100+ Free CFP UK (CISI) Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CFP UK (CISI) Exam

CISI

UK CFP Administrator

CISI Financial Planning

Level 7

Advanced Financial Planning Diploma

CISI Level 7 Factsheet

~10 weeks

Case Study Window

CISI Level 7 Factsheet

£12,570

2025/26 Personal Allowance

GOV.UK

£60,000

2025/26 Pension Annual Allowance

GOV.UK

The UK CFP certification is administered by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) as the local Financial Planning Standards Board affiliate. The pathway combines a Level 6 examination with a Level 7 financial-plan case study (the Diploma in Advanced Financial Planning), plus the CISI IntegrityMatters ethics assessment. The Level 7 assessment is case-study based: candidates receive a retired or pre-retired client scenario and have around 10 weeks to prepare a comprehensive financial plan. The underlying syllabus spans FCA conduct rules, UK taxation, pensions and retirement, investment principles, protection, and estate and inheritance-tax planning. This free bank builds 100 MCQ knowledge-prep questions across that syllabus using current 2025/26 UK tax thresholds and FCA rules.

Sample CFP UK (CISI) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CFP UK (CISI) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under the FCA Conduct of Business Sourcebook (COBS), when must a UK financial adviser provide a client with a suitability report for a personal recommendation on a retail investment product?

A.Before, or as soon as reasonably practicable after, the transaction is concluded

B.Only if the client explicitly requests one in writing

C.Within 12 months of the recommendation being made

D.Only where the investment exceeds £50,000 in value

Explanation: COBS 9.4 requires the firm to provide a suitability report that, among other things, specifies the client's demands and needs and explains why the recommendation is suitable. The report must be given before or as soon as reasonably practicable after the transaction is concluded.

2The Retail Distribution Review (RDR) introduced adviser charging in the UK. What was its principal effect on how advisers providing personal recommendations on retail investment products are paid?

A.Advisers must charge a fixed regulated fee set annually by the FCA

B.Advisers can be paid only by adviser charges agreed with the client and must not accept commission from product providers

C.Advisers may only be paid by the product provider, never by the client

D.Advisers must waive all fees for vulnerable clients

Explanation: Since the RDR took effect in 2013, firms giving personal recommendations on retail investment products can only be remunerated by adviser charges agreed with the client and must not solicit or accept commission from product providers. This applies to both independent and restricted advice.

3An adviser describes their service as 'independent' under FCA rules. What does this primarily require of the advice given?

A.Advice limited to the products of a single chosen provider

B.Advice that recommends only the lowest-cost product available

C.Advice based on a comprehensive and fair analysis of the relevant market, unbiased and unrestricted

D.Advice that excludes all packaged products

Explanation: To use the term 'independent', a firm must provide advice based on a comprehensive and fair analysis of the relevant market and give unbiased, unrestricted recommendations. Advice that is limited to certain providers or product types is classified as 'restricted'.

4Which UK statutory body provides protection to eligible claimants when an authorised financial services firm is unable to meet claims against it?

A.The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)

B.The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)

C.The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)

D.The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)

Explanation: The FSCS is the UK's statutory compensation fund of last resort, paying eligible claims when an authorised firm fails. For investment claims, the limit is generally £85,000 per person per firm, and deposits are also protected up to £85,000 per banking licence.

5The FCA Consumer Duty introduced a higher standard of consumer protection. Which of the following best describes its core obligation?

A.Firms must act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers

B.Firms must guarantee a positive investment return to retail clients

C.Firms must cap all charges at 1% of assets under advice

D.Firms must provide advice only on a face-to-face basis

Explanation: The Consumer Duty requires firms to act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers, supported by cross-cutting rules and four outcomes covering products and services, price and value, consumer understanding, and consumer support. It raises the standard above 'treating customers fairly'.

6Under FCA rules, into how many broad categories are clients classified for conduct of business purposes?

A.Domestic clients and foreign clients

B.Retail clients, professional clients, and eligible counterparties

C.Insured clients and uninsured clients

D.Advised clients and execution-only clients

Explanation: COBS classifies clients as retail clients, professional clients, or eligible counterparties. Retail clients receive the highest level of regulatory protection, including suitability and disclosure requirements that may be reduced for the other categories.

7What is the standard personal allowance for UK income tax in the 2025/26 tax year, before any tapering?

A.£11,000

B.£14,500

C.£12,570

D.£15,000

Explanation: The personal allowance for 2025/26 is £12,570, frozen at that level since April 2022 and due to remain there until April 2028. The allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, fully withdrawn at £125,140.

8In 2025/26, at what level of adjusted net income is an individual's UK income tax personal allowance reduced to nil?

A.£100,000

B.£110,000

C.£150,000

D.£125,140

Explanation: The personal allowance is tapered by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income above £100,000. Because the allowance is £12,570, it is fully withdrawn once income reaches £125,140 (£100,000 + 2 × £12,570). Income between £100,000 and £125,140 suffers an effective 60% marginal rate.

9What is the higher-rate threshold for UK income tax (excluding Scotland) in 2025/26, above which the 40% rate applies?

A.£50,270

B.£43,000

C.£60,000

D.£100,000

Explanation: For 2025/26, the basic rate of 20% applies up to taxable income of £37,700, which combined with the £12,570 personal allowance gives a higher-rate threshold of £50,270. Income between £50,270 and £125,140 is taxed at 40%, and above £125,140 at 45%.

