The third of this week’s exam focused articles from Brand Financial Training, aimed at helping you achieve exam success, answers fundamental questions – what is the best exam route to take to Diploma success and to Chartered status?
Q1: The route to the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning
A common question we receive from exam candidates preparing for the CII Diploma is, “What order should I take my R0 exams?” . Some candidates opt to follow the numerical order (R01 to R06), while others take a more strategic approach based on their strengths and career goals. Although there’s no right or wrong answer to this question, we can offer some helpful advice based on our experience and feedback from past candidates.
R01 is commonly the first exam for many, as it provides the foundation for the Diploma and other qualifications, such as the Certificate in Paraplanning. However, it’s important to keep in mind that R01 can be quite challenging, as it covers complex, often tedious, regulatory and legislative content and includes the CII’s tricky multi-response questions.
For those looking for perhaps an easier introduction to the R0 exams, R05 (Protection) may be a better option. It consistently has the highest pass rate out of all the R0 exams and only has the standard multiple-choice questions. If you’re new to the financial services industry or to exams, we recommend R05 as your starting point.
Once you’re comfortable with the exam format, you can tackle the more technical exams; R02 (Investment), R03 (Taxation), and R04 (Pensions). These exams are considered more challenging due to their complex calculations and in-depth content, so we always recommend taking these after R01 and R05 and usually in the order you feel most comfortable with.
Most candidates choose to take R06 (Financial Planning Practice) last. It will test your knowledge on regulation, legislation, investments, pensions, protection, and taxation, requiring strong exam techniques and the ability to apply what you’ve learned from previous R0 exams.
Q2: The route to chartered
A common question from Paraplanners who have completed their Diploma is, “What’s the best order to take the exams for the Advanced Diploma (chartered status)?” This can be trickier to answer, given the wide range of exams and possible combinations, but here are some high-level insights to help guide your path.
Exam combinations
Many CII exams, especially the ‘J’ and ‘AF’ units, share overlapping content. Taking these exams together can make your revision more efficient. For instance, AF1 and J02 both cover taxation and trusts, making it a popular strategy to take them close together. Similarly, J10 and J12 align well with AF4, as they all address asset classes, investment advice, and portfolio construction. For pensions, AF7 and J05 also have content overlap, particularly in areas like pension income options and decumulation.
AF5
The best time to take the AF5 exam is often debated and again there is no right or wrong answer. The exam structure is very similar to R06 and most of the required knowledge is covered in the R0 content. It’s also worth pointing out that any technical details beyond the R0 syllabuses are typically highlighted in the fact-find, making it easier to bring yourself up to speed with the extra technical detail. For these reasons, we are seeing more and more candidates successfully opt to take AF5 soon after completing the Diploma.
However, AF5 can test knowledge from anywhere across the AF, J or R0 units and for that reason most candidates still prefer to take AF5 later in their exam journey.
Coursework units
AF6 (Senior Management and Supervision) and AF8 (Retirement Income Planning) are coursework-based modules, offering a good alternative for those who prefer not to sit traditional exams or want more flexibility with deadlines. It’s possible to work on one of these coursework units in between exam sittings. AF6 has a particularly high pass rate of around 95%, while AF8 typically has a pass rate of 75–80%. Incorporating these into your study journey can be a great option, especially given their success rates.
Exam Scheduling
With the AF units and J02 and J05, there are only two exam sittings per year, so it’s essential to plan your exam schedule carefully and be mindful of the exam dates when mapping out your route to Chartered status.
About Brand Financial Training
Brand Financial Training provides a variety of immediately accessible free and paid learning resources to help candidates pass their CII exams. Their resource range ensures there is something that suits every style of learning including mock papers, calculation workbooks, videos, audio masterclasses, study notes and more. Visit Brand Financial Training at https://brandft.co.uk
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