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Chief Compliance Officers Qualifying Examination (CCO) — Information & Free Practice

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About Chief Compliance Officers Qualifying Examination (CCO)

Chief Compliance Officers Qualifying Examination (CCO) · CA

Key exam facts

Provider
Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) offers the CCO course and examination; Prometric is CSI's computer-exam delivery partner.
Format
One computer-delivered, proctored multiple-choice examination, available remotely or in person at a test centre.
Exam questions
Total questions: 100.
Time limit
3 hours of examination time. The separately stated 50–60 hours is recommended study time.
Passing score
60% passing grade.
Exam fee
Course enrolment including the first exam attempt: CAD $450 with PDF textbook, or CAD $490 with hard-copy textbook. Second and subsequent exam attempts: CAD $300 each. Fees are taxable; shipping and handling apply to printed materials and vary by location.

Topics covered

  • The Role of Compliance and Formal Compliance Structure (15%)

    • The Role of Compliance
    • Compliance Overview
    • Creating a Culture of Compliance
    • Roles of Key Internal Players
    • Balancing Revenue Interests with Compliance Risks
    • Formal Compliance Structure
    • Overview of a Formal Compliance Structure
    • Roles and Responsibilities
    • Creating a Senior-Level Compliance Structure
    • Key Skills of a Chief Compliance Officer
    • Relationships with Regulators and Self-Regulatory Organizations
    • Relationships to Line Management, Executive Management, and the Board
    • Relationships with External Parties
    • Compliance Department Organization
    • Compliance Governance Document

  • Canada's Regulatory Environment and Risks Faced by Investment Dealers (13%)

    • Canada's Regulatory Environment and Basic Securities Law
    • Overview of the Regulatory Environment
    • Principle-Based Regulation
    • Key Legislation and Players in Securities Regulation
    • The Criminal Code of Canada
    • Civil and Common Law Obligations and Liabilities
    • Risks Faced by Investment Dealers
    • Risk Management overview
    • General Types of Risk
    • A Risk-Based Approach to Compliance
    • Risk-Based Models and Methodologies
    • Risk Controls

  • CCO Skill Requirements (21%)

    • Leadership
    • Overview of Leadership
    • Leadership Theory
    • Soft Skills of Leadership
    • Demonstrating Leadership
    • Making Ethical Decisions
    • Overview of Ethics
    • Ethics and Public Trust
    • Ethics and Professionalism
    • Ethics and Industry Regulations
    • Ethics in the Organization
    • Understanding Ethical Dilemmas
    • Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
    • Development of Policies and Procedures
    • Overview of Policies and Procedures
    • Developing and Amending Policies and Procedures
    • Writing and Formatting Policies and Procedures
    • Disseminating Policies and Procedures
    • Implementing Policies and Procedures
    • Monitoring
    • Overview of Monitoring and Surveillance
    • Establishing Monitoring and Surveillance Systems
    • Formal Monitoring Techniques
    • Monitoring a System’s Effectiveness
    • Key Control Points

  • Application of Skills (39%)

    • Opening and Maintaining Accounts
    • Documentation
    • Advertising, Sales Literature, and Correspondence
    • Recordkeeping Requirements
    • Client Relationship Model
    • Dealing With Seniors and Other Vulnerable Clients
    • Equity and Mutual Fund Trading and Settlement
    • Funds and Securities Movements
    • Capital Requirements
    • Prospectus and Prospectus-Exempt Distributions
    • Recordkeeping Requirements
    • General Procedures Required for Recordkeeping
    • Regulatory Recordkeeping Requirements
    • Record Retention and Accessibility
    • Client Complaints
    • Overview of Client Complaints
    • Types of Complaints
    • Preventing Complaints
    • Handling Complaints
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution
    • Civil Litigation
    • Registration
    • Overview of Registration
    • Individual Registration and Approval, and Related Proficiency Requirements
    • The National Registration Database
    • CIRO Registration Hearing Procedures
    • Jurisdictional Registration Issues
    • Trading Desk Supervision
    • Overview of Trading Desk Supervision
    • The Basic Framework
    • Securities Legislation
    • Supervision of Trading
    • Equity Sales and Trading Department: Compliance and Supervision Programs
    • Fixed Income Sales and Trading Departments: Compliance and Supervision
    • Order Entry and Trading
    • Specific Considerations in Trading Supervision and Compliance
    • Criminal Trading Offences
    • Investment Banking
    • Institutional Businesses
    • Investment Banking
    • Underwriting Due Diligence
    • The Research Department
    • Financial Engineering

  • Regulatory Investigations and Reporting (12%)

    • Regulatory Investigations
    • Internal Investigations
    • External Investigations
    • Investigations by Other Legal and Regulatory Authorities
    • Handling External Investigations
    • Reporting Requirements
    • Overview of Reporting Requirements
    • Reporting to Management and the Board of Directors
    • Other Reporting Obligations

How to prepare

Work through the topics, read the explanation after each answer, and revisit the areas where you miss questions. Use the official outline and reference materials below to guide your study.

These independent practice questions are not actual exam items and do not guarantee a passing result.

Frequently asked questions

What is the exam format?

One computer-delivered, proctored multiple-choice examination, available remotely or in person at a test centre.

How many questions are on the exam?

Total questions: 100.

How long is the exam?

3 hours of examination time. The separately stated 50–60 hours is recommended study time.

What is the passing score?

60% passing grade.

How much does the exam cost?

Course enrolment including the first exam attempt: CAD $450 with PDF textbook, or CAD $490 with hard-copy textbook. Second and subsequent exam attempts: CAD $300 each. Fees are taxable; shipping and handling apply to printed materials and vary by location.

Official sources and references

Confirm current exam arrangements with the exam provider.