10What is the Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount for individuals in the UK for the 2025/26 tax year?

A.£6,000

B.£3,000

C.£12,300

D.£20,000

Explanation: The CGT annual exempt amount for individuals is £3,000 in 2025/26, reduced from £6,000 in 2024/25 and £12,300 in earlier years. Gains within the annual exempt amount are tax-free; only gains above it are chargeable.

About the CFP UK (CISI) Exam

The UK CFP route is administered by the CISI as the FPSB affiliate. It combines a Level 6 examination with a Level 7 financial-plan case study covering FCA regulation, UK taxation, pensions, investment principles, protection, and estate and inheritance-tax planning, leading to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER status.

Assessment

Performance-based assessment

Time Limit

Around 10 weeks to prepare the Level 7 financial-plan case study, plus a separate time-limited Level 6 examination

Passing Score

Set by CISI per unit; the Level 7 plan is assessed against published case-study criteria rather than a fixed MCQ pass mark

Exam Fee

CISI exam and case-study fees vary by unit and membership status; check the current CISI fee schedule (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI))

CFP UK (CISI) Exam Content Outline

16%

Financial Services Regulation (FCA)

FCA conduct rules, COBS, suitability reports, client classification, Consumer Duty, RDR adviser charging, FSCS, Financial Ombudsman Service, financial promotions, and anti-money-laundering obligations.

17%

UK Taxation

Income tax bands and allowances, the personal allowance taper, dividends, savings, capital gains tax, corporation tax, National Insurance, residence and domicile, and tax-efficient wrappers.

17%

Pensions and Retirement Planning

Annual allowance, money purchase annual allowance, carry forward, tax relief, defined benefit and contribution schemes, automatic enrolment, drawdown, annuities, the State Pension, and death benefits.

16%

Investment Principles

Asset allocation, diversification, Modern Portfolio Theory, CAPM and beta, the Sharpe ratio, active versus passive, ISAs, EIS, bonds, REITs, fund costs, and behavioural finance.

12%

Protection and Insurance Planning

Term, decreasing term, and whole-of-life assurance, critical illness cover, income protection, deferred periods, needs analysis, writing policies in trust, and business protection.

12%

Estate and Inheritance Tax Planning

Nil-rate and residence nil-rate bands, the IHT rate, potentially exempt transfers, the seven-year rule, exemptions, trusts, business property relief, wills, intestacy, and lasting powers of attorney.

10%

Integrated Financial Plan Construction

The financial planning process, fact-finding, objectives, capacity for loss, cashflow modelling, stress-testing, decumulation strategy, ongoing review, and the CISI Level 7 case study.

How to Pass the CFP UK (CISI) Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Set by CISI per unit; the Level 7 plan is assessed against published case-study criteria rather than a fixed MCQ pass mark
Assessment: Performance-based assessment
Time limit: Around 10 weeks to prepare the Level 7 financial-plan case study, plus a separate time-limited Level 6 examination
Exam fee: CISI exam and case-study fees vary by unit and membership status; check the current CISI fee schedule

Keys to Passing

Work through all 100 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CFP UK (CISI) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Anchor every answer in current 2025/26 UK thresholds: personal allowance £12,570, IHT nil-rate band £325,000, CGT exemption £3,000, and pension annual allowance £60,000.

2Learn the FCA conduct framework, including COBS suitability, client classification, RDR adviser charging, and the Consumer Duty, because regulation underpins every recommendation.

3Practise full cashflow modelling and decumulation strategy, since the Level 7 case study rewards integrated, well-evidenced planning rather than isolated product knowledge.

4Work through tax-efficiency interactions, such as using pension contributions to restore a tapered personal allowance above £100,000.

5Prepare a structured financial-plan template covering objectives, analysis, recommendations, and review so the 10-week case-study window is used efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who administers the CFP certification in the UK?

In the UK the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) administers the CFP certification as the local affiliate of the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Its Level 7 Diploma in Advanced Financial Planning is the route to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional status.

Is the CISI Level 7 financial planning assessment multiple choice?

No. The top-level Level 7 assessment is a written financial-plan case study. Candidates receive a retired or pre-retired client scenario with a questionnaire, tax calculations, and a net worth statement, and have around 10 weeks to prepare a comprehensive financial plan. A separate Level 6 examination and the IntegrityMatters ethics test also form part of the pathway.

What topics does the CISI financial planning syllabus cover?

The syllabus spans financial-services regulation under the FCA, UK taxation, pensions and retirement planning, investment principles, protection and insurance, estate and inheritance-tax planning, and the construction of an integrated financial plan.

What is the UK income tax personal allowance for 2025/26?

The personal allowance for 2025/26 is £12,570, frozen at that level until at least April 2028. It is reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000 and is fully withdrawn once income reaches £125,140.

What is the pension annual allowance for 2025/26?

The standard pension annual allowance is £60,000 for 2025/26. A money purchase annual allowance of £10,000 applies after flexibly accessing a defined contribution pension, and a tapered annual allowance can reduce the limit for high earners with adjusted income over £260,000.

Are these practice questions the real CFP UK exam?

No. This free bank provides 100 multiple-choice knowledge-prep questions built on the underlying CISI financial-planning syllabus. The real top-level Level 7 assessment is a case-study financial plan, so use these questions to build technical knowledge rather than as a replica of the case study.

100+ Free CFP UK (CISI) Practice Questions

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