CySEC AML Exam Guide 2026: Format, Syllabus and Study Plan

Table of Contents

• • CySEC AML exam format and official facts
• • What the CySEC AML syllabus covers
• • Why the CySEC AML exam can be difficult
• • A practical CySEC AML study plan
• - Stage 1: Build the framework
• - Stage 2: Connect governance to daily controls
• - Stage 3: Master CDD and reporting
• - Stage 4: Add the CASP layer
• - Stage 5: Move from Study Mode to timed mocks
• • How to use the 60 minutes effectively
• • Check the latest CySEC material before your sitting
• • Final CySEC AML readiness checklist

The CySEC AML exam tests whether you can apply Cyprus anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing requirements—not merely recognise definitions. A strong preparation plan must connect the legal framework to the practical responsibilities of the board, the AML Compliance Officer (AMLCO), employees, CySEC and MOKAS.

Quick answer: the current examination has 40 multiple-choice questions, lasts 60 minutes and requires at least 70% to pass. The current official syllabus contains eight examinable chapters. Use the latest CySEC syllabus for your exam year, then combine chapter learning with active recall and full-length timed practice.

CySEC AML exam format and official facts

Exam feature	Current specification
Delivery	Computer-based assessment
Questions	40 multiple-choice questions
Duration	60 minutes
Pass mark	At least 70%
Average pace	90 seconds per question
Official registration fee	€300 at the time of verification
Examination location	CySEC examination centre in Nicosia under the current arrangements
Syllabus structure	Eight examinable chapters

A 70% result on a 40-question practice paper is 28 correct answers. Do not treat 28 as your preparation target, however. Aim to pass several unseen full mocks with a clear safety margin, because the mix of topics and difficulty will vary.

CySEC states that any person may sit the AML examination. It also explains that another professional qualification does not by itself create an exemption. Candidates should confirm registration instructions and current administrative arrangements on the official CySEC AML examination page.

What the CySEC AML syllabus covers

The syllabus is divided into eight connected chapters:

1. Introductory Provisions — CySEC’s supervisory remit, certification and the AMLCO route.
2. Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Sanctions — laundering stages, methods, sector exposure and sanctions controls.
3. Legal and Regulatory Requirements — the Cyprus framework, MOKAS, EU requirements, FATF and MONEYVAL.
4. The AML Compliance Culture — board oversight, AMLCO responsibilities, internal audit and staff training.
5. Assessing and Managing Risks — business-wide risk, customer risk, geography, products, transactions and delivery channels.
6. Know Your Customer and Customer Due Diligence — CDD triggers, beneficial ownership, PEPs, enhanced measures and ongoing monitoring.
7. Transaction Monitoring and Suspicious Reporting — internal escalation, AMLCO evaluation, MOKAS reporting, red flags and tipping off.
8. Crypto Asset Service Providers — the specialist CASP framework alongside ordinary obliged-entity duties.

Definitions and workbook practice material support these chapters; they should not be studied as disconnected lists. For example, the definition of beneficial ownership matters because it changes who must be identified and verified. The definition of suspicion matters because proof of a predicate offence is not required before escalation.

Why the CySEC AML exam can be difficult

The difficulty is usually precision under time pressure. Several options may sound cautious, but only one follows the correct authority, trigger and sequence.

Common sources of lost marks include:

• assigning an employee’s reporting duty to the AMLCO, or the AMLCO’s external reporting decision to the board;
• treating suspicion as if it requires proof of criminal conduct;
• remembering a monetary threshold without remembering what activates it;
• assuming enhanced due diligence replaces ordinary identification and verification;
• treating every high-risk factor as an automatic reason to reject a customer;
• confusing an internal report with an external report to MOKAS; and
• assuming CASP registration replaces the wider AML/CFT duties of an obliged entity.

Before answering, identify four things: Who is acting? What triggered the duty? What must happen next? Is there an exception or additional risk measure? This short routine prevents many role and sequence errors.

A practical CySEC AML study plan

Stage 1: Build the framework

Start with Chapters 1–3. Learn which body performs each function and distinguish national law, supervisory requirements and international standards. You should be able to explain the relationship between CySEC, MOKAS, FATF and MONEYVAL without looking at your notes.

Stage 2: Connect governance to daily controls

Study Chapters 4 and 5 together. Governance establishes responsibility; risk assessment determines how controls are applied. Build comparison notes for the board, AMLCO, internal audit and employees. Then map customer, geographic, product, transaction and delivery-channel risks to proportionate controls.

Stage 3: Master CDD and reporting

Chapters 6 and 7 contain many closely related triggers, roles and sequences. Use flashcards for thresholds and definitions, but use scenarios for beneficial ownership, PEPs, enhanced due diligence, transaction monitoring and suspicious reporting. For every missed question, record whether the cause was a rule gap, threshold gap, role confusion, sequence error or a misread qualifier.

Stage 4: Add the CASP layer

Chapter 8 should be studied twice: first as a specialist registration and governance topic, and again as an AML application topic. A CASP remains an obliged entity. Its specialist rules do not remove customer risk assessment, CDD, ongoing monitoring, reporting and record-keeping duties.

Stage 5: Move from Study Mode to timed mocks

Use immediate-feedback practice while learning. Once you can explain the reason behind each answer, switch to complete 40-question, 60-minute mocks. Review incorrect answers and uncertain correct answers. A lucky guess does not demonstrate readiness.

How to use the 60 minutes effectively

The official pace averages 90 seconds per question, but effective timing is not perfectly even. Use three passes:

1. First pass: answer clear questions promptly and mark uncertain items.
2. Second pass: work through questions that require comparison, calculation or careful role analysis.
3. Final check: revisit negative words such as not, false and except, and confirm that every question has an answer.

For a multiple-response practice item, test every option independently. Do not stop after finding one correct statement. For a single-best-answer item, reject options that are broadly true but do not answer the exact role, trigger or stage described in the stem.

Your mock review should be chapter based. A total score alone cannot tell you whether the next hour is better spent on MOKAS reporting, CDD triggers or CASP governance. Track accuracy across all eight chapters and retest weak areas with new wording.

Check the latest CySEC material before your sitting

AML requirements and examination arrangements can change. Your source order should be:

1. the latest official CySEC syllabus and current examination notices;
2. the official workbook applying to your sitting;
3. your course summaries, flashcards and practice questions; and
4. personal notes and memory aids.

Where older notes conflict with a current official source, the current official source takes priority. Recheck the official CySEC certifications overview shortly before registering and again during final revision. This is especially important for administrative arrangements, fees, workbook transitions and any regulatory change affecting examinable content.

Final CySEC AML readiness checklist

Before the examination, confirm that you can:

• explain the three classic stages of money laundering and distinguish terrorist financing;
• identify the roles of CySEC, MOKAS, the board, AMLCO, internal audit and employees;
• apply business-wide and customer-level risk factors rather than relying on one indicator;
• recall CDD triggers together with their context and exceptions;
• distinguish normal CDD, simplified measures and enhanced due diligence;
• follow a suspicion from transaction monitoring through internal escalation and external reporting;
• recognise tipping-off risks and transaction-monitoring red flags;
• apply the CASP rules together with ordinary AML/CFT obligations; and
• complete an unseen 40-question mock inside 60 minutes with a consistent margin above 70%.

The CySEC AML exam preparation course combines five full-length timed mocks with eight chapter summaries, 111 active-recall flashcards, a searchable quick-reference sheet and a course-grounded AI tutor. Use it to turn the official syllabus into a measurable revision plan rather than relying on passive rereading.