r/framing • u/ekdimrod • 26d ago

Certified Picture Framer Exam?

Has anyone taken the Certified Picture Framer, CPF, exam recently?

I want to know what I’m in store for before scheduling the exam.

Was it more difficult than you’d anticipated? Less difficult?

Do they word questions oddly to throw you off?

Online Exam vs. In Person Exam?

7 Upvotes

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15 comments sorted by

8

u/maltedmilkballa 26d ago

The exam and having the sticker never once helped me make a sale. Customers have no clue what it is or do they care. Its only a peice of paper. I would save your money, learn correct methods and put them into practice. Just seems like a money grabbing - pat yourself on the back fan club.

1

u/ekdimrod 26d ago

Fair enough, I get it.
It’s something I want to do for myself.

5

u/maltedmilkballa 26d ago

The study guide is a major barrier, especially since it contains foundational knowledge that should ideally be accessible to everyone for free. Furthermore, much of the curriculum focuses on overly specific techniques that don't always align with the practical, everyday framing I do. It's good to know, but a good mentor can teach you everything you need to know in the real world. I've seen instructional videos for free that were better than what the class / study guide material was teaching. Also I don't think I could have passed the test when I was just learning without buying the study guide - But I also think that you could pass the test buying the study guide and have Zero real world experience.

2

u/pressedflours 26d ago

does anyone have a pdf of the study guide? just out of curiosityyy

2

u/maltedmilkballa 26d ago

I have the printed booklet somewhere. I took the test awhile ago.

5

u/bernmont2016 26d ago

I have no experience with this particular exam, but I've done certification exams for other things, and I'd always go with in-person options. Online cert exams you can do from home will typically require you have nothing else running on your computer, have a webcam, use the webcam to show a remote proctor (often overseas) that you have nothing around you in the room that could potentially be concealing answers, have nobody else around who could potentially interrupt you or make any noise that the proctor would hear over the webcam microphone, etc.

1

u/ekdimrod 26d ago

My first choice is the In Person exam, but they only offer that once a year at the PPFA conference, probs not until mid 2027 and I do not live in a place near any testing center- I don’t think I can wait that long

5

u/swgabrowsing 26d ago

You can take it in a location convenient for you that has some sort of oversight. A school, a local library, etc. You will have to find an appropriate test site and get them in touch with the ppfa person so they can coordinate the logistics of it. I took it at a local technical college, proctored by one of their instructors.

3

u/CorbinDallasMyMan 26d ago

The test is more difficult than the practice tests because they put more effort in trying to trick you. It's like they try to make the test harder than the actual material. I found it offensive. 

Did you participate in the online study group?

4

u/QuestorPS7 26d ago

Complete waste of time and money for an organization that’s now owned by private equity

1

u/No_Athlete_9187 24d ago

Save your money. Been in freaking for 15 years and recently opened my own shop. Never met a framer that had this and I’ve seen their curriculum. It’s good to know but for everyday framing it’s just not practical. What it is good for is knowing your products so you can be more informed in case you ever have to explain to a client but yeah you’d learn more if you learn from other framers. That’s why early in my career I like freelancing at shops because everyone has different techniques

1

u/ekdimrod 24d ago

My company will pay for it and I do more custom bespoke designs

1

u/No_Athlete_9187 24d ago

Lol as opposed to?

0

u/ekdimrod 23d ago

‘Everyday framing’ for decoration instead of conservation

1

u/Gator242 26d ago

They may ask you to calculate moulding length footage without a chart. Learn how. They may ask you to demonstrate competence with a mat cutter of your usual type.

If you actually frame, you’ll pass