Become NGPF Certified in specific personal finance topics for FREE!

Certification Courses are NGPF’s most in-depth professional development format. Each course combines 9 hours of live virtual sessions focused on a core personal finance content area with a 1-hour assessment exam. These courses are 100% free. Most states that track professional development accept them for state CEUs.

WHY TAKE A CERTIFICATION COURSE?

Become more confident, qualified, and ready for the classroom

Deepen your understanding of a specific personal finance topic

Boost your resume and earn digital badges to add to your email

Receive NGPF Academy credits and swag

Earn Continuing Education Credits, if eligible in your state

Achieve the NGPF Distinguished Educator award when you complete 6 or more certifications

 

NGPF CERTIFICATION AT A GLANCE

WEEK 1-4

Attend a 2-hour virtual session each week

WEEK 5

Attend a 1-hour virtual session and 1-hour optional review session.

EXAM
  • 1-hour self-paced exam
  • Become certified with an 80% or better
  • Retakes are permissible in future exam windows. 

 

Register for the upcoming cohort:


NEED TO MAKE UP A SESSION OR WANT TO ATTEND A REVIEW SESSION?

Click here to register for individual sessions to make-up missed sessions from a PREVIOUS cohort or to attend a review session before the next exam window.

COHORT #28

SESSIONS

Oct 17 - Nov 17

REGISTRATION

CLOSED

EXAM WINDOW

Nov 18 - 25

Course topics offered:

Banking & Budgeting
Career
Cryptocurrency Basics
Investing
Paying for College
Psychology of Money
 

Psychology of Money

4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET

REGISTRATION CLOSED
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We will be using Morgan Housel’s Psychology of Money as the foundational text. This course incorporates key concepts from the book and extends them with videos, articles and podcasts.

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Mon, Oct 17
WEEK 2
SESSION 2
Mon, Oct 24
WEEK 3
SESSION 3
Mon, Oct 31
WEEK 4
SESSION 4
Mon, Nov 7
WEEK 5
SESSION 5
Mon, Nov 14
EXAM
WINDOW
Nov 18 - 25

Investing

2pm - 4pm PT / 5pm - 7pm ET

REGISTRATION CLOSED
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This course emphasizes vocabulary, content knowledge and NGPF resources for Investing instructional use. Participants will build the foundational understanding of: the value of investing early and often, compounding returns, stocks and bonds, and more!

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Tues, Oct 18
WEEK 2
SESSION 2
Tues, Oct 25
WEEK 3
SESSION 3
Tues, Nov 1
WEEK 4
SESSION 4
Tues, Nov 8
WEEK 5
SESSION 5
Tues, Nov 15
EXAM
WINDOW
Nov 18 - 25

Career

4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET

REGISTRATION CLOSED
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In this course, participants will learn up to the minute trends regarding 21st century careers, including how to prepare for in-person and virtual interviews, curating a successful LinkedIn profile, finding a career path for success, and more!

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Tues, Oct 18
WEEK 2
SESSION 2
Tues, Oct 25
WEEK 3
SESSION 3
Tues, Nov 1
WEEK 4
SESSION 4
Tues, Nov 8
WEEK 5
SESSION 5
Tues, Nov 15
EXAM
WINDOW
Nov 18 - 25

Banking & Budgeting

2pm - 4pm PT / 5pm - 7pm ET

REGISTRATION CLOSED
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During this course, participants will cover essential strategies and tools for successfully banking and budgeting. Throughout the 5 session course, sessions will focus on Online Banking, Overdraft Fees, Budgeting Strategies, Savings Accounts, and more!

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Wed, Oct 19
WEEK 2
SESSION 2
Wed, Oct 26
WEEK 3
SESSION 3
Wed, Nov 2
WEEK 4
SESSION 4
Wed, Nov 9
WEEK 5
SESSION 5
Wed, Nov 16
EXAM
WINDOW
Nov 18 - 25

Cryptocurrency Basics

4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET

REGISTRATION CLOSED
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Sessions will cover many topics including the pros and cons of Bitcoin, to the current state of crypto, and more. Educators will gain an understanding of what cryptocurrency is, how it works, and arguments for and against its widespread adoption.

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Wed, Oct 19
WEEK 2
SESSION 2
Wed, Oct 26
WEEK 3
SESSION 3
Wed, Nov 2
WEEK 4
SESSION 4
Wed, Nov 9
WEEK 5
SESSION 5
Wed, Nov 16
EXAM
WINDOW
Nov 18 - 25

Paying for College

2pm - 4pm PT / 5pm - 7pm ET

REGISTRATION CLOSED
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In this course, participants will investigate the financial aid process. Sessions will focus on college pricing, the role of the FAFSA, financial aid, 529 college savings plans, student loans, financial aid offers, student loan repayment, and more!

