CySEC offers two main certification exams for investment professionals in Cyprus: the Basic and the Advanced. The right choice depends entirely on your role — and choosing wrong means either over-preparing for a certificate you do not need, or holding a qualification that does not cover your responsibilities.
The two certifications side by side, at a glance.
| CySEC Basic | CySEC Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 50 | 70 |
| Duration | 60 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing mark | 70% (35/50) | 70% (49/70) |
| Chapters covered | 8 | 14 |
| CPD requirement | 10 hours/year | 15 hours/year |
| Who needs it | Reception/transmission of orders, execution, UCITS marketing | All of Basic + portfolio management, investment advice, dealing on own account, underwriting |
The Basic certification is sufficient if your role is limited to:
Typical roles: junior dealer, client relations officer, sales support at a CySEC-regulated firm.
The Advanced certification is required if your role includes any of the following:
Typical roles: portfolio manager, compliance officer, investment advisor, dealing room staff, fund manager.
The Advanced certification is a superset of the Basic — it covers all 8 Basic chapters plus 6 additional ones. If you hold the Advanced, you do not need the Basic separately. Many professionals start with Basic and upgrade to Advanced when their role expands.
The Advanced exam is longer (70 vs 50 questions) and covers significantly more regulation (14 vs 8 chapters). The additional chapters — Capital Adequacy, EMIR, Recovery and Resolution, Prospectus Regulation, Transparency Laws — require more study time. Most candidates need 4–8 weeks for Advanced versus 2–4 weeks for Basic.
8 chapters, 50 questions. Chapter-by-chapter practice with AI hints.
Browse Basic Packs14 chapters, 70 questions. Full question bank with AI hints and mock exams.
Browse Advanced Packs