- Which CFC This Cheat Sheet Covers
- The One-Page Fact Sheet
- The Four Preparation Domains at a Glance
- Domain 1: Legal Requirements
- Domain 2: Documentation & Filing
- Domain 3: Nondiscrimination Testing
- Domain 4: Transportation Plans
- Fees, Retakes, and Renewal Mechanics
- Conflicting Specs You May See Online
- A Domain-Ordered Review Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CFC here means Certified in Flexible Compensation, issued through ECFC's subsidiary, Flexible Compensation Institute, LLC (FCI).
- The current exam has 75 multiple-choice questions, a three-hour limit, and a 60% minimum passing score.
- FCS certification is the prerequisite; passing the CFC exam upgrades your FCS to CFC.
- The Study Course + Exam package costs $574 for members or $1,024 for non-members, with exam access required within 120 days.
Which CFC This Cheat Sheet Covers
The acronym "CFC" is shared by several unrelated credentials. This page is only about Certified in Flexible Compensation, the designation offered through the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC). Certification programs are run by ECFC's wholly owned subsidiary, Flexible Compensation Institute, LLC (FCI). The CFC is the advanced step for professionals who administer cafeteria plans and related tax-advantaged benefit programs. It is not a financial-planning, fraud-examiner, or any other "CFC" credential, and the separate ACFC examination is outside this site's scope.
If you are still orienting yourself, the explainers on what CFC is and what CFC stands for cover the naming question in more depth. This article is the compressed, review-the-night-before version.
The One-Page Fact Sheet
Everything that is checkable about the current exam fits in one table. Memorize these before you worry about anything else.
| Item | Current CFC Fact |
|---|---|
| Issuer | ECFC, with programs provided by Flexible Compensation Institute, LLC (FCI) |
| Prerequisite | FCS certification, then the CFC Study Course, then a passing CFC exam |
| Result of passing | FCS is upgraded to CFC |
| Exam format | 75 multiple-choice questions |
| Time limit | Three hours once the examination starts |
| Minimum passing score | 60% |
| Exam access window | Required within 120 days of purchase |
| Delivery | Online through your ECFC/FCI My Learning account |
| Package price | $574 members / $1,024 non-members (Study Course + Exam bundle) |
| Retake fee | $90 |
| Validity | Three years |
| Renewal | 12 CE units earned in the preceding three years; $150 members / $300 non-members |
For a deeper look at what the 60% threshold means in practice, see the dedicated guide to the CFC passing score.
The Four Preparation Domains at a Glance
The study program is organized into four preparation sessions. They are an unweighted curriculum structure, not an official percentage blueprint, so do not assume equal or proportional question counts. Treat all four as testable and allocate review time based on your own gaps. The package includes four recorded self-paced courses, four PowerPoint presentations, and a study guide, which map neatly onto these four areas.
| Domain | Core Subject Matter |
|---|---|
| 1. Legal Requirements | Cafeteria-plan eligibility, elections, contributions, interacting benefit laws |
| 2. Documentation & Filing | Plan documents, benefit arrangements, ERISA, Form 5500, TPA bonding/licensing, W-2 reporting |
| 3. Nondiscrimination Testing | Section 125, Section 105, and dependent-care tests |
| 4. Transportation Plans | Section 132(f) transit, vanpooling, and parking |
A fuller walkthrough lives in the complete guide to all four CFC content areas. The sections below give the cheat-sheet version of each.
Domain 1: Legal Requirements
Legal Requirements
This area is the foundation of cafeteria-plan administration: who can participate, how choices are made, how money flows, and how other benefit laws interact with the plan.
- Eligibility: who may participate in a cafeteria plan and who may not
- Elections: when elections are made, what makes them binding, and the circumstances in which they can be changed
- Contributions: how salary-reduction and employer contributions work within the plan
- Interacting benefit laws: how a cafeteria plan sits alongside other federal benefit requirements
Because the exam is multiple choice, expect scenario-style questions that test whether you can apply an eligibility or election rule to a described employee situation. Know the rule, then know the exceptions, since the exceptions are where answer choices get tricky. Candidates arriving via FCS already know the vocabulary; the CFC pushes you to apply it more precisely.
Domain 2: Documentation & Filing
Documentation & Filing
This domain is the paperwork and compliance backbone. A plan that works on paper but is not properly documented and reported is a plan in trouble.
- Plan documents: what must be written down and maintained
- Benefit arrangements: how individual benefits fit within the overall plan structure
- ERISA: the federal framework governing many employee benefit plans
- Form 5500: the annual return/report filing associated with benefit plans
- TPA bonding and licensing: requirements relating to third-party administrators
- W-2 reporting: how benefits are reflected on employee wage statements
This is the most acronym-dense domain, so build a one-line definition for each term: ERISA, Form 5500, TPA, W-2. A common failure mode is recognizing a term but not knowing which obligation attaches to it. Practice pairing each document or form with the party responsible and the situation that triggers it.
