Industry Value

At this time, industry recognition of the quality and integrity of the CFPS/CFPP Exam process and the value of these designations is widespread enough that companies around the world now commonly include FPA and IFPUG Certification requirements in contracts.

As companies use FPA more and more in their contracts, IFPUG, as the body who certifies an individual’s capability, must ensure that the certified individual does indeed have the required expertise. Therefore, ongoing renewal that includes active testing is required to maintain the current high status of the CFPS/CFPP designation and to maintain IFPUG’s reputation as the certifying body.

Both the CFPS and the CFPP designations allow customers and providers to have additional qualified personnel involved with a counting activity.

Exam Structure

The Exam is structured so that both the knowledge and the ability to apply the definitions and rules as published in the current CPM are tested. The three-hour exam currently is composed of three sections: Definition, Implementation, Case Study.

• The Definition section consists of 50 multiple-choice questions. The Definition section specifically tests the individual’s knowledge of definitions and rules.
• The Implementation section consists of 50 multiple-choice questions. The Implementation section indirectly tests the individual’s knowledge of definitions and rules, and directly tests the individual’s ability to apply the definitions and rules through small story problems.
• The Case Study section consists of 10 case studies, with 90 to 100 associated line items. The Case Study section directly tests the individual’s ability to apply the definitions and rules of the CPM using varying case topics.

The Exam is created in English and is usually administered in English. However, bi-lingual CFPS will occasionally volunteer to work with the CC to translate the exam to other languages. For example, regional Exams have recently been offered in Italian, Portuguese and Korean. As stated previously, the purpose of the exam is to test the candidate’s knowledge and his/her ability to apply that knowledge. The proctor will allow a maximum of three (3) consecutive hours to complete the CFPS exam. There will be no scheduled breaks during the three (3) hours. The purpose is not to test the candidate’s English language skills. For that reason, if a participant has difficulty with the language of the exam because that language is not their native language, or is not one of the primary business languages of the country, they may request an additional thirty (30) minutes of exam time. An individual can be considered competent in a language when he/she has the knowledge that enables him/her to speak and understand that language. Time extension requests must be made prior to the start of the exam, and are granted at the sole discretion of the proctor. Note: Time extensions are made on a person by person basis and are not to be given to all participants.

It is the CC’s policy to review all comments an individual records on their exam answer sheet, and to give credit whenever a comment supports the given answer. Also, if a mistake is made in the Case Section it is only counted wrong one time — during the scoring process the CC will re-calculate successive answers based on the individual’s original answer.

The successful CFPS candidate must have at least 90% overall correct with at least 80% correct on each section of the exam. If a candidate does not meet the requirements for a CFPS, but has at least 80% overall with at least 70% correct on each section of the exam, they will be awarded a CFPP (Certified Function Point Practitioner) designation instead.

The CFPS certificate is valid for three years from the time the Exam was passed. Candidates who do not pass may re-take the Exam at any time, provided at least 14 days have passed from the prior sitting.

Exam Feedback Policy

Feedback is provided to all candidates who sit for the Exam. For successful candidates the feedback is a letter from the IFPUG office plus the CFPS certificate. For candidates who do not pass, the feedback is a letter from the IFPUG office plus Exam percentages by section. These percentages give a general indication of areas requiring additional study before sitting again.

The IFPUG CC does not provide any lower level of feedback detail to anyone, either topical or specific content. Key testing topics remain consistent from one Exam version to the next. Also, some specific questions may be reused or a case study of a similar nature may be used from one Exam version to the next. There is the possibility that questions missed by a candidate on one Exam may be on the next version of the Exam. To review these questions with a candidate would be unfair to others taking the Exam.

Helpful Hints

The following general and/or anecdotal observations may be helpful to candidates preparing for the Exam:

