USPFE
- Economic Empowerment Project
- Entrepreneurship Certification Examination
- Ordering, Testing & Support
- Purchase/Order Exam
- Personal Finance Certification Examination
- Entrepreneurship Institute--Middle/Secondary
- Entrepreneurship Institute--Adult Ed
- Personal Finance Institute--Middle/Secondary
- Personal Finance Institute--Adult Ed
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U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination
COMING SOON *** COMING SOON *** COMING SOON ***
Personal finance knowledge and skills offer freedom, hope, and empowerment, creating a less stressful future filled with agency and financial choices while breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and reducing the risk of financial dependence, exploitation and fraud.
Click here for the full Making the Case article and references.
TARGET POPULATIONS
All high school students and adult learners are welcome to take the U.S. Personal Finance Certification Examination (USPFCE). However, the target populations include:
High school students in Title 1 schools or reading below grade level
Adult learners with limited education, income, or literacy
RATIONALE
The personal finance knowledge and skills required for low socioeconomic individuals and high socioeconomic individuals often differ based on their financial situations, access to resources, and financial goals. While both groups should be financially literate, low-income individuals often focus more on survival, managing immediate financial needs, and navigating challenges related to limited resources. In contrast, high-income individuals tend to focus on wealth building, investment strategies, tax optimization, and long-term financial planning. Both groups benefit from financial literacy, but the depth and focus of the knowledge and skills differ based on their financial context.
NEED
Career preparation requires knowing how to successfully earn and manage money. The USPFCE is an important step toward financial security for the target populations who lack readiness for and access to more advanced certifications by assessing more foundational, practical, and timely personal finance knowledge and skills.
SCOPE
The USPFCE is an entry-level exam that is customized to assess a foundational understanding of practical and timely personal finance knowledge and skills that the target populations need to know “yesterday” (e.g., setting up a bank account and starting a 401K for retirement) rather than more abstract content (e.g., how banks and stock markets work) that are topics assessed by more advanced certifications.
LITERACY LEVEL
The USPFCE is written on a lower middle school reading level but still includes the same important personal finance content required for successful money management by high school students and adult learners.
INDUSTRY APPROVED
The USPFCE is approved by academic experts and industry leaders from the following stakeholder groups: banking, credit unions, insurance, credit cards, wealth management, certified financial planning, universities, community colleges, adult education (ABE, HSE/GED, ESL), correctional education, workforce development, immigrant services, tribal nations, and Title 1 high schools. The specific names of businesses and education organizations are withheld to avoid the perception of commercial solicitation and endorsement.
CTE & IET FINANCE PROGRAMS
Personal finance knowledge and skills are transferable to entry-level finance careers requiring a high school diploma for those who are just starting out in the finance industry, looking to gain on-the-job training needed for promotions or further education and more advanced certifications. Examples include: bank teller, customer service representative (financial accounts), loan processor, accounting clerk, bookkeeper, insurance agent assistant, credit analyst assistant, collections representative, financial services representative, tax preparer assistant, and sales support in investment firms.
PREPARATION RESOURCES
The Exam Resources Package includes:
- Free Exam Manual
- Credential Administrators & Partners
- Examination Information, Administration & Ordering
- Examination Blueprint
- Personal Finance Competencies
- Study Guide / Curriculum Framework
- Practice Exam
- Vocabulary List