SC Licensing Exam study plan

Map the Licensing Framework domain into a one-page table covering licence types, representative registration routes, and the fit-and-propriety criteria, citing the specific conduct standards for each

Explain the securities dealing lifecycle from client onboarding and suitability assessment through order handling, best execution, and trade reporting, writing out each control point

Distinguish prohibited market conduct (insider dealing, market manipulation, front running) from legitimate dealing activity using three self-written fact patterns

Build a personal glossary of 40 regulatory and securities terms with a one-line definition each

Classify derivatives by underlying, payoff structure, and trading venue, and state the client-suitability implications of each class

Trace the clearing lifecycle for an exchange-traded derivative from trade capture through novation, margining, and settlement, naming the parties and their obligations

Contrast central counterparty clearing with bilateral settlement and identify the credit, liquidity, and operational risks each addresses

Compute initial and variation margin for two worked examples and explain what triggers a margin call

Describe the fund management operating model: mandate formation, investment limits, valuation, NAV calculation, and reporting to investors

Summarise the Private Retirement Scheme structure, including contributor eligibility, withdrawal conditions, scheme provider duties, and default option rules

Compare a unit trust, a private retirement scheme, and a discretionary managed portfolio on governance, disclosure, and fee structure

Identify the conflicts of interest that arise in fund management and state the controls that mitigate each

Outline the corporate finance advisory workflow for an initial public offering, from mandate acceptance through due diligence, submission, and listing

Explain the adviser's duties in a take-over or merger, including independence, fairness opinion, and disclosure obligations

Apply the investment advice suitability process to three client profiles with different risk appetites and time horizons

Distinguish personal recommendations from general advice and state the documentation required for each

Construct a financial plan for a sample client covering cash flow, insurance, retirement projection, and estate considerations, showing the assumptions behind each figure

Explain how fitness and propriety is assessed and what events trigger re-assessment or notification to the regulator

List the investor protection mechanisms available to retail clients and the escalation route for each type of complaint

Draft the disclosure statements a financial planner must give a client before and after advice

Re-solve the weakest questions from weeks 1 and 2 without notes and record the error type for each miss

Link securities dealing, derivatives dealing, and clearing into a single end-to-end narrative covering one trade from order to settlement

Answer 30 mixed practice questions across Domains 1 to 3 under timed conditions and review every explanation

Explain to an imaginary junior colleague why clearing risk management matters to a dealing representative

Re-solve the weakest questions from weeks 3 to 5 without notes and close every remaining knowledge gap

Write a two-page summary that distinguishes the conduct obligations of fund management, private retirement scheme dealing, corporate finance advising, investment advice, and financial planning

Answer 40 mixed practice questions across Domains 4 to 8 under timed conditions and review every explanation

Recite from memory the key numeric thresholds and time limits across all five domains

Sit two full-length timed mock exams covering all nine domains and score each against the pass mark

Review every incorrect answer and rewrite it as a correct rule statement in a consolidated revision sheet

Rehearse the licensing framework, fit-and-propriety, and investor protection content last, since it is tested across all domains

Simulate exam-day logistics: timing per question, flagging strategy, and a final 48-hour revision schedule