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Thurs, Oct 20
WEEK 2
SESSION 2
Thurs, Oct 27
WEEK 3
SESSION 3
Thurs, Nov 3
WEEK 4
SESSION 4
Thurs, Nov 10
WEEK 5
SESSION 5
Thurs, Nov 17
EXAM
WINDOW
Nov 18 - 25

COHORT #29

SESSIONS

Nov 28 - Dec 15

REGISTRATION

OPEN

EXAM WINDOW

Dec 16 - 23

Course topics offered:

Behavioral Economics
Cryptocurrency Basics
Consumer Skills

NOTE: Cohort 29 will be a 3-weeks long with sessions twice a week

 

Consumer Skills

2pm - 4pm PT / 5pm - 7pm ET

REGISTER
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In this course, participants examine the lives of modern consumers. We explore targeted advertising, social media influencers, deceptive web design elements, advanced scams, fraud threats, fake product reviews, and more, all while building skills to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Mon, Nov 28
 
SESSION 2
Wed, Nov 30
WEEK 2
SESSION 3
Mon, Dec 5
 
SESSION 4
Wed, Dec 7
WEEK 3
SESSION 5
Mon, Dec 12
EXAM
WINDOW
Dec 16 - 23

Behavioral Economics

4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET

REGISTER
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Educators will walk away with real-life examples of these biases along with ideas on how to overcome them. This content knowledge will prove helpful in educators' lives while also increasing their confidence to teach the unit.

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Mon, Nov 28
 
SESSION 2
Wed, Nov 30
WEEK 2
SESSION 3
Mon, Dec 5
 
SESSION 4
Wed, Dec 7
WEEK 3
SESSION 5
Mon, Dec 12
EXAM
WINDOW
Dec 16 - 23

Cryptocurrency Basics

2pm - 4pm PT / 5pm - 7pm ET

REGISTER
cert course badge

Sessions will cover many topics including the pros and cons of Bitcoin, to the current state of crypto, and more. Educators will gain an understanding of what cryptocurrency is, how it works, and arguments for and against its widespread adoption.

WEEK 1
SESSION 1
Tues, Nov 29
 
SESSION 2
Thurs, Dec 1
WEEK 2
SESSION 3
Tues, Dec 6
 
SESSION 4
Thurs, Dec 8
WEEK 3
SESSION 5
Tues, Dec 13
EXAM
WINDOW
Dec 16 - 23

COHORT #30

SESSIONS

Jan 9 - Feb 9

REGISTRATION

COMING SOON

EXAM WINDOW

Feb 10 - 17

Course topics offered:

Banking & Budgeting
Consumer Skills
Credit
Insurance
Psychology of Money
 

COHORT #31

SESSIONS

Feb 13 - Mar 16

REGISTRATION

COMING SOON

EXAM WINDOW

Mar 17 - 24

Course topics offered:

Behavioral Economics
Career
Cryptocurrency Basics
Investing
Paying for College
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Certification Courses affect my NGPF Academy credits for the 2022-23 School Year?

Yes, NGPF Certification Courses will count towards your Academy Credits for the 2022-23 school year for those eligible. NGPF Academy is intended only for teachers and educators to reach a multitude of students. Finance professionals and homeschool educators are welcome to attend our professional development offerings but will not receive Academy Credits. 

To learn more about NGPF Academy, click here.

 

What can I expect for the NGPF Certification Exam?

Length 30 Questions 

Duration 60 Minutes. Once you start the exam, the timer cannot be paused. There will be a timer on the upper right side of the page.

Exam Window You will have a specific time period (usually 48 hours) in which you will need to start and complete the exam. You can view specific exam window end times by looking at your exam invitation email and clicking the link.

Exam Format Multiple choice (with use of open notes).

Scoring You will see your results immediately after completing the exam. A passing grade is 80%. If you pass, your NGPF PD Certificate will be available in your NGPF Academy Profile within 7 business days.

  

The exam window has opened and I still haven't received my exam invite email, what can I do?

If you have attended all 5 sessions of a specific course you will receive an exam invite via email the day the exam window opens. If you have not received this email, please email certifications@ngpf.org and include an alternative email that we can send the exam invite to.

 

Can I re-take the exam if I miss the exam window or score less than an 80% and do not pass?

Yes, you can! We will send you an exam link during the next exam window to try again.

 

Can I complete more than 1 Certification at a time?

Yes, you can! You must register for each separately.

 

I am going to miss a session, what can I do to make it up?

If you miss a session you can make up 1 session during your registered cohort via the On-Demand module found on the course web page. If you are unable to complete the module or prefer the live sessions, you can register for a single session make-up in a future cohort. Please register using the make-up links document.

 

If I miss a session, can I still take the Exam?

No, you will need all 9 hours of Certification Course content before becoming eligible for the Exam!

 

How are CEU/PD credits processed after completing a certification course?

When you take the exam, you will be asked to provide your state and state ID# if applicable (necessary for MI, PA, and WY). When you provide this information at the time of the exam, your CEUs are automatically processed by NGPF following your state's specific guidelines. We have outlined the process for each state in our Guide to State PD Credits.

 

Do I have to renew my NGPF Certification yearly?

No! We do not recommend attending a course you have already completed in previous years unless we have shared that the course has been completely updated and revamped.