Have you been in fundraising for five years? Do you thrive on helping organizations achieve their goals? Do you keep current with fundraising trends? Has it been awhile since you took an exam? Is giving back to your profession important to you?

Prep/Review Courses for the CFRE Exam

Because the CFRE exam is a generalist exam based on current fundraising practice, any educational activities you participate in are going to assist you in mastering the knowledge and skills you need to be successful on the CFRE exam.

Some candidates may choose to participate in informal or structured courses intended, or advertised, to prepare candidates for the CFRE Examination. Typically, these are conducted by local chapters of professional associations related to fundraising, or by universities or private agencies. The length and cost of such preparatory courses varies widely.

CFRE International provides its Participating Organisations with details on what topics are covered on the CFRE Exam but cannot provide access to the current test. CFRE International encourages those organisations to offer educational programming that covers topics found on the exam. For a list of those that do, click here.

It must be noted, however, that CFRE International adheres to international accreditation standards for the operation of certification programmes. These state that the same organisation that does the assessment cannot also prepare candidates for the exam.

As a result, CFRE International does not sponsor, endorse, recommend or receive any remuneration for any specific courses. CFRE International does not provide copies of old exams or exam questions to any organisation or individual. CFRE International cannot be responsible for how well the content matches what is covered on the CFRE exam, any errors in the content of any review or preparatory course or materials. Such courses or programs cannot be the basis of appeals of exam performance.

CFRE International does not provide any organisation or individual with "inside" information about exam content or with "old" copies of exams.

How to Prepare

ANY educational programs which discuss fundraising or not-for-profit management will add to your body of knowledge and therefore assist you on the exam.

Most people are accustomed to exams from academic settings where the exam tests material covered in a specific book or a series of lectures. The CFRE exam is different in that it is practice-based. It is designed to test the knowledge and skills you use on-the-job on a daily basis. As a result, it is not the kind of exam you can "cram" for.

Candidates should carefully review the Test Content Outline and compare it to their own professional experiences. If there is an area in which you have not had much direct experience, that would be an area to focus your review.

After selecting topics for review, candidates can review the Resource Reading List for publications - or chapters within publications - that cover those topics. Candidates should not plan to read through all of the publications on the list, as there is a great deal of overlap. Start with those books you have on your own bookshelf.

Still Have Questions?

If you have any questions about any courses you see offered, please do not hesitate to call CFRE International at +1 703/370-5555 or use our CFRE Contact Form.