Schedule & Take Exams

Testing Options

1.      Pearson VUE Online Proctored At-Home Testing (OnVUE)

2.      Pearson VUE In-Person Test Center

Approximately 20 minutes after you’ve paid the CDFM or CDFM-A application fee, which includes all the exams required to earn the certification, you should be able to schedule your exams by logging in your SDFM account and clicking on the My Exams section. When scheduling your exam, you will select either At-Home (OnVUE) Testing or Test Center Testing. Before scheduling an online proctored exam, run a System Test to ensure your computer meets the requirements for OnVUE at-home testing.

If you experience any difficulties with scheduling your exam, contact SDFM at certification@sdfm.org for assistance. 

ADA Accommodations

SDFM complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and wants to ensure that no eligible individual is deprived of the opportunity to take the exam solely by reason of a disability as defined under the ADA (or equivalent), as long as the disability is not one which would render the individual incapable of performing the duties of a certified position.

Candidates must identify their need for special accommodations at least 5 weeks before the desired testing date by making a request in writing to certification@sdfm.org, to include a letter reporting a formally-diagnosed, ADA-recognized disability from a qualified professional who has provided evaluation or treatment to the applicant. See the CDFM Candidate Handbook above, for details.

Preparing to Take Exams

Review Pearson VUE test center policies and procedures, such as ID requirements, no shows, inclement weather, and candidate emergencies. At the bottom of the page are helpful resources like a Pearson VUE demo test and what to expect at a Pearson VUE test center to help candidates mentally prepare for the testing process. 

Learn about Pearson VUE online proctored (OnVUE) testing policies and procedures, including ID and technical requirements, a system test, preparing your testing space, and the steps to check in and begin your exam. Additional resources like a video about what to expect for your online exam experience and an online testing guide (in the Policies and procedures dropdown) can help candidates familiarize themselves with the process in advance. 

Get a copy of the Candidate Handbook above, to review CDFM Program Exam Policies, including the Exam Retake Policy and waiting periods, Life of Passed Examinations, the Certification Process Time Limit, Exceptions to Policy, Refund Policy, as well as information about Exam Results, Scoring, Exam Score Reports, and Appeals.

If you fail an exam, an invoice to purchase a retake exam will be automatically added to your SDFM account in 48 hours. Log into your SDFM account, click on “My SDFM”, and select “My Invoices” to pay for the retake exam. After paying for the exam, you should see the exam available for scheduling in your “My Exams” section within an hour. Note that the retake waiting period is 14 days from an initial attempt and 28 days for additional retakes of the same module.