — either remotely via the ProProctor online platform from a private room at home, or in person at a Prometric test center. The online option requires a webcam, a stable connection, a government ID check, and a room scan before each section unlocks.
How long do I have to complete all three CFE sections? +
Once your CFE Exam eligibility window opens, you have 60 days to schedule and complete all three sections. You can sit them on separate days within that window. You get up to five attempts to pass each section; the first attempt is covered by the application fee and each failed retake costs $110.
What does the CFE Exam cost and what are the requirements? +
The CFE Exam application fee is $480, which covers your first attempt at each section; failed retakes are $110 per section. You must be an Associate Member of the ACFE and meet a qualifying point system — a minimum of 40 points to sit the exam and 50 points plus two years of fraud-related professional experience to be awarded the credential.
Do I pay Exam Assist before or after I see my CFE result? +
You settle only after your verified passing result is confirmed. There is no upfront fee — you share your exam details, receive an honest feasibility answer, and decide before any money changes hands. We advertise a guaranteed pass with money back if you do not pass; we offer a transparent, results-first arrangement.

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