CAMS is passable on the first attempt if you prepare in a structured way. Most candidates who fail don't lack knowledge; they misjudge the question style or run out of time on long scenarios. This guide covers everything we'd tell a colleague preparing for CAMS in 2026.
1. Know what you're preparing for
The current exam (the enhanced CAMS programme ACAMS launched in July 2025) has 120 multiple-choice and multiple-select questions in 3.5 hours, a pass mark of 75 and four domains:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Understanding risks and methods of financial crime | 30% |
| Global AFC frameworks, governance and regulations | 20% |
| Building an AFC compliance programme | 30% |
| Tools and technologies to fight financial crime | 20% |
Questions are knowledge-based and scenario-based. Some ask you to select two or three answers, with no partial credit. There's no penalty for guessing, so never leave a question blank.
2. How long to study
- With 2+ years of AML experience: 6–8 weeks at 5–7 hours a week.
- Newer to AML (under a year): 10–12 weeks at the same pace.
- Coming from a different field: 12–16 weeks, starting with the basics of money laundering and the FATF framework.
Plan around your exam date, not the other way round: book the exam once your practice scores are steady above the pass mark, not before.
3. Your materials
- The ACAMS learning path (included in the package): four core courses, two electives (one sector, one jurisdiction), the study guide and the exam simulator. This is the syllabus; everything on the exam comes from it.
- Primary sources for the parts people get wrong: the FATF 40 Recommendations (especially R.1, 10, 12, 13, 16, 20, 21, 24, 25), the US BSA/PATRIOT Act basics, the EU AML package and OFAC basics.
- An independent question bank with explanations, to test yourself in the exam style and find your weak sections. That's what our CAMS practice exams are for.
- Flashcards for definitions, deadlines and thresholds you must recall instantly: CAMS flashcards.
4. A study method that works
Start with a diagnostic. Before reading anything, take a short test across all domains. It shows which domains need the most hours. Our free 10-question CAMS test takes about 8 minutes.
Read one course, then practise that domain. Don't read the whole study guide first. After each course, answer 30–50 questions on that domain only and review every explanation, including the ones you got right by luck.
Keep a mistakes list. Write down the rule behind every wrong answer in one sentence. Most mistakes repeat: confusing FATF Recommendations with national rules, mixing up sanctions (block/reject) and AML (investigate/report), or picking the most drastic action when the question asks what to do first.
Train your weak sections, not your favourites. Re-test only the sections below 75% until they're above it. Our smart practice does this automatically: mistakes first, then weak sections.
Sit at least two full timed mocks. 120 questions in 210 minutes is 1 minute 45 seconds per question. Long scenarios eat that up. A mock shows whether your pace works.
5. The question types and how to handle them
- "What should you do FIRST?" Usually the answer is to understand or assess before acting: gather information, review the alert, check the risk assessment. Exiting the customer or reporting to the regulator is rarely first.
- "BEST" / "MOST" questions. Several answers are true; one is the best. Eliminate the ones that are true but don't answer the question.
- Select two / select three. Read the instruction before the options. Each option is a true/false judgment; pick exactly the number asked.
- NOT / EXCEPT. Circle (mentally) the negative. Three options are true; you're looking for the false one.
- Scenarios. Read the question line first, then the scenario, so you know which facts matter.
6. A 6-week plan
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 0 | Diagnostic test, register, plan your weeks |
| 1 | Risks and methods: stages, typologies, high-risk products and sectors, TF and PF |
| 2 | Frameworks and regulation: FATF, Egmont, Wolfsberg, Basel; your jurisdiction elective |
| 3 | Building a compliance programme: risk assessment, CDD/EDD, governance, training, testing |
| 4 | Tools and technologies: monitoring, screening, investigations, data and AI; your sector elective |
| 5 | Full timed mock, then train every section below 75% |
| 6 | Second mock, flashcards, mistakes list. No new material in the last two days |
A longer version with daily tasks is in our 6-week CAMS study plan.
7. Exam day
- Test centre: bring two original, valid government IDs; the name must match your registration. Arrive 30 minutes early.
- Online: test your system beforehand, clear your desk, and log in 30 minutes early.
- Use the flag function: answer every question, flag the doubtful ones, and return at the end.
- You see pass/fail on screen when you finish.
8. If you don't pass
You can retake after 30 days (60 after a second attempt, 90 after a third) with a new exam authorisation. Use the waiting time to retrain the domains where your score was lowest; don't just redo the same mock.
Find out where you stand
Free 10-question CAMS test, scored by exam domain. No account needed.
Independent guide, not affiliated with ACAMS. Facts checked November 2026; always confirm on the official website.