Candidates who have not recently graduated from a CFLE-approved academic program can take the CFLE exam to become certified. To qualify to sit for the exam you need at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university.

You can apply for either provisional or full certification:

• Provisional certification is available to those who have at least a bachelor's degree and can demonstrate knowledge in each of the 10 Family Life Education content areas, but who have not yet earned sufficient work experience hours in Family Life Education to qualify for full certification.
• Full certification is available for individuals who have earned the required amount of Family Life Education work experience.

Submission Requirements for CFLE Exam Application

You will apply online to become a CFLE through the CFLE exam application process. During the online application process, here is what you will be asked to do or provide:

• Update your NCFR profile (contact, employment, and education information)
• Select your level of certification — either provisional or full
• Select your exam window (the date range in which you will take the exam)
• Submit an original, official transcript showing degree completion and successful completion of the required coursework.
  • Your transcript must have a watermark, be embossed, or have other authenticating marks as described on the document. Official paper transcripts do not have to be mailed directly from the school or be in a sealed envelope. If you would like to submit an electronic transcript it must be an official transcript and be emailed to Emily Vang from the university ("Emily Vang" and the NCFR address needs to appear as the recipient if that information is required). Please note that we cannot accept photocopies of transcripts, or transcripts faxed, emailed, or printed by the applicant.
• Read and sign the CFLE Code of Professional Ethics
• Pay the application fee. If you would like to become an NCFR member to qualify for the member price, please join NCFR prior to completing your CFLE application. Please note: Application fees are nonrefundable.
  • Provisional certification exam application fee: $239 for NCFR members; $318 for nonmembers
  • Full certification exam application fee: $328 for NCFR members; $438 for nonmembers
  • All applicants must pay the application fee. Scholarships are available for first-time applicants who demonstrate financial need.

In addition to the items listed above, applicants pursuing full certification must also submit:

• documentation of relevant work experiences, including:
  • job title
  • start and end dates
  • total hours for each employment setting/activity
  • calculations showing how you arrived at those hours
  • brief description of activity, and
  • the content areas addressed.
• supporting documentation for each work experience (examples include course outlines/syllabi, brochures, handouts, worksheets, table of contents for curriculum, publications, etc.)
• employer verification and assessment forms for at least half of the work experience hours listed

For more information about the amount of Family Life Education work experience needed to be eligible to apply for full certification please visit the Work Experience for Full Certification page.
 

How to Apply Online

To start your exam application, log in at my.ncfr.org and, in the My CFLE Certification box, click the "Start Exam Application" button.

If you are not able to complete your application in one session, you will be able to save your progress and come back to the application later. Log back in at my.ncfr.org and in the My CFLE Certification box, click the "Continue" button under Exam Application to continue your application and payment.

Start Your Exam Application for CFLE >>
 

About CFLE Exam Content

The CFLE exam is based on an extensive practice analysis survey distributed to more than 8,000 family professionals. The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions.

The exam content is based upon 10 Family Life Education content areas. The percentage of questions for each content area is:

Families and Individuals in Societal Contexts	12%
Internal Dynamics of Families	12%
Human Growth and Development across the Lifespan	12%
Human Sexuality across the Lifespan	8%
Interpersonal Relationships	9%
Family Resource Management	10%
Parenting Education and Guidance	10%
Family Law and Public Policy	8%
Professional Ethics and Practice	7%
Family Life Education	12%

 

Exam Testing Locations, Dates, and Deadlines

Computer-Based Exam

The computer-based version of the exam is administered through Iso-Quality Testing at specified Prometric (SMT) testing sites throughout the world. NCFR has expanded their testing capacity by also allowing the exam to be completed via remote proctoring. Candidates have the option of selecting onsite testing or remote proctoring at the time that they schedule their exam. For more information on remote proctoring refer to the Prometric Remote Proctoring Guide.

More detailed testing location information will be available after you receive notice to schedule your exam but Prometric provides a list of potential testing locations that you can view prior to registering for the exam. **Please note that some testing locations will require proof of vaccination. Sites that Require Proof of Vaccination. 

