How to Take Your Exams

The American College of Financial Services partners with Pearson VUE to offer examinations for many of its courses. There are two different ways students may be able to take their exam, online using Pearson VUE’s OnVUE remote proctoring system or at a physical testing center.

Pearson VUE operates thousands of testing centers worldwide. Upon enrollment or when you have met the necessary requirements, you’ll receive an Examination On Demand® (EOD®) email, which is used for scheduling your exam at the Pearson VUE testing center of your choice. The College advises you to schedule your exam as soon as you receive your EOD email to avoid the last-minute rush and to establish a target date for completing the course. The course exam must be taken within your assigned exam window.

To schedule your final exam you must contact Pearson VUE testing center or call 866-392-6822. Once you’ve scheduled your appointment, Pearson VUE will send you a confirmation email, which lists the scheduled date and time of your exam, as well as directions to the testing center location, if applicable.

Pearson VUE provides an online-proctored exam format called OnVUE. Online-proctored exams allow you to conveniently take an exam from anywhere while being monitored by an offsite proctor. Pearson VUE offers online-proctoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering you flexibility to take your exam at a time that’s convenient for you. All communication with the proctor is done in English.

You can take exams on a desktop computer or laptop. Please note that company-issued computer equipment may have security or software restrictions that conflict with exam delivery.

Pearson VUE states that all you’ll need is a:

• Quiet, private location
• A reliable device with a webcam and microphone
• Strong internet connection

In preparation for your exam, you’ll be required to perform a Pearson VUE system check to ensure your device is compatible with OnVUE. On the day of your exam, you’ll undergo an additional system check to ensure there are no background applications running on your computer which will prevent the exam from launching.

To learn more about OnVUE’s polices, examination guidelines, and a list of system requirements, please visit their website.

All courses in the CFP® Certification Education, ChFC®, CLU®, ChSNC®, RICP®, WMCP®, FSCP®, and CAP® programs are available to take online.

Due to each state’s mandated guidelines, we may not be able to fulfill your CE request if you’re taking your exam via Pearson VUE’s OnVUE online proctoring system. Students whose resident state requires a signed proctor affidavit form MUST take their exam at a Pearson VUE testing center in order to receive CE credit. Click here to see if your state requires a signed proctor affidavit form. 

If you don’t wish to receive CE credit upon completion of your course, you’re able to take your exam via OnVUE.

There are two types of VUE testing centers at which you may schedule your exam appointment: Pearson Professional Testing Centers (PPC's) and VUE Authorized Testing Centers.

The PPC's are owned and operated by Pearson VUE and offer the highest level of exam delivery. There are over 200 PPC's in the testing center network. The VUE Authorized centers include more than 3,000 centers that are independently owned and operated in over 130 countries.

When scheduling your appointment, ask if there’s a PPC in your area. The examination is "mouse" and/or "keyboard" driven. If you need instructions on how to use the computer, there’s a tutorial provided at the beginning of your exam.

Exams are not scheduled through The College, all scheduling must be done through Pearson VUE. To schedule your exam appointment(s), please contact Pearson VUE at 1-866-EXAMTAC (392-6822) (toll-free) or visit their website.

When making your exam appointment, you’ll be asked to provide the following information:

• Enrollment name: Last name and first initial
• Student ID number
• Course-test series number

Pearson VUE needs 24 hours advance notice to schedule your exam. All appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis, and are subject to seating availability. No walk-in or same-day exams are available. Check with Pearson VUE if you are interested in testing that week.

At the end of the allowed testing time at the testing center, you’ll receive a pass/fail or pending grade and a summary of your performance by assignment. Your final exam grade will be posted to your Brightspace Classroom within 2 business days.

If enrolled in a program offering Personal Pathway®, a "pending" grade may appear for exams to indicate that the final course grade has yet to be calculated. The final course grade consists of the final exam score in addition to coursework and class participation.

If you’re unable to take your exam within your scheduled testing window or fail your exam, The College permits you to retake an exam for a fee for the CLU®, ChFC®, CFP® Certification Education, WMCP®, and RICP® Programs. You must wait at least two business days before you reschedule another appointment at a testing center for a failed exam. Other policies are dependent upon the program you enrolled in.

For CLU®, ChFC®, CFP® Certification Education, WMCP®, and RICP® Programs:

If you completed all your coursework and did not pass your exam on your first attempt, AND/OR it had been revoked by Pearson Vue, you may purchase an exam RETAKE for $140 from your Learning Hub within two months* (see important note below) of your non-passing first attempt LETTER grade posting to your transcript/grade report (retake fee for HS347 is $280). Please see the Grading/Assignment Attempt Info tab for info on accessing transcripts/grade reports when available.

*Important Note: Students who may be on an approved extension and seeking to initiate a Retake/Retest/Etc. (if applicable), please be mindful that you will lose access to course materials from which to study six months after your original course/exam deadline.

A RETAKE will open a brand new four-week exam window for you from the date of initiation. Please allow one business day for the retake request to process before logging into Pearson Vue to schedule.  Please see the Exam Info & FAQs tab for more info, and our FAQ pertaining to locating your course/exam deadline on our Learning Hub Navigation & More FAQs (Transfer of Credit/Prepaid Plans...) tab.

