Saudi CME-3 Certificate Guide 2026: CME-3A & CME-3B Exams

Table of Contents

• • CME-3 exam facts at a glance
• • What is the CME-3 certificate for?
• • CME-3A: Securities
• - What to practise for CME-3A
• • CME-3B: Saudi Capital Market Rules and Regulations (Brokers)
• - What to practise for CME-3B
• • CME-3A vs CME-3B: how preparation differs
• • A practical six-week CME-3 study plan
• - Weeks 1–2: build the CME-3A foundation
• - Weeks 3–4: complete CME-3A and begin timed practice
• - Week 5: focus on CME-3B rules
• - Week 6: simulate both papers
• • How to register
• • Common CME-3 preparation mistakes

The Saudi CME-3 certificate is the professional qualification route for people seeking to perform local or international securities-brokerage functions at a Capital Market Institution in Saudi Arabia. It is not one examination: the complete route combines CME-3A Securities with CME-3B Saudi Capital Market Rules and Regulations (Brokers).

Quick answer: CME-3A tests how securities and markets work. CME-3B tests the Saudi rules that govern brokers and market conduct. The Financial Academy states that candidates need both parts for the CME-3 professional certificate and the relevant broker registration and licensing route.

CME-3 exam facts at a glance

Feature	CME-3A: Securities	CME-3B: Brokers Regulations
Main purpose	Technical securities and markets knowledge	Saudi rules and conduct for securities brokers
Current duration	120 minutes	30 minutes
Current passing score	70	17
Language	Arabic or English	Arabic or English
Exam owner listed by the Financial Academy	CISI	Financial Academy
Current exam fee	SAR 2,100	SAR 1,700

These details were checked against the Financial Academy’s live CME-3A exam page and CME-3B exam page on 26 July 2026. Fees and operational details can change, so confirm them again on the official booking page before registering.

What is the CME-3 certificate for?

The Capital Market Authority uses professional qualification examinations to establish whether people performing regulated functions have the necessary technical and regulatory knowledge. CME-3 is the specialist route associated with dealing and broking.

The two-part design matters. A broker needs to understand the products and infrastructure involved in a transaction, but also the conduct rules that control how orders, information, clients, and conflicts must be handled. Passing only the technical paper does not demonstrate knowledge of the Saudi regulatory layer; passing only the regulatory paper does not demonstrate the broader securities foundation.

CME-3A: Securities

CME-3A provides the technical foundation. The official syllabus is divided into nine domains:

CME-3A syllabus area	Official weighting
Financial services sector	3%
Asset classes	27%
Markets	2%
Primary markets	14%
Secondary markets	15%
Corporate actions	7%
Clearing and settlement	8%
Accounting analysis	14%
Investment management	10%

The largest domain is asset classes, but primary markets, secondary markets, and accounting analysis together account for a substantial share of the syllabus. Candidates therefore need more than definitions. They should be able to distinguish products, follow a security through issuance and trading, interpret basic financial information, and connect risk and return to an investment decision.

The Financial Academy estimates approximately 80 hours of study for the official CME-3A workbook. Treat that as a syllabus indicator rather than a promise that every candidate needs exactly the same preparation time.

What to practise for CME-3A

• identify the rights, risks, and return characteristics of major asset classes;
• distinguish primary-market issuance from secondary-market trading;
• understand corporate actions and their effect on investors;
• follow the clearing and settlement process;
• interpret the purpose of core financial statements and common ratios; and
• apply basic investment-management, diversification, risk, and return concepts.

Free Sample Paper

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CME-3B: Saudi Capital Market Rules and Regulations (Brokers)

CME-3B is the local regulatory part of the qualification. It concentrates on the rules most directly connected to brokerage activity and is much shorter than CME-3A, but the shorter duration should not be confused with lower importance.

The current official syllabus has two domains:

CME-3B syllabus area	Official weighting
Market Conduct Regulations	52%
Conduct of Capital Market Institutions	48%

This near-even split means candidates cannot safely prepare only market-abuse definitions. They must also understand how a Capital Market Institution and its registered persons are expected to conduct securities business.

What to practise for CME-3B

• recognise manipulation, misleading conduct, and insider-trading scenarios;
• distinguish permitted activity from prohibited market behaviour;
• understand a broker’s responsibilities toward clients and the market;
• apply conduct requirements to short practical scenarios; and
• revise precise duties, restrictions, disclosures, and exceptions from the current official material.

CME-3A vs CME-3B: how preparation differs

The most efficient plan treats the papers as related but different examinations.

For CME-3A, build a connected understanding of products, markets, trade processing, accounting, and investment concepts. Use calculations and product-comparison questions where relevant. A longer timed mock is useful because the official examination lasts two hours.

For CME-3B, use rule comparison tables, short compliance scenarios, and rapid recall. Regulatory questions often turn on one duty, exception, responsible party, or prohibited action. Read the current official material closely instead of relying on general market knowledge.

A practical six-week CME-3 study plan

Weeks 1–2: build the CME-3A foundation

Study asset classes first, then primary and secondary markets. Create comparison tables for equities, debt instruments, collective investments, and derivatives. Finish each topic with retrieval questions rather than rereading alone.

Weeks 3–4: complete CME-3A and begin timed practice

Cover corporate actions, clearing and settlement, accounting analysis, and investment management. Take a diagnostic mock, record errors by syllabus domain, and revisit the weakest objectives.

Week 5: focus on CME-3B rules

Divide revision between Market Conduct Regulations and the conduct of Capital Market Institutions. Use scenario questions to test whether you can apply a rule, not merely recognise its name.

Week 6: simulate both papers

Complete timed mocks under exam-like conditions. Review every incorrect answer and every correct answer you guessed. Keep a final revision sheet for formulas, confusing product distinctions, regulated responsibilities, prohibitions, and exceptions.

How to register

1. Create or sign in to your account on the official Financial Academy portal.
2. Open the professional examinations section.
3. Select CME-3A or CME-3B and confirm the examination language.
4. Review the live fee, policies, available delivery options, and dates.
5. Book each part and retain the official confirmation.

Registration for an exam does not replace employer or CMA registration requirements. If you are pursuing a specific controlled function, confirm the required qualification route with your employer or the relevant official authority.

Common CME-3 preparation mistakes

• Preparing for only one part: CME-3 is completed through both CME-3A and CME-3B.
• Using an old paper name or syllabus: always match your notes to the current Financial Academy page and official workbook.
• Underestimating CME-3B because it is shorter: regulatory wording demands precision.
• Reading without retrieval practice: recognising a paragraph is not the same as answering a new scenario.
• Ignoring weak domains: the CME-3A weightings help prioritise time, but every listed domain remains examinable.

The strongest approach is simple: use the current official workbook as your source of truth, practise each syllabus domain actively, and use realistic timed mocks to identify gaps before the real examination.