• Successful CFPS candidates typically have been formally trained in Function Point Analysis, and have a counting experience level of greater than 14,000 function points.
• If you have not been counting FP regularly within the last six months, make an effort to do as many real or practice counts as possible – without the aid of a counting tool. Most people (including those that have attained CFPS) find that FP counting skills and mechanics tend to slow and weaken without regular use.
• Check your answer sheet carefully before returning to the proctor. There have been many instances where people have left questions with no answer marked or selected, which must be therefore be counted as an incorrect answer.
• Some people have made “flash cards” by reviewing the CPM and writing definitions, rules, etc. on index cards. They reviewed the “flash cards” whenever they had a few free moments – a break during a meeting, sitting in a traffic jam, waiting for the washing machine to finish the spin cycle. They indicated that this technique helped their confidence and recall, as well as their time management during the Exam.
• There are several vendors who do provide CFPS Exam Preparation training. This training does not guarantee that an individual will pass the exam; however, past training participants have stated that it does better prepare them for the actual CFPS Exam. This training is available at the IFPUG Workshops.
• Some vendors provide practice CFPS exams in hardcopy form or accessible via the Internet.
• Some people who have taken the Exam at both a conference/workshop and at a regional have indicated that the regional setting was more relaxed and maybe even quieter. Consider your noise level tolerance when planning your Exam sitting.
• IFPUG Case Studies are available and can be used as study aid for both applying rules and for practicing case work.
• Special care should be taken to completely read and follow all CFPS examination instructions. The Proctors can answer any questions about the instructions, where and how to show your work, etc.

Exam Day Rules

Rules are read before every exam session, whether at a conference, workshop or regional location:

1. Failure to comply with the following instructions or instructions of the proctor may result in invalidation of your exam.
2. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers. Use of electronic devices is prohibited during the exam; however, non-programmable calculators are permitted.
3. Talking to anyone other than the proctor is not permitted during the exam.
4. All materials, including the answer sheet, exam booklet, and used scrap paper must be returned to the proctor and you must sign out at the end of the exam.
5. Please legibly print your name in the upper right-hand corner of the exam booklet and on all pages of the answer sheet. You may write on the exam booklet and the answer sheet.
6. The CFPS exam is open book. Individuals who wish to utilize the Counting Practices Manual (CPM) during a regional or IFPUG workshop exam must provide their own copy of the version of the CPM being tested. The CPM must be bound (e.g. three ring binder, spiral binding, tape binding, etc.). The proctor is required to inspect each individual’s copy of the CPM to ensure it is bound. Unbound copies of the CPM will not be allowed and will be confiscated and returned to the individual after the exam has ended. The proctor will not have in their possession additional copies of the CPM for use during the exam. Participants may use their own calculators and/or vendor-supplied quick reference cards. In all cases, however, the IFPUG CPM shall be used as the basis for scoring the exam. The proctor will ensure that only the CPM, a calculator and/or vendor-supplied quick reference cards are used during the CFPS exam. The only exception to this is the use of language-translation dictionaries. Important note: the exam is not open book if taken at a Brightest site and the applicant may not bring a calculator, quick reference card, nor the IFPUG CPM. These are available online for use while taking the exam.

7. If English is not your first language you may use an English translation dictionary. If a participant has difficulty with the language of the exam because that language is not their native language, or is not one of the primary business languages of the country, they may request an additional thirty (30) minutes of exam time . Time extension requests must be made before the exam begins, and are granted at the sole discretion of the proctor. Note: Time extensions are made on a person-by-person basis and are not to be given to all participants.
8. The exam is three hours with no scheduled breaks; if you need a break, just leave and return as soon as possible; we will announce time checks at each hour and approximately every five minutes for the last 15 minutes of the exam.
9. Be sure that you have an answer for all multiple-choice questions as blanks will be counted as wrong answers.
10. For case studies be sure that you clearly label each of your answers, and that you have an answer for each question space provided. However, many case study answers request multiple parts, so if one part does not apply to a particular answer then leave that part blank or specify that part as not applicable (n/a). Calculated answers may be rounded or left as a decimal. Show your work – work shown on the answer sheet will be considered during scoring.
11. If a mistake is made in the Case Section it is only counted wrong one time — during the scoring process we will re-calculate successive answers based on your original answer.
12. If you believe any questions or answer options are unclear, write a note on the answer sheet, clearly identifying to which question your note refers. Only notes on the answer sheet will be considered when scoring the exam.
13. Raise your hand if you need any clarification; we will not assist in interpretation or provide any answers.
14. Upon completion of the exam, bring the answer sheet, exam booklet, and used scrap paper to the front of the room and sign the sign-out list. Your exam results will be withheld if you do not return all materials and sign out.
15. The exam consists of three sections: Definition, Implementation and Case. A successful exam will have at least 90% overall correct with at least 80% correct on each section of the exam. The exam scores will be published four to six (4-6) weeks after receipt by the IFPUG office.

