CISI IAD Securities Technical Unit Study Plan
A practical study schedule for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment CISI IAD Securities Technical Unit, with 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, and 60/90-day preparation paths.
Who this study plan is for
This Study Plan is for candidates preparing for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment CISI IAD Securities Technical Unit, exam code CISI IAD Securities.
Use it to turn your available preparation time into a practical schedule covering:
- Securities product knowledge
- Market structure and dealing concepts
- Equity, debt, funds, derivatives, and other investment instruments
- Risk, return, income, pricing, yield, and valuation logic
- Tax, settlement, corporate actions, and documentation issues where relevant to the syllabus
- Scenario-based suitability and client-facing application
- Timed question practice and missed-question review
Use the latest official Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment syllabus and workbook as your content authority. This page is an independent study planning guide.
Which plan should you use?
| Time until exam | Best plan | Use this if | Main risk | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Final review plan | You have already studied most topics | Trying to learn too much too late | Timed practice, weak-area repair, formula recall |
| 14 days | Focused rescue plan | You have partial knowledge but gaps remain | Spending too long reading passively | Topic drills, error log, mock review |
| 30 days | Balanced plan | You can study most days | Not converting reading into exam performance | Syllabus coverage plus repeated practice |
| 60/90 days | Full preparation path | You are starting early or working full-time | Forgetting early material | Spaced review, cumulative mocks, steady question volume |
Suggested weekly study hours
| Candidate situation | Minimum realistic target | Stronger target |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days left | 2 to 4 hours per day | 4 to 6 hours per day if available |
| 14 days left | 1.5 to 3 hours per day | 3 to 4 hours per day |
| 30 days left | 7 to 10 hours per week | 10 to 14 hours per week |
| 60/90 days left | 4 to 7 hours per week | 7 to 10 hours per week |
If your available time is lower than the minimum, reduce reading time first. Keep question practice, explanation review, and final timed mocks.
Core study approach for CISI IAD Securities
The CISI IAD Securities Technical Unit rewards applied understanding. Do not prepare by memorising isolated definitions only. Build a working ability to answer questions such as:
- What product is being described?
- What risk is most relevant?
- What income, capital, tax, or pricing feature matters?
- What happens at issue, trading, settlement, maturity, conversion, or corporate action?
- Which disclosure, dealing, or client documentation issue is being tested?
- Which calculation method or formula is needed?
- What is the best answer under exam conditions, not just a generally true statement?
Topic buckets to rotate through
Use your official syllabus headings, but group study sessions into these practical buckets:
| Bucket | What to cover | Practice focus |
|---|---|---|
| Market structure | Exchanges, trading venues, order flow, settlement, market participants | Sequence questions and terminology |
| Equities | Ordinary shares, preference shares, rights issues, dividends, corporate actions | Product features and shareholder impact |
| Debt securities | Government and corporate bonds, coupons, yields, duration concepts, credit risk | Pricing/yield logic and risk distinctions |
| Funds and packaged investments | Collective investments, fund structures, charges, valuation, dealing | Suitability and feature comparison |
| Derivatives and structured products | Options, futures, warrants, convertibles, structured notes where in syllabus | Payoff logic, risk, and terminology |
| Tax and income treatment | Income, gains, wrappers, withholding, investor-level consequences where examinable | Applied scenario questions |
| Risk and return | Market, credit, liquidity, currency, inflation, interest-rate, reinvestment risk | Match risk to product and client |
| Calculations | Yield, accrued interest, rights issues, returns, ratios, income calculations | Fast setup, units, and error checking |
| Regulation and documentation | Client-facing disclosures, documentation, suitability-related concepts | Scenario judgment and vocabulary |
Daily practice rhythm
Use the same rhythm most study days. This keeps your preparation active and measurable.
| Block | Time | Action | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up recall | 10 minutes | Write key formulas, product features, and definitions from memory | Identify what you cannot recall |
| New or weak topic study | 35 to 60 minutes | Read the official material actively; make short notes only | One-page summary or annotated syllabus |
| Topic drill | 30 to 45 minutes | Answer focused questions on that topic | Score and mark every uncertain item |
| Explanation review | 30 minutes | Review both wrong answers and lucky correct answers | Add entries to error log |
| Mixed review | 15 to 30 minutes | Revisit older topics with short mixed sets | Maintain retention |
| Final 5 minutes | 5 minutes | Choose tomorrow’s weakest topic | Clear next action |
The minimum daily session
If you only have 45 minutes:
- Do 20 minutes of topic questions.
- Spend 20 minutes reviewing explanations.
- Spend 5 minutes updating your error log.
