Free CISI Financial Planning & Advice practice questions
Exam-standard Financial Planning & Advice questions written to the current CISI syllabus. No sign-up, full explanations, and a feel for the real paper.
These 10 questions are a free sample for the CISI Financial Planning & Advice exam, written to the current syllabus and the real multiple-choice format. Pick an answer and the explanation appears straight away, so each one teaches you something whether you get it right or wrong.
They span several syllabus elements rather than one topic, so you get a feel for the breadth of the paper. For the complete question bank and full mock exams weighted exactly like the real Financial Planning & Advice paper, it is all included in the £59 Pass Package, which covers all nine CISI exams.
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Try 10: Financial Planning & Advice
Pick an answer to see whether you got it, and why.
Which statement best describes the fundamental nature of financial planning?
Not quite. The answer is C.
Financial planning is a cyclical, dynamic process that evolves as circumstances change. A one-off recommendation at a fixed point describes financial advice, and a plan need not involve recommending a product.
Which of the following is a commonly cited reason that many people in the UK remain underinsured against death and illness?
Not quite. The answer is A.
People remain underinsured largely through over-reliance on the state, a belief that adverse events will not happen to them, and affordability pressures. There is no legal cap forcing underinsurance, and simple products are in fact widely available online, which is a separate concern about suitability.
Which combination correctly describes the tax concessions available to a registered pension scheme?
Not quite. The answer is D.
A registered scheme gives relief on contributions, allows the fund to grow free of tax and permits a tax-free PCLS. Withdrawals other than the PCLS are taxed as earned income, so any answer describing tax-free income or relief on withdrawals is wrong, and the fund concession is freedom from corporation tax rather than a bonus or stamp-duty exemption.
What is the first step a financial planner should take when providing retirement planning advice?
Not quite. The answer is A.
Establishing aims and objectives comes first, allowing the planner to analyse funding requirements and a suitable investment strategy. Recommending products or executing transfers can only follow once objectives and suitability are understood.
A planner is following best practice so that recommendations can later be justified to the client. In which sequence should the steps be carried out?
Not quite. The answer is D.
Objectives must be defined first, then alternatives identified, then evaluated, then the most appropriate selected and the justifications documented. A sequence beginning with alternatives is wrong because a solution cannot be identified before the objective it must meet has been set.
A client's affairs simply need rearranging and no product is recommended. This best illustrates that financial planning...
Not quite. The answer is C.
A financial plan can be produced without using financial products, as sometimes a client's affairs just need rearranging. This distinguishes planning from advice, and rearranging affairs is not a regulated personal recommendation.
An interest-only mortgage of £250,000 has ten years left to run, and the borrower wants cover to repay it in full on death. Which policy best matches this need?
Not quite. The answer is C.
An interest-only mortgage keeps the outstanding debt level throughout the term, so a level term policy, whose sum insured stays constant, is ideally suited. Decreasing term is designed for a repayment mortgage where the debt falls, and family income benefit provides an income rather than the lump sum needed to clear the loan.
The normal minimum pension age is currently 55. To what age, and from when, is it scheduled to rise?
Not quite. The answer is C.
The normal minimum pension age rises from 55 to 57 with effect from 6 April 2028. Answers citing 56 or 58 use the wrong age, and 2030 uses the wrong date; the change is to 57 in 2028.
Which belief about retirement spending does the workbook identify as a common misconception?
Not quite. The answer is B.
Many assume spending falls once the mortgage is repaid, yet retirees often have more time for travel and hobbies, so spending can rise and even spike early on. The other statements are not the spending misconception highlighted.
At the first step of developing recommendations, how should the client's objectives be expressed?
Not quite. The answer is A.
Step one requires objectives to be specific, measurable and given timescales so alternatives can be evaluated against them. Keeping them broad and open-ended defeats the purpose, as vague objectives cannot be measured or prioritised.
These are a free sample. Passkey has over 4,400 exam-standard questions across all nine CISI exams, sorted so you drill exactly where you are weak. Find your weak spots with the free diagnostic.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real CISI Financial Planning & Advice questions?
No. CISI does not publish its live questions. These are original questions written by Passkey to match the current CISI Financial Planning & Advice syllabus, format and difficulty.
Is the CISI Financial Planning & Advice practice free?
The questions on this page are free with no sign-up. The full Financial Planning & Advice question bank and mocks are part of the £59 Pass Package, a single payment covering all nine CISI exams.
How should I use practice questions to pass Financial Planning & Advice?
Read the workbook once to build the picture, then spend most of your time answering questions and reviewing the explanations, focusing hardest on the topics you keep getting wrong. Finish with full, timed mocks weighted like the real paper.
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