CFPS Code of Ethics

The IFPUG Certified Function Point Specialist (CFPS) Code of Ethics states that as an IFPUG CFPS:

1. I will promote the understanding of Function Point Counting Practices, methods, and procedures.
2. I have an obligation to the FP community to uphold the high ideals and level of personal knowledge as evidenced by the certification held.
3. I have an obligation to serve the interest of my employers and/or clients loyally, diligently, and honestly.
4. I will not engage in any conduct or commit any act which is a discredit to the reputation or integrity of the CFPS Program, IFPUG, or the information system community.
5. I will not imply or otherwise convey that the CFPS designation is my sole claim to professional competence. I will continuously strive for professional knowledge and growth.
6. I will not engage in any activity during the administration of the exam that could provide any of the participants, including myself, with an unfair advantage for successful completion of the exam.

Upon successful completion of the CFPS Exam and by accepting his/her CFPP/CFPS certificates, a CFPP/CFPS agrees to:

1. hold IFPUG harmless from any and all liability arising out of their professional activities, and
2. abide by and uphold the IFPUG Code of Ethics.

Apply Now

Arranging a Regional Examination

• For CFPS Certification Examination in other languages, including Korean, Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin, the Certification Examination is available in a regional paper-based exam.
• If you would like to schedule a Regional paper-based Exam, complete the Regional Exam Request Form and submit it to [email protected] to start the process.
• For any other special request, please contact IFPUG at [email protected].
• CFPS Regional Exam Application
  
• Before scheduling a Regional CFPS Exam, be sure to read the CFPS Regional Exam Rules.

Hosting a Regional Examination

Effective October 1, 2007, the cost of an IFPUG regional exam is $250.00. Some regional exam hosts may charge an additional fee to cover the costs of hosting the exam. Additional fees will not be collected by IFPUG.

Download the necessary documents to get started:

• IFPUG Regional CFPS Examinations Rules and Responsibilities
  
• IFPUG Regional CFPS Exam Request Form
  

Upcoming Regional Exams

There are currently no regional exams scheduled.

CFPS Certification Extension Program (CEP)

The CFPS is a cornerstone of the IFPUG member recognition program and, to be successful, must be dynamic and improve with the times. The current enhancements to the CFPS program certification requirements will ensure that metrics professionals are recognized as they continue to develop professionally and remain up-to-date with the current concepts of Function Point Analysis. The latest changes to the CFPS certification program reflect the active involvement and commitment of the IFPUG membership to stay current and to enhance and improve both skills and knowledge.

Overview

In the past, continued CFPS certification has been achieved through reexamination every three (3) years. The CFPS Certification Extension program provides an alternative to the examination. Before their current certification expires, individuals may extend their current level of CFPS certification for up to three (3) years in one (1) year increments by completing cumulative activities in a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of three (3) Activity Categories (as defined later).

Or

Individuals may extend their current level of CFPS certification for up to three (3) years in one (1) year increments by completing multiple occurrences within a given Activity Category with a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of three (3) occurrences.

The only limitation in the number of extensions an individual may obtain is the release of a major change in the Counting Practices Manual (as defined later).

The CFPS Certification Extension program is under the jurisdiction of the IFPUG Certification Committee, with oversight provided by the IFPUG Board of Directors (BOD). It is the Committee’s responsibility to consider suggestions from the members and to ensure that the CFPS Certification Extension program remains current in adapting to the ever-changing metrics environment.

The IFPUG Board of Directors reserves the right to discontinue the CFPS Certification Extension program at any time, without advance notice. CFPS Certification Extension program applications postmarked prior to the discontinuance will be evaluated under the current program rules; applications postmarked after the discontinuance will not be evaluated.

Extension Availability

In order to obtain a CFPS Certification Extension an individual must hold a CFPS designation in the most current Major Change (see 2.4.2) of the IFPUG Counting Practices Manual (CPM). In addition, BOTH the Activity-Credit Criteria described in Section 2.2 must be met AND a valid extension option from the Options for CFPS Certification Extension described in Section 2.4 must be available.

An individual who is applying for a CFPS Certification Extension must ensure that his/her application and supporting documentation arrives at the IFPUG Office or is postmarked 30 calendar days prior to his/her CFPS expiration date. Applications received or postmarked less than 30 days prior to his/her CFPS expiration date will be charged a $100 late fee.

