CAFP

The credential is assessed by multiple-choice questions covering the nine published domains. Expect scenario-style stems that ask you to choose the best next action, control, or classification rather than recall a bare definition. Confirm the current delivery method, item count, and any calculator or reference rules with the certifying body before booking.

This page does not publish a duration, question count, or fee, because those details are set and revised by the certifying organization. Check the official body's site for the current appointment length, fee schedule, and any rescheduling terms. Plan your sitting around the official figure, not secondhand summaries.

Scoring thresholds and validity periods are controlled by the certifying body and change over time, so no figure is given here. Look up the current passing standard and recertification or continuing-education requirements on the official site. Build renewal reminders into your calendar as soon as you pass.

The difficulty is in application, not vocabulary. Candidates who have memorized FATF Recommendation titles but never worked an alert or a beneficial ownership chain often stall on scenario items. If you can explain why a control exists, what evidence satisfies it, and when escalation is required, the exam feels manageable rather than tricky.

Retake eligibility, waiting periods, and any additional fees are administrative rules published by the certifying organization. Check its site for the current policy before you sit. Practically, treat a first attempt as diagnostic: note which domains produced your weakest answers and rebuild those before reapplying rather than rereading everything.

Start with fundamentals and the international standards framework, because later questions assume that vocabulary. Add the legal and regulatory layer, then customer due diligence and beneficial ownership, then monitoring and reporting. Sanctions screening, typologies, governance, intelligence sharing, and emerging technology sit naturally on top once the core is solid.

Three recur: confusing suspicious activity reporting with sanctions blocking, treating enhanced due diligence as a document checklist instead of a risk judgment, and misreading beneficial ownership thresholds or control tests. A fourth is ignoring governance items, which are easy marks for candidates who understand risk assessment and audit independence.

There is no official study-hour requirement. Working practitioners typically need several weeks of focused review, weighted toward the domains where they have least day-to-day exposure. Track your accuracy by domain on practice items and extend study where you plateau, rather than counting hours.

No. This is independent study material written for candidates searching this exam, and it is not produced, endorsed, or reviewed by the certifying body. Always treat the official organization's published handbook, domain outline, and policies as authoritative over any third-party summary.