Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
Definition
A professional credential awarded by the ACFE. It demonstrates competency across four domains: financial transactions and fraud schemes, law, investigation, and fraud prevention. The CFE exam is a computer-based, open-book test; candidates must also meet experience and educational requirements.
- Awarding body
- ACFE
- Domains covered
- Financial transactions, law, investigation, prevention
- Exam format
- Computer-based, open-book
- Additional requirement
- Experience and education criteria
- Field
- Fraud examination
Common questions
Why is the CFE exam open-book rather than closed-book?+
The credential is designed to test a candidate's ability to apply fraud examination methodology and reference material correctly under realistic conditions, rather than pure memorisation, since practitioners work with reference materials on the job as well.
Who typically pursues the CFE credential?+
Accountants, internal and external auditors, law enforcement investigators, and forensic auditors commonly pursue it, since it is not restricted to any single base profession as long as the experience and education requirements are met.
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