Because of the 30-day lead-time required to validate and audit each application, it is possible that an individual will not have completed 100% of his/her planned Activities prior to the submission deadline. The individual must identify on his/her application the remaining planned Activity(ies) and provide supporting documentation upon completion of the Activity(ies).

Activity-Credit Criteria

In order to qualify for a CFPS Certification Extension, individuals must meet the Activity-Credit criteria described below.

1. Individuals may accumulate Certification Extension Activities (CEA) from any of the Activities listed in the Activity-Credit Table.
2. Individuals must accumulate a minimum of 1 activity and must not exceed 3 activities in the defined eligibility period.

Or Individuals must accumulate a minimum of 1 occurrence in a given activity and must not exceed 3 occurrences in a given activity in the defined eligibility period

1. Individuals are not required to accumulate CEA from any particular Activity.
2. All CFPS Certification Extension application and supporting documentation submitted must be in English.
3. The eligibility period for accumulating CEA credit is three years prior to the expiration of an individual’s CFPS Certification.
   1. An individual has three (3) years from the date that they become certified by passing the CFPS Exam to accumulate sufficient CEA credit to have their CFPS Certification extended for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years.
   2. Activities completed more than three (3) years before the time the current CFPS Certification or CFPS Certification Extension expires will not be considered for CEA credit.
   3. Any specific instances of an activity previous awarded CEC will not be considered for CEC.
4. The subsequent eligibility period for accumulation CEA is based on the length of time the CFPS Certification Extension has been granted.
1. During the subsequent eligibility period, an individual can accumulate sufficient CEA credit to have their CFPS certification extended by one (1), two (2) or three (3) years based on the number of CEA.
2. Activities completed prior the subsequent eligibility period will not be considered for CEA Credit.

EXAMPLE – If a CFPS received a two year Certification Extension by way of the Certification Extension Program, that CFPS would have the two years prior to latest CFPS expiration date to accumulate sufficient CEA Credit to have their CFPS certification extended for a further length of time (1, 2, or 3 years). Any CEA activities completed prior to that two year period would be ineligible for CEA Credit consideration.

Validation and Audit

Each Activity listed in the Activity-Credit Table has Basic Validation and Audit criteria associated with it. All Basic Validation tasks for a given Activity will be performed every time an applicant applies for credit in that Activity. In addition, Audit tasks for any Activity may be performed at random or at the discretion of the Certification Committee for any application. See section 3.2 for Basic Validation and Audit criteria for each Activity.

Multiple individuals may be involved in reviewing an applicant’s CEA documentation. No individual may in any way be involved in reviewing his/her own CEA documentation.

Options for CFPS Certification Extension

Take the Current CFPS Exam

An individual may take the current CFPS exam to continue his/her CFPS Certification (become “re-certified”). This option eliminates the requirement for any additional education, experience or training classes for that individual. The CFPS expiration date is based solely on the date the individual passed the current CFPS exam.

Major Change to the Counting Practices Manual (CPM)

If there is a Major Change to the CPM, an individual will be required to take the current CFPS Exam reflecting the Major Change to become certified (“re-certified”) under the new Major Change version of the CPM.

A Major Change is generally defined as a “substantial change” to the CPM that warrants a version change to the next X.0 (e.g.; 4.0 to 5.0) version designation. The version number is updated as recommended by the Counting Practices Committee (CPC) with IFPUG BOD approval.

A caveat to the CFPS Certification Extensions is that an individual will only be allowed to obtain one CFPS Certification Extension if a Major Change occurs during their current CFPS Certification. The extension of this scenario would extend their current level of certification and would not provide the individual with certification at the new Major Change level.

Minor change to CPM OR No change to CPM

An individual must accumulate CEC from the Activity-Credit List. The CEC must be accumulated before the current CFPS Certification expires. The accumulation of CEC would “extend” an individual’s CFPS Certification for a period of up to three years.

An individual may, if desired, make his/her certification “current” with the latest version of the CPM under a minor change. This would be accomplished by taking a class that categorizes and explains the minor changes to the CPM, similar to the FP230 class that was available for the version 4.0 to 4.1 changes. Note that this option does not extend an individual’s certification expiration date.

