The AML / CFT specialist qualification for compliance officers, MLROs and financial-crime analysts. 224 calibrated MCQs, 7 walkthroughs, cram sheet, £49.
The Combating Financial Crime qualification is the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment's specialist AML/CFT exam. Where GFC covers the international compliance framework broadly, CFC goes deep on anti-money-laundering, counter-terrorist-financing, sanctions, bribery, fraud, market abuse and the operational compliance framework a regulated firm needs to prevent them.
It's the natural pick for anyone whose day-to-day involves:
50 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes, 70% pass mark, computer-based delivery via Pearson VUE. CISI's syllabus is updated periodically to keep pace with regulatory change.
CFC is aimed at professionals whose role touches financial crime — whether in-house at a bank / asset manager / insurer, or in a supporting role at a professional-services firm.
| Role | Why CFC helps |
|---|---|
| Head of compliance / chief compliance officer (UAE) | Required by the CMA, paired with UAE FRR (licensing chart) |
| Compliance officer | A common benchmark in compliance roles; relevant to MLRO tracks |
| MLRO / Nominated officer | Directly relevant to statutory duties under POCA + MLR 2017 |
| Financial-crime analyst | Depth on FATF Recs, typologies, sanctions evasion, crypto |
| Sanctions specialist | Ch 6 covers OFAC / OFSI + evasion typologies in depth |
| Onboarding / KYC operations | Ch 4 is the CDD/EDD/SDD/PEP framework — 30% of the exam |
| Correspondent-banking risk | Ch 3 covers correspondent banking + shell-bank prohibition |
| Career-switcher into compliance | An internationally scoped AML/CFT credential |
| Ch | Topic | Exam weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Financial Crime & International Response — FATF, UN conventions, EU MLDs 1-6, national frameworks | 5 / 50 (~10%) |
| 2 | Money Laundering — the Offences — POCA s.327-333, mens rea, defences, DAML | 8 / 50 (~16%) |
| 3 | ML: Sources & Methods — placement → layering → integration, TBML, shell companies, real estate | 6 / 50 (~12%) |
| 4 | Prevention Framework — the heaviest chapter — CDD/EDD/SDD, PEPs, BO, SARs, MLRO, monitoring | 15 / 50 (~30%) |
| 5 | Terrorist Financing — TA 2000, UN 1267, sources, typologies, cryptocurrency | 4 / 50 (~8%) |
| 6 | Other Financial Crimes — UKBA + FCPA, fraud, sanctions, tax evasion, market abuse, cybercrime | 8 / 50 (~16%) |
| 7 | Recent Developments — crypto/VASPs, EU AMLA, US CTA, UK ECCT, AI in FC detection | 4 / 50 (~8%) |
Ch 4 dominates the exam. Nearly a third of your marks live in the CDD/EDD/SDD/PEP/SAR/MLRO framework. Any candidate serious about passing should spend disproportionate time on Ch 4.
The full £49 CFC product covers:
Financial-crime regulation moves fast — faster than the CISI workbook can. Our bank has post-workbook developments flagged inline in explanations:
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Full CFC bank — 224 Qs, walkthroughs, audio, cram sheet — £49 one-time. Or try Free questions in every chapter first.
Assuming 8-10 hours a week alongside a full-time job, the natural CFC path:
Aim to average 80%+ across timed mocks before booking. If you can't hit that, you're not ready — better to delay a fortnight than fail and re-sit.
Most compliance careers need both the general compliance foundation (GFC) and the AML/CFT specialisation (CFC). Buying the pair separately is £98; the bundle is £79.
Global Financial Compliance — the international compliance-officer baseline. 200 MCQs, 5 chapters.
Adds UAE FRR to this bank — the exact pair required for a UAE compliance head.
The entry-level CISI credential. Take this first if you're new to finance vocabulary.
4-6 weeks at 8-10 hours per week is typical for candidates with some compliance background. Longer (8-10 weeks) if you're new to AML/CFT. Ch 4 alone is worth ~30% of the exam and deserves ~40% of your revision time.
70% pass mark. 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. Delivered computer-based via Pearson VUE. Results usually available immediately after submission.
CFC is narrower but deeper. GFC has a broader scope (international regulation, venues, IOSCO Principles, corporate governance) but shallower per topic. CFC drills much harder on AML/CFT specifics — POCA sections, FATF Recs by number, PEP mechanics. Neither is easy; both benefit from disciplined chapter-by-chapter revision.
Yes — many candidates buy the walkthroughs specifically as an operational reference. Ch 4 (CDD/EDD/SDD/PEPs/SARs/MLRO) reads like a training manual for onboarding + monitoring teams.
In the UAE, yes for compliance heads: the CMA requires heads of compliance and chief compliance officers to hold CFC plus UAE FRR (regulator's licensing chart). Singapore and Hong Kong license through their own exams (CMFAS, HKSI LE), so check with the local regulator before assuming CFC counts.
Purchases aren't refundable once your licence key is issued — you can try free questions in every chapter before you buy, so you can judge the bank first. If anything is faulty or not as described, email hello@finstudyhub.com and we'll put it right.
No. One-time payment, permanent access. Useful if you're delaying the exam or want to keep the walkthroughs as a workplace reference.
CISI, CFC, ICWIM, IISI and GFC are trademarks of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. FinStudyHub is not affiliated with CISI. Content is original preparatory material calibrated to the published CFC syllabus.