On low-energy days, question review is usually more valuable than rereading.
Diagnostic practice: start with evidence
Before choosing your plan, take a short diagnostic set under light timing.
| Diagnostic action | How to do it | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Short mixed set | Use sample, free practice, or question-bank items if available | Overall score and confidence |
| Mark uncertainty | Flag questions you guessed or narrowed to two answers | “Lucky correct” items |
| Categorise misses | Assign each miss to a topic bucket | Weak-area pattern |
| Identify cause | Label as knowledge, calculation, wording, or timing | Fix method |
| Build first review list | Pick the top 3 weakest buckets | First-week priorities |
Do not overreact to one diagnostic score. Use it to decide where your first study hours go.
Missed-question review method
Your missed-question log is the centre of the plan. A question is not “reviewed” just because you read the explanation.
Error log columns
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | When you missed it |
| Topic | Equity, debt, funds, derivatives, tax, settlement, etc. |
| Question type | Definition, calculation, scenario, product comparison, compliance/documentation |
| Why I missed it | Did not know rule, confused products, calculation error, misread wording, rushed |
| Correct rule | One sentence in your own words |
| Trap answer | Why the tempting answer was wrong |
| Retest date | 2 days later, 1 week later, final week |
| Status | Open, improving, closed |
The 3-pass review rule
| Pass | Timing | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pass 1 | Same day | Read the explanation, fix notes, write the rule |
| Pass 2 | 48 hours later | Re-answer without looking at the explanation |
| Pass 3 | Final week | Re-answer under time pressure |
Close an error only when you can explain the rule without seeing the answer options.
Calculation practice
CISI IAD Securities candidates should schedule calculation practice throughout the plan. Do not leave formulas until the final week.
Common preparation areas may include:
- Yield and return calculations
- Accrued interest logic
- Bond price and income relationships
- Equity rights issue calculations
- Dividend yield and income
- Percentage changes and total return
- Currency or tax-adjusted examples where relevant to your syllabus
Keep formulas in a separate one-page sheet and rewrite them from memory regularly.
Example structure for return review:
\[ \text{Total return} = \frac{\text{income received} + \text{capital gain or loss}}{\text{initial investment}} \]For each calculation miss, record whether the issue was:
- Wrong formula
- Correct formula but wrong input
- Percentage/decimal error
- Date or accrued-interest misunderstanding
- Rounding or units error
- Misread requirement
7-day final review plan
Use this if the exam is one week away. This is not a full learning plan. It is a performance plan.
7-day schedule
| Day | Main goal | Study actions | Practice target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 7 | Diagnose and prioritise | Take a mixed timed set; rank weak topics; review all explanations | 1 mixed set plus error log |
| Day 6 | Repair biggest product gaps | Focus on your weakest product areas: equities, debt, funds, derivatives, or structured products | 2 focused topic drills |
| Day 5 | Calculation and income day | Rewrite formulas; drill yields, returns, accrued interest, rights issues, and income questions | Calculation set plus redo misses |
| Day 4 | Market process and documentation | Review dealing, settlement, corporate actions, client documentation, disclosures, and terminology | Scenario and process questions |
| Day 3 | Timed mock day | Sit a full timed mock or the closest available equivalent | Full mock plus deep review |
| Day 2 | Final weak-area repair | Review mock errors; redo all open error-log items; memorise high-yield distinctions | Mixed set, not excessive volume |
| Day 1 | Light final review | Formula sheet, product comparison tables, error log, exam logistics | Short confidence set only |
7-day rules
- Stop adding new material after Day 4 unless it is a repeated missed topic.
- Do not sit multiple full mocks back-to-back without reviewing them.
- Prioritise questions you got right for the wrong reason.
- Avoid rewriting long notes. Create short comparison tables.
- The final day should build accuracy, not fatigue.
14-day focused plan
Use this if you have two weeks and need to convert partial knowledge into exam readiness.
