--- title: Most Teens Can’t Pass This Basic Personal Finance Quiz. Can You? description: About half of teens failed this test from the National Financial Educators Council. Quiz yourself on budgeting, credit, investing and more. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 498 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Kaitlin Mulhere role: Editor url: https://money.com/author/kaitlin-mulhere/ bio: Kaitlin Mulhere has been covering the intersection of college and personal finance since 2015. She enjoys breaking down the complexities of college costs and financial aid, and she also runs Money’s Best Colleges. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2015 articles: 217 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes social: - https://twitter.com/KMulhere - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-mulhere-64503048/ published: '2026-03-26T17:16:13.000Z' modified: '2026-03-26T17:16:13.000Z' section: Personal Finance word_count: 732 canonical: https://money.com/teens-fail-personal-finance-test-nfec/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![A group of teenagers on their phones with money in the background](https://img.money.com/2026/03/News-Teenager-Dont-Pass-Financial-Capability-Test.jpg) Are you smarter than a 10th grader? How about when it comes to the [basics of finance](https://money.com/adults-cant-pass-basic-money-quiz/)? National test scores for financial literacy show that American teens are struggling to understand introductory money management concepts. Teens aged 15 to 18 scored 64.39% on average, failing to meet the “minimum proficiency benchmark” of a 70% grade, according to [national results](https://www.financialeducatorscouncil.org/national-financial-literacy-test/) released this month by the advocacy group National Financial Educators Council (NFEC). "These results underscore how unprepared many American youth remain when it comes to managing money," Vince Shorb, the group’s CEO, said in a press release. "We cannot afford complacency. High-quality financial education is essential to prepare the next generation for real-world financial challenges." ## Build a strong financial future with the help of a Financial Advisor ### Get guidance on saving, budgeting, and smart money decisions. Select your state to connect with an advisor who can help you get started. [Get Started](https://money.com/pr/h905ef84511a?ap_referrer=%2Fteens-fail-personal-finance-test-nfec%2F&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) The NFEC, which advocates for financial literacy to be included as a core subject in grade school, administered the 30-question test throughout 2025 to over 61,000 teens across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. — and roughly half of them failed by scoring below 70%. While the financial literacy test was created for teens, more than 100,000 Americans of nearly all ages have taken it since 2014, NFEC says. Typically, the older the respondent, the better they scored. | **Age** | **Test Score** | | --- | --- | | 10 to 14 | 57% | | 15 to 18 | 64% | | 19 to 24 | 71% | | 25 to 35 | 76% | | 36 to 50 | 77% | | 51+ | 78% | _*Score rounded to nearest whole number. Adam Hardy for Money.com; National Financial Education Council*_ Scores also varied widely by state. Teens in Washington, D.C. did the best, scoring an overage of 71%. In second place was West Virginia, with an average score of 69%. On the opposite end of the spectrum are Delaware and Arkansas, with average scores of 55% and 56%, respectively. ## Can you pass this financial literacy test? The NFEC says it created the test to measure “participants’ ability to earn, save and grow their money.” Money staff took the test and found questions on topics including networking, entrepreneurship, volunteering and goal setting. Here’s a selection of 5 out of 30 questions on the test, including two of the most commonly missed questions, according to the NFEC. ([Jump to the bottom to see the correct answers.](#answers)) * * * **Sample Question 1:** Why would I want to improve my credit score? a. To save money when purchasing a car with a loan b. To earn more interest on investments c. To help you get a job, because many employers check their prospective employees’ credit d. Both “a” and “c" * * * **Sample Question 2:** If I invest $100 per month starting at age 21, and that money earns a 7% annual return, how much will I have after 70 years? a. $138,957 b. Between $150,000 and $225,000 depending on life expectancy c. More than $1.5 million d. None of the above * * * **Sample Question 3:** How can understanding risk management topics help me in everyday life? a. It can help safeguard your credit and protect you from lawsuits. b. You can avoid large medical bills incurred because you have no medical insurance. c. Understanding risk management helps you evaluate the risks involved with situations you might face while driving, hanging out with friends, or being adventurous. d. All of the above * * * **Sample Question 4:** Which option describes the best way to automate your finances? a. Have your employer direct deposit your paycheck, set up automatic bill-pay, set up automatic transfers to your savings account, and track all your finances on a single site. b. Keep track of all the bills you pay on a spreadsheet, have a written budget, and set up an account with a bank or credit union. c. Have all the companies you owe deduct their monthly payments directly from your checking account. d. None of the above * * * **Sample Question 5:** What is the safest initial step that I can take to start building my credit? a. Get a credit card or student loan and pay the bill on time. b. Create a credit plan that includes a budget, money set aside for emergencies, and the steps you’ll take to prove to the credit bureaus that you can repay money you borrow. c. Take a cash advance on a credit card and put the money in savings where it will earn interest. d. Both “b” and “c" * * * You can take the full 30-question quiz on [NFEC's website](https://www.financialeducatorscouncil.org/national-financial-capability-test/). ## Save time & stress — Get expert financial peace of mind ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/39598/medium_1ef76516-dc75-4ee1-bb20-abc490a96567.webp) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/2f864bae88e3?bidid=4030362148&pmeta=p129-c579-u41076&ptid=662394770&ptoken=f6d9530c1909db26ce0e0ab16c729888&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/23375/medium_3bc88782-8fff-4c3e-85cb-335c9fcf36de.png) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/5d70f90b1de1?bidid=4030362154&pmeta=p129-c579-u41076&ptid=662394770&ptoken=c81c4575401febee02d3b9d1b5165aa8&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/28104/medium_d5970849-7b23-4f32-80c4-adde5be39b6c.png) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/98624ca414e7?bidid=4030362159&pmeta=p129-c579-u41076&ptid=662394770&ptoken=156e1d9c671f1c41d43f104dc179139e&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/12042/medium_3f5b6608-bf8f-4076-8965-54f4b96cd9af.png) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/7ee408f9d83e?bidid=4030362150&pmeta=p129-c579-u41076&ptid=662394770&ptoken=92fe5ed6d2ea6ef8e948595db99e2e68&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/35117/medium_4cd45dfc-1300-479a-bf70-a79e0df6b02f.webp) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/2d115c52397f?bidid=4030362163&pmeta=p129-c579-u41076&ptid=662394770&ptoken=5bbc1982127bf41972322eff865f2da3&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) *Correct answers: 1. D; 2. C; 3. D; 4. A; 5. B.* ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/26409/medium_84cd5235-e7cf-4d20-aff5-f5197af93ec8.png) Financial Advisors are standing by, ready to help you out today. [Get Started](https://money.com/pr/u30e1ddd1d92?ap_referrer=%2Fteens-fail-personal-finance-test-nfec%2F&apxa1=financial-literacy-quiz-results) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/teens-fail-personal-finance-test-nfec/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Personal Finance", "item": "https://money.com/personal-finance/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Most Teens Can’t Pass This Basic Personal Finance Quiz. 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