CISI CMP Securities study guide
CISI CMP Securities · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CISI Certificate in Securities - often searched as "CMP Securities" or the CISI Level 3 Certificate in Securities - is a professional qualification offered by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, a UK-based professional body whose site describes it as a "Financial Services Professional Body" with "over 54,000 CISI members worldwide". It is aimed at people working in, or moving into, securities and investment roles: front-office sales and trading support staff, investment administrators, operations and settlements personnel, compliance and risk staff who need product and market knowledge, and graduates entering wholesale financial services. The CISI CMP Securities study guide has 4 sections and about 2,153 words.
01Securities Markets and Market Participants
This domain tests how issuers raise capital, how securities then change hands, and who sits at each link in the chain from issuer to end investor. Questions typically probe primary-market issuance methods, the distinction between order-driven and quote-driven trading, the roles of market makers, brokers, custodians and registrars, and the clearing and settlement timetable.
465 words, about 2 min02Regulation and Compliance
This domain tests the UK regulatory framework as it applies to securities firms: who regulates what, which rules govern conduct, how individuals are held accountable, and how financial crime and complaints are handled. Expect questions that link a scenario to the correct rulebook or authority.
425 words, about 2 min03Financial Products and Asset Classes
This domain tests whether you can classify a product, explain its risk and return drivers, and calculate the metrics examiners favour. Questions often combine a definition with a number: a yield, a conversion premium, a discount to NAV.
414 words, about 2 min04Investment Advice
This domain tests the advice process end to end: gathering client information, categorising the client, assessing suitability and documenting the recommendation. Questions frequently turn on the difference between suitability and appropriateness, and between risk appetite and capacity for loss.
849 words, about 4 min