You will NOT need to complete the course requirements again if purchased within two months** (see important note below) of your non-passing first attempt grade posting. You will regain access to your course materials from which to study within one business day of initiating your RETAKE. You will be able to review all your prior coursework and materials from which to study: however, coursework grades and assignments will have been locked in already. You will only be testing again, not retaking the course. Sample & Practice Exams will remain active, however.

**Important Note: Students who may be on an approved extension and seeking to initiate a retake/retest/etc. (if applicable), please be mindful that you will lose access to course materials from which to study six months after your original course/exam deadline.

If you do not pass the exam on the second attempt, you will then be prompted to RE-ENROLL in the course: a $335 RE-ENROLL fee would apply, and you must start the course anew and complete all the coursework again. You can purchase this through your Learning Hub.

If you wait longer than two months from the time of your first unsuccessful exam attempt to initiate a retest, you will then be prompted to RE-ENROLL into the course: a $335 RE-ENROLL fee would apply and you must start the course anew and complete all the coursework again. You can purchase this through your Learning Hub.

For TPCP® and CAP® Programs (Self-Study With Requirements/SR Format):

To date, if a student fails or does not complete a course, the student will need to RE-ENROLL in that course and complete all required materials again for a $335 fee. Exam retakes are not available.

Learn more about TPCP® and CAP® policies on their Student Support & Advising pages.

For MSFP, AEP®, and Graduate Certificate Programs (Guided Study, GS Format):

To date, if a student fails or does not complete a course, the student will need to pay a $140 reschedule fee and re-enroll in the course when next available to retake the course. Retaking the course is subject to schedule of availability and the student must make appointments with academic advising for guidance and enrollment in these cases.

Learn more about MSFP and Graduate Certificate policies on their Student Support & Advising pages.

For All Programs:

Please note that your exam score isn’t the same as your final course score. Even though you failed an exam, you may have passed the class because of the points you earned in the required coursework. Wait to see what your final course score is to know if you’ll need to retake the final exam. 

Don’t call The College to cancel an appointment. Only Pearson VUE can cancel or reschedule your appointment. Contact Pearson VUE at 1-866-392-6822 or online to cancel or reschedule your exam. Don’t leave a voicemail message when making, changing, or canceling appointments.

Once you’ve canceled your appointment, you can reschedule your exam in the same examination window with any center and without charge, provided you cancel by 7 pm Central Time the business day before your appointment. If you want to reschedule, you must do so before the expiration date on your exam ticket.

If you’re taking your exam via OnVUE, you will be able to start checking in for your exam 30 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment time. Please make sure to clear your exam workspace, move all books and writing objects out of arm’s reach, unplug additional monitors and computers, and clear the walls of writing (e.g., on whiteboards). Also, make sure you use the restroom before your online exam begins because you’ll not be allowed to take a break during your exam.

During the check in process, you’ll be required to present one form of valid personal identification bearing your photo and/or physical description such as driver’s license, passport, employee ID card etc. Additional information on Pearson VUE’s OnVUE exam process can be found on the confirmation email you receive once your appointment is scheduled.

If you’re taking your exam at a testing center, be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment. For testing centers, you must bring one form of valid personal identification bearing your photo and/or physical description such as driver’s license, passport, employee ID card etc. with you to the testing center.

The use of a calculator is permitted during your course examination(s) whether the exam is taken via OnVUE or at a physical testing center. Scratch paper is not permitted - white boards are available at centers for your use and provided within the OnVue testing software.

Candidates can bring one hand-held,  battery- or solar-operated, non-printing scientific or financial calculator or request a test center calculator (if available). Acceptable calculators are HP 10B, HP10Bii, HP 10Bii+, HP 12 C, HP12C Platinum, HP 17Bii+, Sharp EL733, Sharp EL733a, Sharp EL738, TI Ba11 Plus, TI Ba11 Plus Professional, and TI Ba11 Plus Business Analyst (newer and older versions of these calculators are also allowed). Candidates must remove the calculator case and store it in the locked storage before they enter the testing room. If you’re taking your exam via OnVUE, please ensure the calculator is visible in the workstation photo you upload. There’s also an on-screen scientific calculator in the exam you may use.

The College's study materials for HS 300 and HS 328 support the HP-10BII calculator. We strongly recommend that you use a calculator supported by the course; however, you may use any financial calculator that meets the above specifications.

For HS 300 and HS 328, a calculator is required to answer some exam questions. For HS 321, HS 323, HS 326, HS 330, HS 331, and GS 811, we strongly recommend that you bring a calculator to the exams, although it’s not required to answer the questions. For other HS and GS course examinations, a calculator is neither required nor recommended.

We also recommend that you become proficient in using a financial calculator if you intend to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination, for which calculator use is required.

Exams are graded as "pass", "fail" or "pending" as soon as you complete it. However, all exams for HS courses are also assigned letter grades. You’ll receive the pass/fail/pending message as well as a printed performance analysis, which indicates assignments to review if you need to retake the exam. In several days, you’ll receive your official grade report, which will list a grade of A, B, or C if you passed the exam.

Please note, a pending grade is provided for students taking exams in the Personal Pathway® delivery model. The exam grade you receive from Pearson VUE is not your final course grade. You’ll receive your final course grade once you receive your official grade report from The College.

If you have any questions regarding the grading process, please contact an Academic Advisor at 866-313-1431.