Days 1 to 7: close major knowledge gaps
| Day | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnostic and plan | Take a mixed diagnostic; build topic ranking; set error log |
| 2 | Market structure and dealing | Review trading, settlement, participants, documentation, and vocabulary |
| 3 | Equities | Shares, dividends, corporate actions, rights issues, risk and return |
| 4 | Debt securities | Bond features, coupons, yield logic, credit and interest-rate risk |
| 5 | Funds and packaged investments | Structures, pricing, charges, dealing, investor considerations |
| 6 | Derivatives/structured products | Payoff logic, leverage, risk, suitable use, terminology |
| 7 | Cumulative review | Mixed timed set; review explanations; update weak-area plan |
Days 8 to 14: practice and exam conditioning
| Day | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Tax, income, and investor outcome | Review tax/income treatment and applied client scenarios where examinable |
| 9 | Calculation drill | Formula recall, timed calculations, redo previous calculation errors |
| 10 | Scenario judgment | Suitability-style product comparisons and “best answer” questions |
| 11 | Timed mock | Sit a full timed mock or equivalent mixed paper |
| 12 | Mock review | Spend more time reviewing than testing; close the top 20 errors |
| 13 | Final mixed practice | Short timed sets across all topics; no major new content |
| 14 | Light review | Formula sheet, error log, product tables, logistics, rest |
14-day allocation
| Activity | Share of study time |
|---|---|
| Official material review | 35% |
| Topic drills | 30% |
| Mock and mixed practice | 20% |
| Error-log review | 15% |
If you are behind after Day 7, do not try to read every page again. Switch to targeted drills and explanation review.
30-day balanced plan
Use this if you have about a month. The goal is to cover the syllabus once, practise every topic, then spend the final third on mixed exam performance.
Weekly structure
| Week | Goal | Main output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Build foundation | Market structure, equities, basic debt, first diagnostic |
| Week 2 | Complete product coverage | Debt, funds, derivatives, structured products, income/tax concepts |
| Week 3 | Apply and calculate | Scenario drills, formulas, corporate actions, mixed timed sets |
| Week 4 | Exam readiness | Full mock, mock review, weak-area repair, final review |
30-day schedule
| Days | Focus | Study actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Setup and diagnostic | Review syllabus; take diagnostic; create error log |
| 2-4 | Market structure | Trading, settlement, venues, participants, process questions |
| 5-7 | Equities | Share types, dividends, corporate actions, rights issues, equity risk |
| 8-11 | Debt securities | Coupons, maturity, yield logic, bond risks, credit quality, income |
| 12-14 | Funds and packaged products | Fund structures, pricing, charges, dealing, investor considerations |
| 15-17 | Derivatives and structured products | Options/futures/warrants/convertibles or relevant syllabus instruments |
| 18-19 | Tax, income, and documentation | Client outcome, disclosure, paperwork, terminology |
| 20 | Timed mixed set | Medium-length timed set; review explanations deeply |
| 21-23 | Calculations and product comparisons | Formula drills; compare product features and risks |
| 24 | Full mock 1 | Sit under exam-like conditions |
| 25 | Mock 1 review | Review every error and uncertain correct answer |
| 26-27 | Weak-area repair | Drill the weakest 3 buckets only |
| 28 | Full mock 2 or mixed timed paper | Use if available; otherwise use several timed mixed sets |
| 29 | Final review | Error log, formula sheet, product tables |
| 30 | Light exam-day preparation | Short warm-up only; logistics; rest |
30-day practice targets
| Practice type | Target |
|---|---|
| Topic drills | 4 to 6 sessions per week |
| Calculation drills | 3 short sessions per week |
| Mixed timed sets | Weekly in Weeks 1-2, then 2 to 3 per week |
| Full mocks | 1 to 2 in the final 10 days |
| Error-log reviews | Every study day |
60/90-day full preparation path
Use this if you are starting early, have a demanding work schedule, or want multiple revision cycles.
Phase overview
| Phase | 60-day timing | 90-day timing | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Days 1-18 | Days 1-30 | Learn core concepts and vocabulary |
| Product mastery | Days 19-35 | Days 31-55 | Build securities knowledge and calculation ability |
| Application | Days 36-48 | Days 56-72 | Scenario drills and mixed practice |
| Exam conditioning | Days 49-60 | Days 73-90 | Timed mocks, weak-area repair, final review |
60-day plan
| Days | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Setup | Read syllabus, gather materials, take diagnostic |
| 4-10 | Market structure | Trading, settlement, participants, dealing processes |
| 11-18 | Equities | Features, valuation concepts, dividends, corporate actions, risks |
| 19-27 | Debt securities | Bond features, pricing/yield logic, credit and interest-rate risk |
| 28-34 | Funds and packaged products | Structures, pricing, charges, dealing, investor considerations |
| 35-40 | Derivatives and structured products | Payoff logic, leverage, risk, terminology |
| 41-44 | Tax, income, and documentation | Applied investor outcome and client-facing rules where examinable |
| 45-48 | Calculation consolidation | Formula recall, timed calculation sets, error repair |
