CISI Financial Markets Exam Preparation
Structured preparation for Financial Markets, the first Level 6 unit in the three-unit CISI Chartered Wealth Manager Qualification.
Course syllabus information reviewed for 2026. Always check the awarding body’s latest official syllabus and candidate updates before booking or sitting your exam.
Your exam preparation path
Preparation for the Financial Markets unit; completing the Chartered Wealth Manager Qualification requires all current CISI route requirements to be satisfied.
Prepare for the CISI Financial Markets examination
Financial Markets is the first unit in the CISI Chartered Wealth Manager Qualification. It is a Level 6 written examination, not the complete Level 7 Diploma. Candidates then progress through Portfolio Construction Theory and Applied Wealth Management, subject to the current CISI qualification requirements.
The supplied Edition 13 workbook contains eight study chapters. The official syllabus contains nine learning outcomes because Macroeconomics is delivered through a separate CISI online Professional Assessment rather than a workbook chapter. This storefront makes that distinction explicit and maps the remaining eight outcomes to financial-statement analysis, bond mathematics, liquidity and risk, bonds, equities, property and alternatives, derivatives, and securities-market structure.
The formal assessment is a three-hour, 100-mark narrative paper. Section A requires four short answers selected from six for 20 marks. Section B contains two compulsory 20-mark questions. Section C is a compulsory 40-mark case-study section. The learning and written-answer practice bank is currently being completed, and purchasers see the current two-hour update notice while that work finishes.
Edition 13 applies to the published 2026 examination window. The official addendum and the later CISI Candidate Update override any affected workbook wording or calculations. Always confirm the latest official CISI syllabus and Candidate Update for your sitting; this page records the year so the general guidance remains useful when individual amendments are issued.
Exam Format & Details
| Assessment | Three-hour narrative written paper: four short answers from six, two compulsory 20-mark questions and a compulsory 40-mark case-study section |
| Duration | 180 Minutes |
| Level | CISI Level 6 |
| Total Qualification Time | 200 hours |
Key Benefits
Three-section written-exam method
Prepare the different response skills required for concise short answers, compulsory applied questions and the 40-mark case study.
- ✓ Four short answers from six
- ✓ Two compulsory 20-mark questions
- ✓ Compulsory 40-mark case study
Complete markets foundation
Connect accounting analysis and bond mathematics with asset classes, derivatives and securities-market structure.
- ✓ Eight workbook chapters
- ✓ Nine official learning outcomes
- ✓ Quantitative and written application
Qualification-route clarity
Study Financial Markets as the first unit while keeping its place in the three-unit Chartered Wealth Manager pathway clear.
- ✓ First Level 6 unit
- ✓ Three-unit qualification route
- ✓ Not the complete Level 7 Diploma
Syllabus
Module 1: Macroeconomics Professional Assessment
Apply macroeconomic concepts through the separate online Professional Assessment supplied by CISI; this outcome is not a chapter in the workbook.
- • Economic growth, inflation and employment
- • Monetary and fiscal policy
- • Business, credit and market cycles
Module 2: Financial Statement Analysis and Accounting Ratios
Analyse company accounts, accounting policies, cash flow and ratios to evaluate financial position and performance.
- • Primary financial statements
- • Accounting quality and adjustments
- • Profitability, liquidity and leverage ratios
Module 3: Compounding, Discounting and Bond Mathematics
Apply time-value-of-money methods, discounting, yields, duration and other calculations used in security analysis.
- • Compound and present values
- • Bond price and yield
- • Duration, convexity and sensitivity
Module 4: Liquidity, Risk and Return Characteristics
Evaluate liquidity, risk and return across investments and understand the factors that influence market behaviour.
- • Liquidity measures and constraints
- • Risk and return measures
- • Correlation and diversification
Module 5: Bonds
Evaluate government and corporate debt, structures, credit, valuation, yield curves and bond-market risks.
- • Bond structures and markets
- • Credit and default risk
- • Yield curves and relative value
Module 6: Equities
Analyse equity markets, company performance, valuation approaches, corporate actions and shareholder returns.
- • Equity characteristics and markets
- • Company and sector analysis
- • Equity valuation and corporate actions
Module 7: Property and Alternative Investments
Compare property, commodities, private markets, hedge funds and other alternatives in an investment context.
- • Direct and indirect property
- • Private equity and hedge funds
- • Commodities and alternative risk
Module 8: Derivatives
Evaluate forwards, futures, options and swaps, including their valuation, payoff structures and risk-management uses.
- • Forwards and futures
- • Options and option strategies
- • Swaps, hedging and counterparty risk
Module 9: The Securities Market Structure
Understand issuance, trading, liquidity, market participants, clearing, settlement and the organisation of securities markets.
- • Primary and secondary markets
- • Trading venues and order execution
- • Clearing, settlement and market infrastructure
Who Is This For?
Preparation centre
CISI Financial Markets Exam Guides
Use these connected guides for the syllabus, exam format, booking and revision strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Financial Markets is a three-hour, 100-mark narrative examination. Section A requires four five-mark answers selected from six, Section B contains two compulsory 20-mark questions, and Section C is a compulsory 40-mark case-study section.
No. Financial Markets is the first unit. The qualification also includes Portfolio Construction Theory and Applied Wealth Management, subject to the current CISI entry and completion requirements.
Macroeconomics is the first official learning outcome but is delivered through a separate CISI online Professional Assessment. The supplied workbook covers the other eight outcomes in eight chapters.
The official workbook recommends approximately 200 hours across the workbook, the Professional Assessment, formal tuition where used and wider reading.
No. This course is the CISI Financial Markets unit within the Chartered Wealth Manager Qualification. GARP Financial Markets and Products is a different FRM curriculum book and examination route.
Checkout is open while the latest learning content and written-answer practice bank are being completed. Purchasers see the current two-hour completion notice on their dashboard.
CISI Financial Markets
Course Features
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