GFOA Certification
What is the GFOA Certified Public Finance Officers Program?
The Certified Public Finance Officers Program (Certification Program) of the
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)
is a broad educational self-study program designed to verify knowledge in the
disciplines of government finance. The Certification Program was designed by the
GFOA Executive Board and is being implemented by the Council on Certification,
the governing body for the program.
To earn the designation of Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), candidates
must pass a series of five examinations covering the major disciplines of public
finance. A candidate has seven years in which to successfully complete the
program. Once earned, the CPFO designation is maintained by participating in 30
hours of continuing professional education each year.
The Certification Program offers the following examinations:
*Governmental Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting
*Cash Management and Investments
*Debt Management
*Operating and Capital Budgeting
*Pensions & Benefits, Risk Management and Procurement
An individual need not commit to taking all five examinations to benefit from
participating in the program. Each examination is of such scope and quality that
passing any one examination constitutes a recognizable achievement.
While GFOA certifies that an individual who passes one or more of GFOA’s
certification examinations, demonstrates certain competencies, GFOA withholds an
opinion as to the capabilities of any individual to successfully perform in a given
position. GFOA encourages prospective employers and employees to share
information regarding the requirements of the position and the capabilities of the
candidate in a forthright manner to promote sound employment and professional
decisions.
Eligibility Requirements
An applicant must establish eligibility to participate in the Certification Program.
Information supplied on an application or as part of documentation provided to
establish eligibility is considered confidential and will not be released unless
authorized by the applicant.
All information provided by or on behalf of an applicant is assumed to be truthful.
The GFOA reserves the right to verify information supplied by or on behalf of an
applicant. The GFOA does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, or
physical or mental handicap.
To participate in the Certification Program, a candidate must meet the following
eligibility requirements:
a. Education: A candidate must have, at a minimum, a baccalaureate degree from
an accredited institution. An official transcript reflecting the candidate’s degree is
accepted as fulfilling this criterion. If the transcript is in a language other than
English, a certified translation into English is required. An official transcript must be
submitted with any application. A candidate-produced photocopy is not acceptable.
b. Current Employment: A candidate must (i) have as primary employment a
position with a government, or (ii) be last primarily employed in government and
currently unemployed and actively seeking employment in government. A
candidate’s signature following the statement on the application fulfills this
requirement.
c. Employment History: A candidate must have had at least three (3) years of
primary government employment during the previous ten (10) years at the time of
application for each examination. A history of employment reflecting the prescribed
government experience submitted on an “employment history” form provided by the
GFOA fulfills this requirement. An employment history must be submitted with any
application.
d. GFOA Membership: A candidate who is employed with a government must be (i)
an active member of the GFOA or (ii) eligible for active membership in the GFOA at
the time of application for each examination.
For the purpose of establishing eligibility for the Certification Program, an active
member of the GFOA is defined as an individual who meets any of the following
conditions:
The individual is employed by a GFOA member jurisdiction and holds a
membership included in the base membership dues.
The individual is employed by a GFOA member jurisdiction and does not hold a
membership included in the base membership dues, but holds membership through
payment for an additional member.
The individual is employed by a state, or province or the federal government, and
holds membership in GFOA through payment for an individual member.
For the purpose of establishing eligibility for the Certification Program, eligible for
active membership in the GFOA is defined as an individual who meets either of the
following conditions:
The individual is employed by a GFOA member jurisdiction, but the individual does
not hold a membership included in the base membership dues or a membership
through payment for an additional member.
The individual is employed by a jurisdiction that is not a GFOA member, but the
jurisdiction is eligible for membership.
e. Ethics: A candidate must accept and observe the GFOA Code of Professional
Ethics. A candidate’s signature following the statement on the application fulfills
this requirement.
Content of Examinations: · A special committee was appointed for each
examination to define the body of knowledge to be tested on the examination.
Committees were charged with preparing “draft” inventories of the tasks performed by
a practicing public finance officer. Once the lists of job responsibilities were
prepared, members of the GFOA’s standing committees were asked to review
inventories for completeness and to rate responsibilities by relative importance.
Results of these surveys serve as the basis for specifications for certification
examinations. · Each edition of a certification examination is constructed in
accordance with examination specifications that list topics to be covered and
assign numbers of examination items to topics. Presented in outline form,
examination specifications ensure that the character of the examination remains
consistent from one edition to the next. · Each examination is composed of up to
175 multiple-choice items presented in the English language. A multiple-choice
item consists of a stem, which poses a problem, and possible answers. Only one
possible answer is correct or best. For GFOA certification examinations, each item
has four or five possible answers. Examination specifications, reading list, study
material order form and sample examination items for all five examinations can be
found in the Candidate’s Guide to GFOA’s Certification Program.
For your convenience, the complete Candidate’s Guide, application forms and
instructions are available for download in Adobe Acrobat® Reader format. Please
visit the GFOA forms site to download the correct forms.