Note: You cannot schedule your exam date until your exam application has been approved by NCFR. Candidates are given login and password information once they have submitted the CFLE exam application, have been approved to sit for the exam, and can select the preferred testing option (onsite or remote proctoring) at the time the exam is scheduled.

Candidates must schedule their CFLE exam within the given time frame of their chosen exam window. If you do not schedule your exam or notify the NCFR office and IQT/Prometric about an extension by the end of your chosen testing window, then your application will be denied, and your examination fee will be forfeited in its entirety. You will be required to reapply and pay an examination retake fee should you wish to schedule and take the CFLE Exam in future. Please refer to the CFLE Exam Policies and Procedures for more information. 

Exam Application Deadline	Exam Testing Period
Jan. 15	Feb. 15–May 15
Feb. 15	March 15–June 15
March 15	April 15–July 15
April 15	May 15–Aug. 15
May 15	June 15–Sept. 15
June 15	July 15–Oct. 15
July 15	Aug. 15–Nov. 15
Aug. 15	Sept. 15–Dec. 15
Sept. 15	Oct. 15–Jan. 15
Oct. 15	Nov. 15–Feb. 15
Nov. 15	Dec. 15–March 15

 

Written (Paper and Pencil) Exam

The CFLE exam is administered via paper and pencil on site at the NCFR Annual Conference.

The 2024 NCFR Annual Conference will be held Nov. 20-23 in Bellevue, Washington. The written CFLE exam will be administered on-site at the conference held at the Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, Washington. Time and date will be announced as we get closer to the conference date. 

The application deadline for the in-person CFLE Exam will be posted as we get closer to the conference date. 

 

CFLE Exam Retake Policy

If you fail the CFLE exam, you must wait at least three months from the exam date before taking it again (i.e: If your exam date was January 2, 2024, you must wait to re-apply for the February 15 deadline with the testing window of March 15 to June 15). There is a $153 fee to retake the CFLE exam.

If you fail the exam a third time, you must wait three months to retake the exam and submit evidence of continuing education or additional study.

To apply to retake the CFLE exam, log in at my.ncfr.org and in the My CFLE Certification box, click the "Retake Exam" button.

Note: If you applied to take the CFLE exam prior to May 2019 (using the paper application process), please log in at my.ncfr.org and in the My CFLE Certification, box click “Start my Certification.” Once you have started the application you will be asked if you have already taken the exam. Please select Yes.

 

CFLE Exam Score Reporting

CFLE exam scores are reported as a scaled score rather than a raw score of questions answered correctly, and is pass-fail in nature.

The reporting scale ranges from 0-1000, and the minimum passing scaled score will be set at 700. A candidate who achieves a scaled score at or above 700 on an examination will have passed the examination, while a candidate who scores below 700 will have failed the examination. Candidates who do not receive a passing score will be provided with diagnostic information so that they can see areas of strength and weakness. Candidates who receive a passing score will not receive any diagnostic information. They will only be told that they passed the exam.

Each examination is constructed to meet the content requirements described in the corresponding content outline. Each test form uses different questions, and therefore may vary slightly in difficulty. As always, a candidate's score will be based on the number of questions answered correctly but the raw score will be converted to and reported as a scaled score.

Proper psychometric procedures are employed to make certain that form difficulty is taken into account and that no candidate is at an advantage or disadvantage and therefore, raw scores are converted to scaled scores that represent comparable levels of achievement.
 

CFLE Exam Study Resources

 

The CFLE content and practice guidelines provide a detailed outline of concepts included on the CFLE exam. The exam study materials include books used in developing the exam questions, as well as other relevant resources and applicant-created study guides. Applicants are not expected to read all books listed; rather, they can review resources as needed. There is also a list of sample exam questions to review.

 

In addition, candidates have found NCFR's publication Family Life Education: The Practice of Family Science to be a helpful resource. It is available for purchase through the NCFR online store.

 

Start Your Exam Application for CFLE >>