CGFM Examination Policies

NOTE: From September 1 to October 31, CGFM examinations will be in the beta period of our 2024 Examinations Update

The three CGFM Examinations are administered year-round in a computerized format on behalf of AGA by Pearson VUE at their Professional Testing Centers or at your location through OnVUE online proctoring. CGFM candidates (individuals who have applied and been accepted into the CGFM Program) can schedule an appointment with Pearson VUE. The examination fee of $135 per examination must be paid by credit card at the time of scheduling.

  1. Please review the examination policies found on this page 
  2. Click on one of the two options below and review the specific scheduling instructions and procedures applicable to that location prior to scheduling your appointment

Testing Policies and Procedures

Please be sure to review the applicable instructions and procedures found on the either testing center or online exam appointment pages, including specific identification requirements and cancellation policies. Failure to follow these instructions and procedures may result in you not being able to take the exam and forfeiting your exam fee.

Americans with Disabilities Act Candidates

Any candidate with a documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, who needs an accommodation to the usual testing conditions may request special testing accommodations (such as additional testing time or a reader) to take the CGFM examinations at a Pearson VUE testing center.

Note: some testing accommodations may only be available at Pearson VUE testing centers, due to the nature of online proctored exams.

The candidate must submit:

  • Testing Accommodations Request Form, and
  • Documentation from a qualified diagnosing professional with the specific diagnosis of the disability and a recommendation for a testing accommodation. Absent special circumstances, this documentation must be dated within the last five years. Any professional providing documentation must be registered/licensed and/or have credentials appropriate to diagnose the candidate’s disability.

The Testing Accommodations Request Form and the accompanying documentation should be submitted at the time of application for the CGFM Program – via email at agacgfm@agacgfm.org or mail (AGA, 2208 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA 22301). The requested accommodation may not compromise the security or integrity of the CGFM Examinations.

Score Reporting

Upon completing each CGFM Examination, test takers receive an immediate pass/fail result that is printed and provided to the test taker at a testing center or visible on the screen following an online exam. Individuals who passed an exam will receive a result that states "you have passed"; individuals who did not pass will receive one that lists their scaled score and can access a more detailed score report that also includes their level of performance in each content area through their Pearson VUE account. A scaled score provides an examination score on a scale that is linked to the raw score. CGFM examinations use a scale of 200-700, with 500 as the passing score. Please note: only the most recent score report for each exam is accessible through the Pearson VUE account, so individuals should consider printing the applicable score report prior to retaking an exam.

Retaking Examinations

In the event that you fail a CGFM Examination, you must wait 30 days before you can retake this examination. Additional retakes require a 60-day wait. In the interim, you may take the other exams. You can go to the Pearson VUE website and register before the 30 or 60-day period is over (please wait at least 7 days after taking the test before registering for a retake), but your appointment date will only be available after you’ve satisfied the appropriate waiting period. The retake fee is the same as the original exam fee - $135 per exam.

Requests for a waiver of an exam retake fee

Requests for waiving an exam retake fee due to extraordinary circumstances that effected the CGFM examination testing registration and/or administration must be submitted to AGA in writing within 30 days of the exam testing date. To be considered, an incident report must have been filed with Pearson VUE testing administrator during the exam testing registration or administration. In addition, the extraordinary circumstances must be outside the control of the candidate, must have made the candidate’s experience different from other candidates and must have been severe enough to account for examination failure or ability to test. The candidate must fully describe the extraordinary circumstances and reasons for requesting a waiver and submit the request to the Director of Professional Certification via email at agacgfm@agacgfm.org or mail (AGA, 2208 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA 22301) within 30 days of the exam testing date.

Examinee Misconduct

AGA reserves the right to take any and all remedial and disciplinary action that AGA, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate in the event of misconduct or suspected misconduct by an examinee. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, completing the CGFM application in a false or misleading manner, seeking an unfair advantage in connection with any CGFM Examination, providing assistance to another candidate during an examination, using unauthorized materials during an examination, and, upon becoming aware of misconduct by others, failing to report it to AGA. Other examples of misconduct are the copying or removal of CGFM Examination materials, as well as the disclosure, in writing or orally, of the contents of any individual examination questions.

Possible responses of AGA to misconduct or suspected misconduct include, but are not limited to, cancellation of exam scores, disqualification from online examinations, disqualification from all future examinations, revocation of certified status, and reporting of misconduct to third parties, including employers and other certifying bodies. If misconduct is discovered after certified status has been achieved, it may be treated as a violation of the AGA’s Code of Ethics.

Exam Content Feedback

While taking the exam, you can provide feedback on individual exam questions using the “Comment” button.

To ensure the security of the CGFM Examinations, that is the only way to provide any feedback on CGFM Examination content and individual CGFM Examination questions. CGFM Examinations have extra time built into the testing period that gives candidates an opportunity to comment on testing questions. As per the Confidentiality Statement on the CGFM Application, candidates may not discuss any CGFM examination questions outside the examination testing period with anyone, including other candidates, testing center personnel, course instructors or AGA staff.

AGA strives to ensure that CGFM Examinations are up-to-date and meet the standards of the testing and certification industry.  All questions undergo pre-testing and statistical review before they are used live on an examination to ensure that all questions are fair, valid and reliable.  Candidates’ comments submitted during the examinations are reviewed by test development specialists and Subject Matter Experts.