Study guide for CSI Applied Financial Planning (AFP) Exam 1 covering route fit, competency weighting, and official-source-first preparation.
AFP Exam 1 sits near the endpoint of the CSI planning sequence. It is not an early discovery paper like PFSA, and it is not a broad study-foundation paper like FP I. It is a later applied-planning competency assessment that expects the earlier planning structure to already be in place.
Where AFP Exam 1 fits
If your target sounds most like…
Better route
early client discovery and advisory workflow
PFSA
broad planning foundation
FP I
deeper planning-development stage
FP II
later applied-planning exam stage
AFP Exam 1
case-based follow-through after the first applied exam
AFP Exam 2
Current domain shape
Topic
Weight
Professional Conduct and Regulatory Compliance
10%
Client Relationship and Practice Management
6%
Asset and Liability Management
11%
Risk Management and Insurance
12%
Investment Planning
17%
Tax Planning
14%
Retirement Planning
17%
Estate Planning
13%
The heavier-weight message is clear: this exam expects applied planning judgment across investments, retirement, tax, and estate issues, not just advisory workflow basics.
Learn how AFP I tests client goals, cash flow, credit, borrowing, real-estate decisions, and recommendation quality in Canadian asset and liability planning.
Learn how AFP I tests risk analysis, insurance needs, product features, tax treatment, and insurance recommendation logic in Canadian financial planning.
Learn how AFP I tests tax profile analysis, income characterization, deductions, credits, registered accounts, trusts, and tax-aware strategy selection in Canada.
Learn how AFP I tests estate goals, family dynamics, legal documents, liquidity, beneficiaries, business ownership, and tax-aware estate strategies in Canada.