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How to prepare for the CCAS exam in 2026

CCAS preparation guide for 2026: what the crypto anti-financial crime exam tests, study time, the topics to master and how to practise.

CCAS candidates usually come from one of two sides: AML professionals new to crypto, or crypto people new to AML. Your preparation should start with the side you know less.

What you're preparing for

  • 100 multiple-choice and multiple-select questions in 175 minutes (per the ACAMS factsheet; check the current handbook).
  • In October 2026 ACAMS relaunched CCAS with Chainalysis: an updated cryptoassets and blockchain course plus new courses on financial crime risks and regulatory frameworks, compliance programmes and crypto case studies, with a 300-question practice exam.

How long to study

  • AML background, little crypto: 8–10 weeks, first two on the technology.
  • Crypto background, little AML: 8–10 weeks, first two on AML fundamentals.
  • Both: 4–6 weeks of exam practice after the courses.

What to master

  1. Technology: public/private keys, addresses, custodial vs unhosted wallets, UTXO vs account model, stablecoins, DeFi, smart contracts, bridges.
  2. Typologies: mixers and tumblers, chain hopping, peel chains, ransomware, darknet markets, scams (including pig butchering), sanctions evasion, NFT and DeFi abuse.
  3. Regulation: FATF standard for virtual assets and VASPs, the Travel Rule (R.16), regional regimes such as the EU's MiCA and transfer of funds rules, US approaches.
  4. Controls: blockchain analytics, wallet screening, direct and indirect exposure, risk scoring, unhosted wallet checks, SAR/STR on crypto activity.

Study method

  • Take the free CCAS diagnostic to find your weak side.
  • Draw the flow of a transaction from a customer's exchange account to an unhosted wallet and back: where are the controls?
  • Practise red-flag scenarios and use CCAS flashcards for terms.
  • Sit a timed mock before booking.

Typical traps

  • Assuming the blockchain shows identities (it shows addresses and amounts, not who is behind them).
  • Confusing VASP obligations with those of unhosted wallet users.
  • Treating all mixers or privacy tools as automatically illegal rather than as high-risk indicators.

Find out where you stand

Free 10-question CCAS test, scored by exam domain. No account needed.

Independent guide, not affiliated with ACAMS. Facts checked November 2026; always confirm on the official website.