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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CGSS Exam

100

Total Questions

ACAMS handbook

20

Unscored Pilot Items

ACAMS handbook

62.5%

Passing Standard

50 of 80 scored questions

175 min

Exam Time

Pearson VUE delivery

40 credits

Eligibility Requirement

ACAMS application

6 months

Testing Window

After application approval

CGSS uses a 100-question computer-based exam delivered through Pearson VUE. ACAMS states that 20 items are unscored pilot questions, candidates have 175 minutes, and the passing standard is 62.5% of scored questions. As of March 2026, current developments worth watching include the UK's move to a single UK sanctions list in January 2026 and OFSI's updated enforcement guidance published in February 2026.

About the CGSS Exam

The ACAMS CGSS certification is a specialist-level sanctions credential for mid- to senior-level professionals. The official blueprint uses five weighted domains: Sanctions Frameworks and Governance, Building a Sanctions Compliance Program, Sanctions Risk Assessment, Sanctions Screening, and Investigations.

Assessment

100 multiple-choice questions including 20 unscored pilot questions

Time Limit

175 minutes

Passing Score

62.5% of scored questions (50 of 80 scored items)

Exam Fee

US$1,995 private sector package or US$1,495 public sector package (ACAMS)

CGSS Exam Content Outline

27.5%

Sanctions Frameworks and Governance

Authorities, sanctions regimes, jurisdictional reach, licensing, exemptions, and consequences of non-compliance.

27.5%

Building a Sanctions Compliance Program

Program governance, beneficial ownership, due diligence, procedures, controls, technology, and oversight.

17.5%

Sanctions Risk Assessment

Inherent risk factors, segmentation, residual risk, management information, reassessment triggers, and control calibration.

12.5%

Sanctions Screening

List management, matching logic, payment screening, alert handling, data quality, and tuning.

15%

Investigations

Ownership, payment, and trade-evasion typologies; case development; asset-freezing obligations; and reporting.

How to Pass the CGSS Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 62.5% of scored questions (50 of 80 scored items)
  • Assessment: 100 multiple-choice questions including 20 unscored pilot questions
  • Time limit: 175 minutes
  • Exam fee: US$1,995 private sector package or US$1,495 public sector package

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CGSS Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study the blueprint in weight order so the two 27.5% domains drive most of your review time.
2Do not memorize only list names; practice determining which jurisdiction's rules apply to a specific person, transaction, or corporate structure.
3Master beneficial-ownership analysis, especially aggregation concepts and control-based escalation, because it connects program design, screening, and investigations.
4Practice sanctions scenarios that require you to choose the best immediate control response, not just define a term.
5Use real-world alert triage logic when you study: verify data quality first, then resolve the name, ownership, payment, or trade question systematically.
6Keep a short current-events sheet for 2026 updates so global-list, enforcement, and anti-evasion changes stay fresh before exam day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the CGSS exam?

ACAMS states that the CGSS examination has 100 multiple-choice questions. Of those, 20 are unscored pilot questions used for future exam development, so the scored portion is 80 questions.

What score do I need to pass CGSS?

The CGSS candidate handbook states that candidates must answer 62.5% of the scored questions correctly to pass. With 80 scored items, that means 50 correct answers are needed on the scored portion.

How long do I have to complete the CGSS exam?

ACAMS gives candidates 175 minutes, which is 2 hours and 55 minutes, to complete the CGSS exam at Pearson VUE. That is enough time for deliberate scenario analysis, but not enough to linger too long on one investigation-style question.

How much does the CGSS exam cost?

ACAMS currently sells CGSS as a certification package rather than as a simple standalone exam fee. The official package price is US$1,995 for private-sector candidates and US$1,495 for public-sector candidates; the retake fee is US$299 and an exam extension costs US$100.

What are the eligibility requirements for CGSS?

ACAMS requires an active membership plus 40 eligibility credits drawn from education, experience, certifications, and training. After the application is approved, candidates receive instructions to schedule the exam and have six months to test.

Where is the CGSS exam delivered?

ACAMS says the CGSS certification exam is delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers. The exam is not taken onsite at ACAMS conferences; candidates schedule after ACAMS approves the application.

Which recent 2026 sanctions changes matter most for CGSS candidates?

Two operationally important updates are the UK's move to a single UK sanctions list effective January 28, 2026, and OFSI's updated enforcement and monetary penalties guidance published in February 2026. Candidates should also stay current on ongoing Russia-related sanctions measures and anti-evasion controls across the US, UK, and EU because the CGSS blueprint emphasizes jurisdictional reach, risk assessment, screening, and investigations.