Requirements For Obtaining The CFE Designation

There are six types of requirements for obtaining the CFE designation. They are:

  1. CFE designation requirement
    To qualify for the CFE designation, you must have obtained the AFE designation or be applying for the AFE designation concurrently with the application for the CFE designation. A CFE designation will not be granted until the AFE designation is obtained. This may occur on the same day, but the AFE designation requirements must be met before the CFE can be obtained.

  2. Education requirements
    To qualify for the CFE designation, you must have:

    Successfully completed three semester hours of a Management course from an accredited college or university or its demonstrable equivalent, and you must provide evidence of the successful completion of this course by either a certificate of completion or a college transcript.

    Note that the Management courses offered by CPCU, LOMA, and CLU will satisfy this requirement. For more information about their courses in Management, visit their websites at www.aicpcu.org, www.loma.org, and www.theamericancollege.edu.

  3. Examination requirements
    To qualify for the CFE designation, you must successfully complete the three CFE examinations administered by the Society of Financial Examiners. The three CFE exams are:

    • CFE1 - Examination Methods and Management
    • CFE2 - Analysis and Evaluation Procedures
    • CFE3 - Reinsurance
    The information about registering for these examinations is provided at http://www.sofe.org/testing/. To assist in studying for these examinations, the Society provides study guides and textbook materials. A description of these study items is also provided at http://www.sofe.org/testing/. You are welcome to take CFE exams prior to receiving the AFE designation but must receive the AFE designation prior to receiving the CFE designation.

  4. Work-related experience requirements
    To qualify for the CFE designation, you must currently be an insurance department employee or be self-employed with a contract for services with an insurance department and have three (3) years of continuous, responsible insurance department examination experience as a financial examiner or financial analyst. Note that the two years required for the AFE designation, qualify as the first two years of the requirement for the CFE, therefore, you only need to obtain one additional year.

  5. Membership requirements
    To qualify for the CFE designation, you must be a member in good standing of the Society of Financial Examiners.

  6. Application approval requirements
    To receive the CFE designation, you must submit an application to headquarters and it must be approved first by the Insurance Membership committee, who will then recommend it for approval by the Executive Committee of the Society. Upon approval by the Executive Committee, the designation will become effective.

    Applications for the CFE designation may be found on the Society's website at www.sofe.org under the link for SOFE Forms and then under Education. The application should be submitted to SOFE management by USPS, fax or email during the month prior to the EC meeting. For example, for a January vote, please submit your application during the month of December. The Executive Committee meets quarterly and usually in the months of January, April, July and October. However, the dates vary from year to year, so please refer to the SOFE website at www.sofe.org under the link for Leadership.