Domain 3: Nondiscrimination Testing
Nondiscrimination Testing
This domain covers the tests that keep tax-favored benefits from disproportionately favoring highly paid or key employees.
- Section 125 tests: the tests applied to cafeteria plans
- Section 105 tests: the tests tied to self-insured medical reimbursement arrangements
- Dependent-care tests: the tests applied to dependent-care assistance
Testing topics reward structured memorization. For each test, be able to state which plan type it applies to, who the test compares, and what the consequence of failing is. Many candidates find this the most conceptually demanding area because it blends definitions with applied reasoning. If you want a candid read on where candidates struggle, the CFC difficulty guide discusses the exam's challenge level qualitatively.
Domain 4: Transportation Plans
Transportation Plans
The smallest-sounding domain is still fair game, and it is highly learnable because it is narrow and rule-driven.
- Section 132(f) transit: qualified transit benefits
- Vanpooling: how commuter highway vehicle arrangements fit in
- Parking: qualified parking benefits and how they are treated
Because the domain is narrow, it is a good place to pick up reliable points. Learn the three benefit categories under Section 132(f) cold, and be ready to distinguish them when a question describes an employee's commute arrangement. Do not skip it just because it feels peripheral to cafeteria-plan work.
Fees, Retakes, and Renewal Mechanics
The money and logistics facts are easy to get wrong because they come in bundles. Keep the following straight.
- Bundled pricing: $574 for members or $1,024 for non-members covers the Study Course + Exam package. These are not standalone exam-only fees.
- Package contents: four recorded self-paced courses, four PowerPoint presentations, a study guide, and six CE units.
- Exam access: required within 120 days of purchase, through your ECFC/FCI online My Learning account.
- Retake fee: $90.
- Renewal: every three years, with 12 CE units earned during the preceding three years and a fee of $150 for members or $300 for non-members.
- Grace period: six months after the renewal deadline. A longer lapse requires retaking the examination.
- Outside CE: approved outside CE can incur a $20-per-unit administration fee.
Key Takeaway
Do the 120-day math before you buy. The access window starts at purchase, so purchase only when you can realistically complete the four sessions and sit the exam inside that window. For the full cost picture, including renewal, see the CFC certification cost breakdown.
Eligibility details, including the FCS prerequisite, are covered in CFC requirements, and scheduling specifics are in the CFC exam dates guide.
Conflicting Specs You May See Online
If you search around, you may encounter an older issuer badge description that mentions 100 questions, a 12-hour course, and three years of industry experience. Those legacy specifications do not match the current CFC page, which specifies 75 multiple-choice questions, a three-hour examination, an FCS prerequisite, and a four-session study program. For exam day, plan around the current figures.
A Domain-Ordered Review Sequence
Generic scheduling advice is less useful than ordering your review by how the material builds. This sequence follows the dependency chain between the four domains, and it fits comfortably inside the 120-day access window.
Legal Requirements
- Rebuild eligibility, election, and contribution rules first, since later domains assume them
- List the interacting benefit laws and what each one touches
Documentation & Filing
- Make a term sheet: ERISA, Form 5500, TPA bonding/licensing, W-2 reporting
- Pair each filing with its trigger and responsible party
Nondiscrimination Testing
- Study the Section 125, Section 105, and dependent-care tests side by side
- Write what each test compares and what failure means
Transportation Plans plus full review
- Cover Section 132(f) transit, vanpooling, and parking
- Spend remaining time on practice questions and your weakest domain
Testing comes after the legal and documentation foundations because the tests only make sense once you know what is being tested and who is covered. Transportation plans go last because they are self-contained and quick to absorb. For a fuller plan, see the CFC study guide, and for practice questions in the exam's multiple-choice style, try the CFC practice tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
The current CFC page and certification FAQ specify 75 multiple-choice questions with a three-hour limit once the examination starts. The minimum passing score is 60%.
Yes. The current prerequisite is FCS certification, followed by the CFC Study Course and a passing CFC examination. Successful completion upgrades your FCS to CFC. See the CFC requirements guide for details.
The Study Course + Exam package is $574 for members or $1,024 for non-members. These are bundled prices rather than exam-only fees. A retake costs $90. The pricing breakdown explains how renewal fits in.
Certification is valid for three years. Renewal requires 12 CE units earned during the preceding three years and a fee of $150 for members or $300 for non-members. A six-month grace period applies, and a longer lapse requires retaking the examination.
That depends on your role and goals. The CFC deepens your command of legal requirements, documentation, testing, and transportation plans, which can matter for advanced administration work. The ROI analysis and salary guide take a measured look at the tradeoffs without relying on invented figures.