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Element 1 Key Concepts
Element 1 Key Concepts
Element 1 Key Concepts
Syllabus structure
The unit is divided into elements. These are broken down into a series of learning
objectives.
Each learning objective begins with one of the following prefixes: know, understand or
be able to calculate. These words indicate the different levels of skill to be tested.
• know requires the candidate to recall information such as facts, rules and
principles
Where a learning objective refers to main or basic, this signifies that the candidate
needs to be aware of the topic’s key principles rather than possessing an in-depth grasp
of the topic.
As this examination has a practical bias, candidates will be tested on topical investment
issues detailed in the syllabus. Some topics may also be examined through the use of
diagrams, charts and other pictorial representations and in the case of the accounting
and investment analysis sections via a basic set of company accounts.
Candidate Update
Candidates are reminded to check the ‘Candidate Update’ area of the Institute’s website
(cisi.org/candidateupdate) on a regular basis for updates that could affect their
examination as a result of industry change.
Examination Specification
It is important to note that the numbers quoted may vary slightly from examination to
examination as there is some flexibility to ensure that each examination has a consistent
level of difficulty. However, the number of questions tested in each element should not
change by more than two.
Examination specification
100 multiple choice questions
Element number Element Questions
1 The Financial Services Industry 10
2 Industry Regulation 9
3 Asset Classes 9
4 Collective Investments 8
5 Fiduciary Relationships 19
6 Economics and Economics and 15
Investment Analysis
7 Investment Management 15
8 Lifetime Financial Provision 15
Total 100
Assessment Structure
Candidates sitting the exam by Computer Based Testing may have, in addition, up to
10% additional questions as trial questions that will not be separately identified and do
not contribute to the result. Candidates will be given proportionately more time to
complete the test.
Summary Syllabus
• risk management
• retail banks
• investment banks
• pension funds
• fund managers
• wealth managers
• custodians
• global custodians
• wealth managers
• private banks
• platforms
• currency quotes
• settlement
know the main offences associated with money laundering and the
regulatory obligations of financial services firms
know the what constitutes market abuse and its relationship with
insider dealing
3.1 Cash
On completion, the candidate should:
• Cash deposit
3.2 Bonds
3.3 Property
On completion, the candidate should:
• Direct Property
• Property funds
3.4 Equities
On completion, the candidate should:
• Dividends
• Subscription rights
• Voting rights
• Bonus/scrip
• Consolidation
• Final redemption
• Subdivision/stock splits
• Warrant exercise
• Rights issues
• Open offers
3.5 Derivatives
On completion, the candidate should:
• Definitions
• Key features
• Terminology
• Definition
• Terminology
3.6 Commodities
On completion, the candidate should:
• Agricultural
• Metals
• Energy
• Open-ended funds
know when fiduciary responsibilities arise and the main duties and
responsibilities of a financial adviser
• Ethical preferences
• Liquidity requirements
• Tax status
5.4 Taxation
On completion, the candidate should:
• Business tax
• Tax on sales
• Tax on income
• Estate tax
• Tax on sales
• deducted at source
• Current account
• Imports
• Exports
• reserve requirements
• discount rate
• Government spending
• Government borrowing
• Taxation
• Interest rates
• Inflation
• Quantitative easing
• supply curve
• demand curve
• elasticity of demand
• change in price
• change in demand
• profit maximisation
• perfect competition
• monopoly
• oligopoly
6.3 Statistics
On completion, the candidate should:
• arithmetic mean
• geometric mean
• median
• mode
• variance (sample/population)
• range
• lump sums
• regular payments
• annuities
• perpetuities
• simple interest
• compound interest
• primary objectives
• quantitative techniques
• charts
• primary movements
• secondary movements
• tertiary movements
• Asset turnover
• Financial gearing
• Interest cover
• Cash ratio
• Z score analysis
• Dividend yields
• Dividend cover
• Price to book
6.7 Valuation
On completion, the candidate should:
know the main principles of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and the
Efficient Markets Hypothesis (EMH):
• key properties
• heuristics
• prospect theory
• cognitive illustrations
• active/passive/core-satellite investment
• Sharpe
• R-squared
• Maximum drawdown
• Standard deviation
• mortgage
• business protection
• Types
• proposers
• lives assured
• medical insurance
• key person
• shareholder
• partnership
• power of attorney
• execution of a will
• inheritance tax
• life assurance