This CFE cheat sheet compresses the ACFE's three-section Certified Fraud Examiner Exam into a fast-scan rundown of the facts examiners weight most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Pair it with the rest of your free CFE toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
CFE exam at a glance
- Certifying body: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
- Questions: 310 across three sections (120 + 120 + 70)
- Time: About 6.5 hours total (2.5 + 2.5 + 1.5 hours)
- Passing score: At least 75% correct on EACH section — all three required
- Eligibility: ACFE Associate Member; 40 points to sit, 50 to certify; 2 years' fraud-related experience
What’s on the CFE cheat sheet
- Fraud Schemes & Financial Crimes (120 Q · 39%) — the Fraud Tree, asset misappropriation, corruption, financial statement fraud, and money laundering stages.
- Fraud Investigations & Legal Issues (120 Q · 39%) — predication, evidence and chain of custody, data analysis, interview theory, and the two burdens of proof.
- Fraud Prevention & Deterrence (70 Q · 22%) — the Fraud Triangle, COSO's five components, fraud risk assessment, and the ACFE Code of Professional Ethics.
How to use it in your final week
- Burn the Fraud Tree into memory first: asset misappropriation is most common but least costly, financial statement fraud is rarest but most costly, corruption sits between them.
- Give the two 120-question sections — Fraud Schemes and Fraud Investigations — the most review time, since they carry 78% of the exam's questions and each demands its own 75%.
- Drill the paired distinctions the sheet lists side by side: skimming vs. cash larceny, criminal (beyond a reasonable doubt) vs. civil (preponderance), inherent vs. residual risk.
- Read the full sheet the morning before each section, then run a timed practice set on that section's own clock so 75% feels routine before you sit.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your CFE practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
CFE cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the CFE cheat sheet downloads as a PDF with no sign-up and no paywall. It sits alongside Career Employer's free CFE practice test, study guide, and flashcards, so your whole exam-readiness system costs nothing.
It condenses the highest-yield facts from all three ACFE sections — Fraud Schemes and Financial Crimes, Fraud Investigations and Legal Issues, and Fraud Prevention and Deterrence. Think of it as the Fraud Tree, evidence rules, and the Fraud Triangle boiled down to what examiners actually test.
Yes — it maps to the current three-section CFE Exam that the ACFE relaunched in June 2026, weighted the way the exam counts questions. Sections 1 and 2 carry 120 questions each and Section 3 carries 70, so the sheet gives the two big sections the most room.
No — it is a fast-review layer, not a substitute for working questions. You need at least 75% on each section independently, so use the sheet to lock in facts and the practice test to confirm you're clearing 75% across all three.
Click the download button or the preview card at the top of this page and the PDF opens instantly. Bookmark this page so the sheet is one tap away in the week before each section.
References
- 1.Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “About the CFE Exam.” ACFE.com, 2026. ↑
- 2.Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “CFE Exam FAQs.” ACFE.com, 2026. ↑
- 3.Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “CFE Credential Eligibility.” ACFE.com, 2026. ↑
- 4.Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “ACFE Code of Professional Ethics.” ACFE.com, 2026. ↑
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