CISI Technology in Investment Management Exam Guide: Version 13

Table of Contents

• • Exam format at a glance
• • Syllabus weights
• • Learn one end-to-end investment lifecycle
• • Technology Management: the largest element
• • Regulation and data
• • Managing business change
• • Procurement and outsourcing
• • Suggested 80-hour plan
• • How to answer scenario questions
• • Conclusion

The CISI Technology in Investment Management unit tests how systems, data, controls and technology services support the investment lifecycle. It is designed for investment-operations and technology professionals; it is not a programming examination.

Quick answer: the current Version 13 exam has 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes and a 70% pass mark. Ten elements cover the flow from trade capture to settlement and financial control, then technology management, business change and procurement.

Exam format at a glance

Item	Detail
Level	CISI Level 3
Assessment	50 multiple-choice questions
Duration	60 minutes
Pass mark	70%
Study time	Minimum approximately 80 hours
Current version	Version 13
Applicable period	11 May 2026–10 May 2028

Syllabus weights

Element	Questions	Weight
Technology in Investment Management	4	8%
The Regulatory Framework	6	12%
Functional Flow of Financial Instruments	3	6%
Technology in Trade Capture	4	8%
Technology in the Pre-Settlement Phase	5	10%
Technology in Settlement and Post-Settlement	5	10%
Technology and Financial Control	5	10%
Technology Management	8	16%
Managing Business Change	6	12%
Technology Services Procurement	4	8%
Total	50	100%

Learn one end-to-end investment lifecycle

Do not memorise trade capture, matching, settlement, reconciliation and accounting as disconnected system names. Build one lifecycle:

investment decision → order → execution → trade capture → enrichment → matching → settlement → reconciliation → accounting and reporting.

At every stage identify the data needed, the control performed, the failure that could occur and the team or system responsible. This approach turns five separate syllabus elements into one coherent operating model.

Technology Management: the largest element

Technology Management carries eight questions. It covers roles, infrastructure, service delivery, security, resilience and operational oversight. Candidates should be able to distinguish availability, capacity, continuity, incident management and information-security controls.

The examination is likely to test why a control exists, not only its name. For example, resilience is wider than creating a backup: the organisation must understand critical services, dependencies, recovery priorities, testing and communication.

Regulation and data

The Regulatory Framework carries six questions. Technology teams must understand how regulation and data protection influence system design, access, retention, reporting and oversight. Treat compliance as a requirement that travels through the lifecycle, not as a final check after a system has been built.

Managing business change

Business change also carries six questions. Learn how requirements, governance, delivery approaches, testing, implementation and benefits connect. A technically correct solution can still fail if requirements are incomplete, data migration is weak or users are not prepared for implementation.

Build a testing ladder: unit and component checks, integration, system testing, user acceptance, regression and post-implementation validation. Focus on purpose and ownership rather than memorising labels alone.

Procurement and outsourcing

Technology Services Procurement covers sourcing models, vendor selection, contracts, oversight and exit planning. Outsourcing transfers delivery activity but not accountability. Candidates should connect due diligence, service levels, concentration risk, audit rights, resilience and exit plans.

Suggested 80-hour plan

Workstream	Hours
Industry context and regulation	12
Trade capture and functional flow	9
Pre-settlement, settlement and post-settlement	14
Financial control	8
Technology management	13
Business change	10
Procurement and sourcing	6
Mixed questions and mock exams	8
Total	80

How to answer scenario questions

When a scenario describes a failure, ask:

1. Where in the lifecycle did it occur?
2. Is the root issue data, process, system, people or third-party dependency?
3. Which preventative or detective control should operate?
4. What downstream record, client or regulatory report is affected?

This structure helps distinguish a plausible technical response from the control that actually addresses the problem.

Use the official CISI qualification page and candidate updates to confirm the version for your booking.

The Technology in Investment Management preparation page maps all ten Version 13 elements and their published question weights.

Conclusion

The unit rewards candidates who can see the whole operating chain. Learn how clean data, controlled processing, resilient services, governed change and effective vendor oversight combine to support an investment transaction from decision to financial record.