Activity-Credit Table

The following table identifies the Activities that may be used for Certification Extension Activity credit.

Activity Number	Activity Description	Credits
1	Attend an IFPUG Conference that is CEA eligible OR Attend an IFPUG Affiliate/Chapter Conference that is CEA eligible*	1 Year Extension per documented occurrence
2	Present one CEA eligible presentation at an IFPUG Conference OR Present one CEA eligible presentation at an IFPUG Affiliate/Chapter Conference*	1 Year Extension per documented occurrence
3	Perform CEC eligible FP counts (minimum 2000 UFP)	1 Year Extension per documented occurrence
4	Validate 10 CEC eligible FP counts	1 Year Extension per documented occurrence
5	Author/co-author two CEC eligible FP white papers or articles	1 Year Extension per documented occurrence
6	Participate on an an IFPUG Functional Sizing Standards Committee or Certification Committee	1 Year Extension For Each Year Of Service
7	Take one CEA eligible FP Counting class at any type of IFPUG Workshop	1 Year Extension per documented occurrence
7	Other FP Activity. This Activity is to cover FP activities that are not included in the current Activity-Credit Table. Credit is given at the discretion of Certification Committee and with the approval of the IFPUG Board.	Credits TBD

Conference presentations attended during the same week that an individual sits for the CFPS exam may be applied to his/her next extension period, assuming a successful exam.

All materials submitted as part of the CFPS Certification Extension application process will be retained by the IFPUG Office unless otherwise noted.

* For a list of current Affiliate members, please visit https://ifpug.org/membership/member-types

Conferences Eligible for Certification Extension Activity Credit

See Below

CFPS Certification Extension Program Submission Forms

Click on the links below to view and/or download the forms needed to extend your CFPS Certification.

• CFPS Certification Extension Application (Word 51K)
  
• Function Point Count Summary Form (Word 32K)
  
• Function Point Count Detail Form (Word 39K)
  
• CEP Non-IFPUG Venue Course Registration Form (Word 59K)
  
• CEP non-IFPUG Venue Scheduled Class Form (Word 62K)
  

Download the Entire CEP Program

• Download Entire Program (Word 121K)
  

If you have questions, Contact the Chair of the Certification Extension subcommittee at [email protected]

Conferences Eligible for Certification Extension Credit

Listed below are the only conferences eligible for certification extension credits since 2019, and to review the full PDF click here .

Conference Name	Conference Dates
GUFPI ISMA 3° #EventoMetrico 2024(Naples, Italy)	November 29, 2024
ISMA22 – Workshop – Measurement of Microservices Architecture using FP and SNAP (Madrid, Spain)	October 5, 2024
ISMA 22 (Madrid, Spain)	October 4, 2024
GUFPI-ISMA 1° Evento Metrico 2024 (Rome, Italy)	May 10, 2024
ISMA21 Virtual Conference - Session 5, What's the right EP Type?	December 1, 2023
1° #EventoMetrico 2023 GUFPI-ISMA (Rome, Italy)	May 5, 2023
IFPUG ISMA20 Virtual Conference	May 4, 2023
3° Evento Metrico 2022 GUFPI-ISMA (Rome, Italy)	November 18, 2022
2° Evento Metrico 2022 GUFPI-ISMA (Virtual Conference)	September 23, 2022
IFPUG ISMA19 Virtual Conference	June 24, 2022
1° Evento Metrico 2022 GUFPI-ISMA (Virtual Conference)	May 20, 2022
Virtual GUFPI ISMA 2° #EventoMetrico 2021	September 24, 2021
IFPUG ISMA18 Virtual Conference	June 24, 2021
1st EventoMetrico 2021 GUFPI-ISMA (Virtual)	May 28, 2021
GUFPI-ISMA (Rome, Italy)	September 18, 2020
2020 IT Confidence Virtual Conference	August 28, 2020
IFPUG virtual conference	July 29, 2020
GUFPI-ISMA (Padua, Italy)	November 29, 2019
BFPUG 2019 (Sao Paulo, Brazil)	November 7, 2019
GUFPI-ISMA (Rome, Italy)	September 20, 2019
GUFPI-ISMA (Rome, Italy)	May 17, 2019
ISMA17 (Bangalore, India)	March 8, 2019

Questions? Please reach out to Certification Committee at [email protected] with questions about conferences and continuing education eligibility.