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Free CFCS practice questions 2026
5 real-format CFCS questions from our bank of 56, each with the correct answer, an explanation and a source. Certified Financial Crime Specialist, issued by ACFCS.
A sales agent in a high-risk country asks for an unusually high commission paid to an offshore account in a third country. What is the main concern?
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Correct answer: C. The excess commission may be used to pay bribes to officials
Third-party intermediaries are the most common channel for bribes in enforcement cases. Unusually high fees, offshore payments and payments to accounts in third countries are recognised red flags that call for enhanced due diligence.
Source: DOJ/SEC Resource Guide to the FCPA, third-party red flags; OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
Which FATF recommendations require countries to implement targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism and proliferation financing?
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Correct answer: B. Recommendations 6 and 7
Recommendation 6 covers targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism and terrorist financing, and Recommendation 7 those related to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, both implementing UN Security Council resolutions without delay.
Source: FATF Recommendations 6 and 7
What is a predicate offence in money laundering law?
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Correct answer: A. The underlying crime that generated the proceeds being laundered
Predicate offences are the crimes that produce criminal proceeds, such as drug trafficking, fraud or corruption. FATF Recommendation 3 requires countries to cover a wide range of predicate offences, including the designated categories listed in the FATF glossary.
Source: FATF Recommendation 3
What is account takeover fraud?
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Correct answer: D. A criminal gaining control of a legitimate customer's account, often with stolen credentials, and using it to move funds
In account takeover, the fraudster accesses an existing account through phishing, malware, credential stuffing or SIM swapping, then changes contact details and transfers funds. New devices, changed contact details and unusual payees are common indicators.
Source: FinCEN Advisory on Cyber-Events and Cyber-Enabled Crime (FIN-2016-A005)
In a correspondent banking relationship, what is a 'nested' account risk?
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Correct answer: A. A respondent bank lets other banks use its correspondent account, giving unknown institutions access to the correspondent
Nested (downstream) relationships let third-party banks route transactions through the respondent's account, so the correspondent may process payments for institutions it never assessed.
Source: FATF Guidance on Correspondent Banking (2016); Wolfsberg Principles
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These questions are written independently from public standards and are not recalled exam questions. Facts are checked against ACFCS; how we check facts. Also read the CFCS certification guide.