Certified Fraud Examiner credential artwork

Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) Practice Tests

Validates knowledge of fraud schemes, financial transactions, investigation techniques, relevant law and fraud prevention and deterrence.

The CFE has three separately timed, closed-book sections of multiple-choice and true/false questions: Fraud Schemes and Financial Crimes (120 questions, 2.5 hours), Fraud Investigations and Legal Issues (120, 2.5 hours) and Fraud Prevention and Deterrence (70, 1.5 hours). Since June 2, 2026 they are scored separately, so practice has to follow the new outline.

ACFE publishes no free sample questions, so the Prep Course review questions are the practical starting point. Independent banks are few, and many still follow the old four-section exam.

Official question bank

CFE Exam Prep Course (Silver Package)

ACFE's own course: nearly 1,400 review questions with explanations that link to the Fraud Examiners Manual, plus pre-assessments, flashcards and end-of-lesson knowledge checks.

Great fit if you want the practice candidates say is closest to the real questions, and you also need the lessons and the online Fraud Examiners Manual.

Poor fit if you only want extra questions; the bank is not sold on its own, and Gold and Platinum add a study guide and review course rather than more questions.

What to look for in a CFE practice test

  • Built for the June 2, 2026 outline, not the old four sections. The exam is now 310 questions in three separately scored sections: 120 questions in 2.5 hours, 120 in 2.5 hours and 70 in 1.5 hours. ACFE advises against pre-June 2026 study materials, and some banks still describe four sections of 100 questions.
  • Closed-book recall and judgment questions. Questions are multiple choice and true/false with no scheduled breaks, and candidates describe them as straightforward recall and understanding with few trick questions. A bank that tests concepts and explains why each option is right or wrong prepares you better than one that only gives answers.
  • Explanations that point back to the Fraud Examiners Manual. The Prep Course links each review question to the manual page behind it, which makes it easy to fix a gap right after a miss. Third-party banks rarely do this.
  • Enough questions for each section, not one big pool. Candidates report roughly 300 to 400 review questions per section in the Prep Course. With three sections taken on separate days, you want a bank you can work through section by section.
  • Skip sites selling "real exam questions." Sites promising actual CFE questions or a guaranteed pass are selling leaked or copied items. The ACFE calls exam dumps a direct violation of its exam security rules and can disqualify your results and make you ineligible for the CFE. A real practice test explains why each answer is right; a dump only lists answers.

How to use CFE practice tests

  • Take the pre-assessments first. Use them to see which section needs the most work. Candidates note they are short, so treat the result as a starting point rather than a prediction.
  • Work one section at a time, then sit it. Each section is scheduled separately inside a 60-day window, so study Schemes, Investigations or Prevention until the questions feel routine, then book that section while it is fresh.
  • Read every explanation and follow the manual link. Passing candidates say the concepts matter more than the exact questions, since the exam wording differs from the review questions. For each miss, read the linked manual passage.
  • Rehearse the clock before test day. A 120-question section gives about 75 seconds a question, and there are no scheduled breaks. Do at least one full timed section in one sitting.
  • Retake questions only after a gap. Once you recognise answers, the score measures memory rather than understanding. Leave a few days between passes and explain the answer aloud.

ACFE: 2026 CFE exam update ↗ACFE: CFE Exam FAQs ↗Reddit: prep course vs actual exam ↗Reddit: pre-assessments and studying ↗Reddit: review questions enough to pass? ↗

CFE practice test FAQ

Are there free CFE practice tests?

ACFE does not publish a free question set; its pre-assessments and review questions sit inside the paid Prep Course. Sites advertising free or 'real' CFE questions are mostly recalled or leaked material, which is not worth the risk.

Are the ACFE Prep Course questions like the real exam?

Candidates say they are close in topic and style: about half felt similar and the rest were worded differently, so understanding each concept matters more than memorising answers. Those reports come from before the June 2026 change.

What do CFE exam questions look like?

Multiple choice and true/false, closed book and closed notes. The three sections run 120, 120 and 70 questions, each in its own sitting, and results usually arrive within 24 hours.

Can I still use practice questions written for the old four-section exam?

ACFE advises against materials from before June 2026 because the content and structure changed: Law and Investigation were merged and Financial Transactions became Fraud Schemes and Financial Crimes. Old questions still help on topics that carried over, but do not rely on them.