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Anyone here passed the CPFO exam? What topics should I focus on while studying?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently preparing for the GFOA Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) exam and was hoping to hear from those of you who’ve already taken it.

What topics or sections did you find most challenging or important to focus on? Were there any areas that were more heavily weighted or commonly overlooked by candidates?

Also, if you used any specific resources (books, courses, practice exams), I’d really appreciate your recommendations.

Thanks in advance, any insights would be a big help!

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am 29. Mai 2025

I passed the GFOA Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) certification exam last year and have been working in public finance for more than five years, mostly at the municipal level. Happy to share some thoughts that might help with your CPFO exam preparation.

Focus most on the GAFR section (accounting and financial reporting). It’s definitely the most technical and heavily weighted. Make sure you’re comfortable with fund accounting, GASB standards, and reading ACFRs.

Budgeting and debt management are also important, but a bit more intuitive if you already work in public finance. Investment and treasury is trickier than it looks, don’t skip it.

A lot of people overlook internal controls and ethics, but they do show up in CPFO exam questions.

I mainly used GFOA’s LMS courses and the Blue Book. The CPFO practice exam from CertBoosters was super helpful, It lines up well with the GFOA material and the questions felt pretty similar to the real exam.

Good luck, it’s a tough exam, but manageable with consistent study!

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Rita
Coach
am 28. Mai 2025
Excel in Finance | FREE 15 Minutes Intro Call | Personalised Preparation

Hi Andrew!

I haven’t taken the CPFO myself, but I’ve heard from a few people who have gone through it.

They mentioned that it's really helpful to focus on the fundamentals of government accounting and financial reporting, those areas seem to come up a lot. Budgeting and treasury management also seem to be key sections. Some people said internal controls and debt management were a bit trickier than expected, just because they’re often overlooked during prep.

As for resources, the GFOA’s own materials are usually a good place to start. A few candidates also found online practice exams useful to get a feel for the question format.

Wishing you all the best.

And props to you for going for it! 🤞🏻

Rita

am 9. Juni 2025
JPMorganChase | CFA® Charterholder | IIFT Delhi (MBA Silver Medalist, Rank-2) | BITS Pilani | DPS (Gold Medalist)

Appreciate the thoughtful question — sounds like you’re approaching this the right way. The CPFO exam from GFOA covers a wide range of public finance topics, and while the material isn’t necessarily difficult conceptually, the challenge is in the breadth and practical understanding needed across different areas of government finance.

Most people who’ve taken the CPFO say the most challenging parts are debt management and treasury, and to some extent, risk management. These aren’t just about definitions or rules — they test your understanding of how these areas work in real-world public sector situations. You need to understand not just what tools exist but how and when to use them, and how they tie into broader financial strategy.

Another section that trips people up is accounting and financial reporting — especially if you're coming from a private-sector accounting background. Government accounting is a different animal with its own standards (GASB) and nuances like fund accounting, modified accrual basis, and so on. People often overlook these thinking they’re similar to GAAP, but they’re not.

As for what’s heavily weighted, financial reporting and budgeting usually carry significant weight. A solid grasp of budgeting processes, long-term financial planning, and revenue forecasting will serve you well. On the other hand, areas like procurement and human resources get a bit less attention, but you should still be familiar with them.

In terms of resources, most candidates lean heavily on GFOA’s own CPFO candidate guide and recommended readings. A lot of the material comes from actual GFOA publications, so reviewing those gives you an advantage. The self-paced CPFO program that GFOA offers is very helpful — especially the practice questions and the explanations behind them. A few people also used MuniNet or even general public finance textbooks to get additional context. But honestly, the GFOA materials are the most targeted and useful.

One last tip — don’t just memorize definitions. The exam expects you to apply concepts. For example, understanding why a local government might choose a particular debt structure over another in a given scenario. Think more about decision-making frameworks and less about textbook theory.

If you’re steady with your study plan and review the material consistently, you’ll be in a good position. Let me know what section you're currently on — happy to dive deeper into that if you want.

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