EXIT PLANNING CERTIFICATION COMPARISON
Learn Key Differences Between Exit Planning Credentials
As a professional advisor, credentials, and professional designations provide you with a wealth of industry-specific knowledge. Credentials allow you to advance your career and make you stand out in a market of advisors with similar backgrounds. The Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential is the leading credential in the exit planning and business value growth industry, with over 3,000 CEPAs in the marketplace.
| Exit Planning Credential Details | CEPA | CExP | CBEC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,500 | $7,290 | $3,000 |
| Time Commitment for Certification | Pre-Work Reading 4-5 Day Program Exam |
4-Day Virtual Bootcamp 14 Flexible Virtual Sessions Exam |
10 Hour Pre-Work Course 9 Weekly Modules Exam Full Exit Plan Submission |
| Continuing Education Credits | Up to 19 CPE Hours & 14 CFP Credits |
Up to 53 CPE Hours & 28.5 CFP Credits |
Up to 18.5 CPE Hours & 17 CFP Credits |
| Available Virtually | YES | YES | YES |
| Available In-Person | NO | NO | NO |
These credentials are beneficial for the following business professionals:
- Attorneys
- Business Owners
- Commercial Lenders
- CPAs/Accountants
- Estate Planners
- Family Business Advisors
- Financial Advisors
- Insurance Professionals
- Investment Bankers
- Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors
- Strategic Consultants
- Valuation Analysts
- Wealth Managers
- Other Professional Advisors
Learn a bit about various Exit Planning credentials below!
Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA)
From Exit Planning Institute
Price: $3,500 for CEPA Online
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Learn more about the CEPA credential
Download the brochure to learn more about the CEPA credential.
Participants must be 18 years or older to partake in the CEPA Program.
The CEPA credential is earned after the completion of a 5-day virtual class and successfully passing the closed-book proctored CEPA exam. Prior to attending a CEPA Program, candidates receive Pre-CEPA exam preparation sessions with CEPA faculty and onboarding sessions with the EPI Member Experience team.
- Assessing Personal and Personal
Financial Preparedness - Exit Planning Process and Value
Acceleration Methodology Overview - Financial Planning for Business Owners
- Advanced Estate, Tax, and Charitable Intent
- Assessing Business Readiness
- Introduction to Value Enhancement
- Exit Planning Deliverables
- Basics of Business Valuation
- Executing Exit Strategies and 90-Day Sprints
- Creating and Delivering Action Plans
- Exit Options Analysis
- External Exit Options
- Understanding Private Equity
- Third-Party Sales and the M&A Process
- Internal Exit Options
- ESOPs as an Exit Strategy
- The Importance of Teams
- Family Succession Planning
The CEPA Program is approved for up to 21.5 CPE Hours and 14.5 CFP ® Credits
Certified Exit Planner (CExP)
From Business Enterprise Institute
Price: $7,290 (as of May 29, 2025)
Must have a qualifying designation and currently serve business owners in an advisory capacity.
The CExP is a three-part program. First, advisors must attend an in-person or virtual Boot Camp for Advisors™. Second, they complete nine virtual modules in the Advance Exit Planning Series and pass knowledge exams after each module. The final section of this program is to successfully pass the case study exam to earn the CExP credential.
- Understanding and Identifying Owner Objectives
- Quantifying Business and Personal Financial Resources
- Maximizing and Protecting Business Value
- Ownership Transfers to Third Parties
- Ownership Transfers to Insiders
- Business Continuity
- Personal Wealth and Estate Planning
- Family Business Planning
- Deferred Compensation
Boot Camp for Advisors™: Between 9.5 – 12 CPE Hours for CPAs, and 5 – 8 CFP ® Credits depending on whether they attend a virtual, live stream, or in-person Bootcamp.
Advanced Exit Planning Series: After completing all nine modules in the series, attendees receive up to:
41 CPE Hours
20.5 CFP ® Credits
Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC)
From Pinnacle Equity Solutions
Price: $3,000 (as of May 29, 2025)
Must have a qualifying designation and currently serve business owners in an advisory capacity.
To earn the CBEC credential, candidates must complete a three-part program. First, attendees complete an online Pre-Work ‘Core Concepts of Exit Planning’ course. This online workshop is the first ten hours of training delivered through twelve (12) online modules. The CBEC credential is earned after the completion of nine weekly webinars, a two-day review session, and successfully passing the CBEC Exam, either in person or online in a proctored form. In order to complete the CBEC designation requirements, attendees must complete and submit a full exit plan for review and approval.
- Program Orientation: What You Will Learn
- Private Capital Markets & Middle Market Strategies
- Business Owner Mental Readiness & The Value Gap
- Business Valuation
- Midterm Review & Exam –confirming Key Learning
- ESOP & Internal Transfers
- Management Team Incentive And Retention & Capstone Presentation
- Pulling It All Together: Review And Exam Prep
- Exam — Choice Of Live Or Via Proctored Web Meeting
The CBEC Program is approved for up to 18.5 CPE Hours and 17 CFP ® Credits.
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