Preparing to Take the CFRE Exam
The CFRE Examination is intended to assess your mastery of the body of knowledge required to perform fundraising tasks. The knowledge and tasks that are being tested are based on current fundraising practice - or what tasks professionals perform on the job. It is testing what are commonly accepted as best practices around those tasks - not how your organisation or you personally carry out those duties.
The CFRE Examination is a generalist, baseline exam and does not focus on any one area of fundraising. Rather, it expects that you will have a basic working knowledge of a variety of fundraising techniques and practices.
No two candidates come to the exam with the same knowledge base. Since experience and educational backgrounds are unique, these differences must be taken into consideration when determining a study method. While some individuals may take the exam without any preparation, the majority become involved in some form of exam preparation. Because the exams measure mastery of the application of the fundraising body of knowledge, it is impossible to train or teach to the exam. The best preparation is to understand the fundraising knowledge requirements (the Test Content Outline) and their application to fundraising practice.
To use the CFRE Study Wizard to to assess your strengths and weaknesses, click here.
A fundraising professional who has met the eligibility requirements to sit for the examination should have the knowledge needed to take and pass the examination. However, CFRE International does recommend that you review the content areas covered on the exam by using the Test Content Outline. You might want to review the Test Content Outline for topics or subtopics with which you are less familiar. If you find a particular area with which you are not familiar or comfortable, that would be an area on which to focus your study or review. Or, you may want to do a surface review of all the content areas, even those you believe you know well.
How should you review for the exam?
- Review the Test Content Outline (PDF) against what your own personal, professional experience has been
- Once you have identified areas for review, you can
- Attend a continuing education program on this topic or
- Select and read a publication off of the Resource Reading List (PDF) that addresses the areas you have identified
- Form an informal study group with other colleagues in the area who are planning to take the examination. You can benefit from the diverse experience of others and provide an alternate perspective.
- Review materials independently, determining for yourself on which content areas to focus.
- Participate in more structured review environments, perhaps with individuals who have already become Certified Fund Raising Executives.
While there is not one "best way" to study, what is important is to develop your own plan for studying. Set aside some time each week for several weeks prior to the exam to devote to some form of preparation.
Some candidates may choose to review the basic texts and cram the way they probably did in school, trying to absorb as much factual information as possible. If you find this type of studying effective, you might want to create index cards in the form of questions and answers or with key topics. You can test yourself or work with a friend or colleague who can quiz you until you know the answers to all of the cards.
This type of cramming can be effective with factual information, and the examination will have questions which deal with strictly factual information. However, remember that the CFRE Examination is testing the application of best practices on-the-job. This means that many of the questions will require you to analyze and interpret facts, solve problems or make judgments. With these types of questions, you will need to begin by recalling factual information but you will then need to do something more. As a result, your study efforts should include some time spent on applying factual knowledge, reviewing how these facts assist you in performing your duties day to day.
What is most important is that this type of review cannot be left until the last minute. A hasty, tense reading of a wealth of information will not be effective. A late-hour cram session the night before the exam may only make you anxious and tired the next morning, unable to focus on the exam.
Reading Material
Many fundraising professionals wonder which publications they can read in order to prepare them for the examination. In studying for your CFRE Exam, you will probably seek out some resource materials and other references to read.
The first and most applicable reference is the Test Content Outline. The Test Content Outline is the most valuable source of what information will be covered on the examination.
A Resource Reading List is also provided (Reading List Chart (PDF)). These publications are all widely available and provide information on current, commonly accepted fundraising practices. These references have been identified as being the most comprehensive and most closely related to information covered on the examination.
The publications on the Resource Reading List, or books of similar content, may be of use to you as you review for the examination. It is not intended that each candidate read every publication on the resource list. Rather, this list is provided as a guide for candidates who are seeking sources of information on particular subject areas, or general overview texts. The books listed are also those that were frequently used by item writers and reviewers during item development for this examination. However, reading any or all of the publications on this list, cover to cover, does not guarantee you will do well on the exam.
While this reference list is provided by CFRE International, you should remember that each exam item is drawn from facts that can be substantiated by professional texts, the exam is not intended to be an assessment of your knowledge of literature. Additionally, there is no single reference, or small group of references, that are associated with most of the questions on any given exam form. The best advice is to review a basic, widely used reference. You may then wish to seek additional information not covered in that publication.
Review Courses
As a certifying agency, CFRE International adheres to international standards for the development and operation of a certification programme.
These standards state that the same organisation which assesses candidates (CFRE International) cannot also prepare them for the exam. In order for the certification process to be fair and reliable, CFRE International cannot sponsor or endorse any review or preparation courses.
CFRE International provides its Participating Organisations with the Test Content Outline and encourages those organisations to offer educational programming that covers topics found on the exam. However, there is no guarantee that this is the case.
The following organisations offer programmes which they promote as serving as a review for the CFRE Exam:
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
Council for Recource Development (CRD)
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 does provide candidates with information on how to create a personal study plan and sample test questions. This is sent to all candidates once they apply to write the exam.
Final Comments
The approach to preparing for a comprehensive examination on your profession's body of knowledge is as unique as the candidate taking the exam. Assess your own strengths and weaknesses and use those to your advantage. CFRE International also recommends that candidates use a variety of methods and materials when preparing themselves for the CFRE Exam.
