100+ Free CAMS-FCI Practice Questions

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Question 1

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Which three-stage model is the classic framework for money laundering?

Acquisition, concealment, repatriation

Placement, layering, integration

Discovery, investigation, prosecution

Deposit, wire, spend

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CAMS-FCI Exam

Exam Questions

ACAMS

75%

Passing Score

ACAMS

3 hours

Exam Duration

ACAMS

$1,695-$2,595

Program Cost

ACAMS (package-dependent)

3 years

Validity

ACAMS (45 CE credits to recertify)

CAMS required

Prerequisite

Active ACAMS membership + base CAMS

CAMS-FCI is an ACAMS specialist-level credential for senior financial crime investigators. The exam has 90 questions (multiple-choice and multiple-select, with case studies) over 3 hours at a 75% passing score. Standard package is approximately $1,695-$2,595 depending on private/public sector and bundle. Active CAMS certification and ACAMS membership are required. The credential is valid for 3 years and requires 45 ACAMS continuing education credits (minimum 15 from ACAMS) to recertify. Pearson VUE delivery (test center or online proctored).

Sample CAMS-FCI Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CAMS-FCI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which three-stage model is the classic framework for money laundering?

A.Acquisition, concealment, repatriation

B.Placement, layering, integration

C.Discovery, investigation, prosecution

D.Deposit, wire, spend

Explanation: The classic three-stage money laundering model is Placement (introducing illicit cash into the financial system), Layering (complex transactions to obscure the source), and Integration (returning the laundered funds to the legitimate economy). Investigators use this model to orient case hypotheses and identify typologies.

2What is 'smurfing' in AML terminology?

A.Using blue-colored checks

B.Using multiple individuals to conduct sub-threshold cash transactions to avoid reporting requirements

C.A form of sanctions evasion

D.Laundering through art sales

Explanation: Smurfing is a form of structuring — using multiple individuals (smurfs) to break cash into sub-threshold deposits (usually under $10,000 in the U.S.) to avoid CTR filing. It is a criminal offense under 31 USC 5324 regardless of whether the underlying funds are illicit.

3The PEACE model of investigative interviewing stands for:

A.Plan, Engage, Account, Closure, Evaluate

B.Prepare, Engage, Argue, Confront, End

C.Pause, Empathize, Argue, Counter, Exit

D.Prosecution, Evidence, Arrest, Counsel, End

Explanation: PEACE (Planning/Preparation, Engage/Explain, Account/Clarify/Challenge, Closure, Evaluate) is an evidence-based, non-coercive interviewing model developed in the UK and widely adopted in financial crime investigations. It avoids confrontational techniques and focuses on obtaining reliable information.

4What does OSINT refer to in a financial crimes investigation?

A.Official Securities INvestigative Tools

B.Open-Source INTelligence — information from publicly available sources

C.Overseas Sanctions INtelligence Network

D.Offshore Savings INTernational

Explanation: OSINT is intelligence derived from publicly available sources — corporate registries, news, court records, social media, beneficial ownership databases, and adverse media. Investigators use OSINT to develop leads, verify identities, and enrich SAR narratives.

5Chain of custody documentation is essential because:

A.It reduces the number of people reviewing evidence

B.It establishes who handled evidence, when, and for what purpose — supporting admissibility and integrity

C.It is required only in civil cases

D.It replaces the need for physical evidence

Explanation: Chain of custody records every transfer of evidence (physical or digital) — who, when, why, where — to demonstrate the evidence has not been tampered with. Breaks in the chain can undermine admissibility in legal proceedings and weaken regulatory findings.

6The 'net worth method' in forensic accounting is an indirect method used to:

A.Identify unexplained wealth by comparing changes in assets/liabilities minus known income with reported income

B.Calculate a company's market cap

C.Determine voting power of shareholders

D.Estimate future earnings

Explanation: The net worth method compares the subject's net worth at the start and end of a period, plus known expenditures, minus known legitimate income. A gap suggests unexplained (potentially illicit) funds. Used extensively in tax and ML investigations.

7The 'bank deposit method' attempts to detect unreported income by:

A.Looking only at tax returns

B.Summarizing deposits to accounts, subtracting identified non-income sources, and comparing to reported income

C.Auditing charitable donations only

D.Interviewing neighbors

Explanation: The bank deposit method totals deposits, adjusts for transfers and non-income items, and compares the residual to reported income. Unexplained excess deposits suggest unreported or illicit income. It is a cornerstone indirect method in financial investigations.

8'Shell company' in the context of money laundering investigations is:

A.A company that manufactures beach shells

B.A legal entity with no genuine operations or assets, often used to obscure beneficial ownership

C.A publicly traded tech firm

D.A foreign insurance company

Explanation: Shell companies have limited or no legitimate business and are often used to hide beneficial ownership, layer transactions, and move illicit funds. FATF, FinCEN, and the EU target shells through BO transparency rules (e.g., Corporate Transparency Act; EU BO registers).

9A 'funnel account' in ML typologies refers to:

A.A single account receiving many deposits in one area and sending withdrawals/transfers in another, often to obscure flows

B.A funnel-shaped physical deposit slip

C.A retirement account

D.A payroll account

Explanation: Funnel accounts collect deposits (often cash) across multiple locations/individuals and then disburse funds elsewhere, often internationally. They are classic red flags for smurfing, human trafficking, and drug-proceeds laundering.

10Nested correspondent banking occurs when:

A.A foreign bank uses a U.S. correspondent account to provide indirect access to the U.S. financial system to its own downstream respondents

B.Banks are physically nested in the same building

C.Accounts contain bird-nest artwork

D.Banks share physical safes

Explanation: Nested correspondent banking involves downstream foreign banks accessing U.S. financial services through an intermediary correspondent — often without the U.S. bank's full knowledge. It is a high-risk structure identified in the FATF, Wolfsberg, and FinCEN literature.

About the CAMS-FCI Exam

The Advanced CAMS-FCI certification is ACAMS' specialty for senior financial crimes investigators. It validates advanced competency in designing and leading investigations — from case initiation through SAR drafting and law enforcement referral — covering investigation methodology, intelligence gathering, financial forensics (direct/indirect methods), ML/TF/fraud typologies, sanctions evasion, bribery and corruption, human trafficking and elder exploitation red flags, and the use of technology (AI/ML, network analysis, entity resolution). In 2026 ACAMS has placed additional weight on crypto-based laundering, non-bank payments, and cross-border cases.

Questions

90 scored questions

Time Limit

3 hours

Passing Score

75%

Exam Fee

$1,695-$2,595 (ACAMS / Pearson VUE)