What is the GFOA Certified Public Finance Officers Program?
The Certified Public Finance Officers Program (Certification Program) of the
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)
is a broad educational self-study program designed to verify knowledge in the
disciplines of government finance. The Certification Program was designed by the
GFOA Executive Board and is being implemented by the Council on Certification,
the governing body for the program.
To earn the designation of Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), candidates
must pass a series of five examinations covering the major disciplines of public
finance. A candidate has seven years in which to successfully complete the
program. Once earned, the CPFO designation is maintained by participating in 30
hours of continuing professional education each year.
The Certification Program offers the following examinations:
*Governmental Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting
*Cash Management and Investments
*Debt Management
*Operating and Capital Budgeting
*Pensions & Benefits, Risk Management and Procurement
An individual need not commit to taking all five examinations to benefit from
participating in the program. Each examination is of such scope and quality that
passing any one examination constitutes a recognizable achievement.
While GFOA certifies that an individual who passes one or more of GFOA’s
certification examinations, demonstrates certain competencies, GFOA withholds an
opinion as to the capabilities of any individual to successfully perform in a given
position. GFOA encourages prospective employers and employees to share
information regarding the requirements of the position and the capabilities of the
candidate in a forthright manner to promote sound employment and professional
decisions.
Eligibility Requirements
An applicant must establish eligibility to participate in the Certification Program.
Information supplied on an application or as part of documentation provided to
establish eligibility is considered confidential and will not be released unless
authorized by the applicant.
All information provided by or on behalf of an applicant is assumed to be truthful.
The GFOA reserves the right to verify information supplied by or on behalf of an
applicant. The GFOA does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, or
physical or mental handicap.
To participate in the Certification Program, a candidate must meet the following
eligibility requirements:
a. Education: A candidate must have, at a minimum, a baccalaureate degree from
an accredited institution. An official transcript reflecting the candidate’s degree is
accepted as fulfilling this criterion. If the transcript is in a language other than
English, a certified translation into English is required. An official transcript must be
submitted with any application. A candidate-produced photocopy is not acceptable.
b. Current Employment: A candidate must (i) have as primary employment a
position with a government, or (ii) be last primarily employed in government and
currently unemployed and actively seeking employment in government. A
candidate’s signature following the statement on the application fulfills this
requirement.
c. Employment History: A candidate must have had at least three (3) years of
primary government employment during the previous ten (10) years at the time of
application for each examination. A history of employment reflecting the prescribed
government experience submitted on an “employment history” form provided by the
GFOA fulfills this requirement. An employment history must be submitted with any
application.
d. GFOA Membership: A candidate who is employed with a government must be (i)
an active member of the GFOA or (ii) eligible for active membership in the GFOA at
the time of application for each examination.
For the purpose of establishing eligibility for the Certification Program, an active
member of the GFOA is defined as an individual who meets any of the following
conditions:
The individual is employed by a GFOA member jurisdiction and holds a
membership included in the base membership dues.
The individual is employed by a GFOA member jurisdiction and does not hold a
membership included in the base membership dues, but holds membership through
payment for an additional member.
The individual is employed by a state, or province or the federal government, and
holds membership in GFOA through payment for an individual member.
For the purpose of establishing eligibility for the Certification Program, eligible for
active membership in the GFOA is defined as an individual who meets either of the
following conditions:
The individual is employed by a GFOA member jurisdiction, but the individual does
not hold a membership included in the base membership dues or a membership
through payment for an additional member.
The individual is employed by a jurisdiction that is not a GFOA member, but the
jurisdiction is eligible for membership.
e. Ethics: A candidate must accept and observe the GFOA Code of Professional
Ethics. A candidate’s signature following the statement on the application fulfills
this requirement.
Content of Examinations: · A special committee was appointed for each
examination to define the body of knowledge to be tested on the examination.
Committees were charged with preparing “draft” inventories of the tasks performed by
a practicing public finance officer. Once the lists of job responsibilities were
prepared, members of the GFOA’s standing committees were asked to review
inventories for completeness and to rate responsibilities by relative importance.
Results of these surveys serve as the basis for specifications for certification
examinations. · Each edition of a certification examination is constructed in
accordance with examination specifications that list topics to be covered and
assign numbers of examination items to topics. Presented in outline form,
examination specifications ensure that the character of the examination remains
consistent from one edition to the next. · Each examination is composed of up to
175 multiple-choice items presented in the English language. A multiple-choice
item consists of a stem, which poses a problem, and possible answers. Only one
possible answer is correct or best. For GFOA certification examinations, each item
has four or five possible answers. Examination specifications, reading list, study
material order form and sample examination items for all five examinations can be
found in the Candidate’s Guide to GFOA’s Certification Program.
For your convenience, the complete Candidate’s Guide, application forms and
instructions are available for download in Adobe Acrobat® Reader format. Please
visit the GFOA forms site to download the correct forms.
NGFOA Membership
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