| 49 | Mock 1 | Full timed mock or equivalent |
| 50-52 | Mock review | Relearn weakest topics and redo missed questions |
| 53-55 | Mixed practice | Timed mixed sets and scenario judgment |
| 56 | Mock 2 | Full timed mock if available |
| 57-58 | Final repair | Open error-log items, formula sheet, product comparison |
| 59 | Light review | Short mixed set, no new material |
| 60 | Exam readiness | Rest, logistics, final recall |
90-day plan
| Days | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1-7 | Setup and diagnostic | Read syllabus; map topics; take baseline practice |
| 8-20 | Market structure and equities | Learn concepts; complete topic drills; begin error log |
| 21-35 | Debt securities | Bond features, income, yield logic, risks, calculations |
| 36-47 | Funds and packaged products | Structures, pricing, charges, investor scenarios |
| 48-55 | Derivatives and structured products | Payoff patterns, leverage, product risks, terminology |
| 56-62 | Tax, income, documentation | Scenario review and applied questions |
| 63-70 | Calculation and comparison week | Timed formulas, product comparison, corporate actions |
| 71-76 | Cumulative mixed practice | Timed mixed sets; explanation review |
| 77 | Mock 1 | Full timed mock or equivalent |
| 78-81 | Mock 1 review | Rebuild weak topics; redo all missed questions |
| 82 | Mock 2 | Full timed mock if available |
| 83-86 | Final repair | Target only open weaknesses |
| 87-88 | Final mixed sets | Short timed sets; no new content |
| 89 | Light review | Formula sheet, error log, logistics |
| 90 | Exam day readiness | Rested, accurate, and calm |
Spaced review schedule
For a 60/90-day plan, review topics after increasing intervals:
| First study date | Review again | Final retest |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | 10-minute recall | End-of-week mixed set |
| 2 days later | Short topic drill | Add misses to error log |
| 7 days later | Mixed questions | Close or keep open |
| Final 14 days | Timed mixed practice | Exam-style recall |
How to use timed mock exams
Timed mocks are for decision-making under exam pressure. They are not just score checks.
When to use mocks
| Plan | First mock | Second mock | Final mock guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-day plan | Day 3 from exam | Optional only if time allows | Do not mock on the final day |
| 14-day plan | Around Day 11 | Optional Day 13 if recovery time remains | Review matters more than volume |
| 30-day plan | Around Day 24 | Around Day 28 | Leave time to repair errors |
| 60/90-day plan | Final 2 to 3 weeks | Final 7 to 10 days | Stop if fatigue reduces accuracy |
Mock review checklist
After each mock, record:
- Score or performance band, if your provider gives one
- Topics missed most often
- Questions changed from correct to incorrect
- Calculation errors
- Questions where two options looked plausible
- Time pressure points
- Rules or definitions not recalled quickly
- Whether the miss was knowledge, application, wording, or pacing
Spend at least as long reviewing a mock as you spent taking it.
Topic drill strategy
Topic drills build accuracy before mixed mocks test endurance.
| Drill type | Best time to use | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Single-topic drill | Early and middle study | Learn product rules and terminology |
| Calculation drill | Throughout the plan | Build formula speed and accuracy |
| Product comparison drill | Middle and final phases | Avoid confusing similar instruments |
| Scenario drill | Middle and final phases | Apply rules to client or market facts |
| Mixed timed drill | Final third of plan | Build exam decision speed |
| Free/sample practice exam | Early diagnostic or final check | Identify gaps, not replace full study |
For each drill, review explanations immediately. Delayed review is much less effective.
Product comparison tables to build
Create your own short comparison tables. They are faster to review than long notes.
Securities comparison template
| Feature | Equity | Debt security | Fund/collective | Derivative/structured product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor return | Dividends and capital growth | Coupons and redemption/capital movement | Income and capital movement | Payoff depends on underlying/structure |
| Main risks | Market and company risk | Credit, interest-rate, inflation, liquidity risk | Market, liquidity, management, charge risk | Leverage, complexity, counterparty/market risk |
| Income certainty | Variable | Usually more defined, subject to issuer terms | Varies by fund | Depends on product |
| Capital certainty | Not guaranteed | Depends on issuer and terms | Not guaranteed | Depends on payoff and structure |
| Typical exam trap | Confusing shareholder rights | Confusing coupon with yield | Confusing price, value, and charges | Ignoring downside or leverage |
Adapt this table to match the instruments in your official syllabus.
Final-week rules
During the final week, your goal is to reduce avoidable errors.
Stop adding new material
| Time before exam | Rule |
|---|---|
| 7 days | Add new material only if it is a major syllabus gap |
| 5 days | Stop broad reading; use targeted weak-area review |
| 3 days | No new topics unless repeatedly missed |
| 1 day | Light recall only; no heavy mock or late-night cramming |
Final-week checklist
- I can identify the main feature and risk of each product type.
- I can explain the difference between coupon, yield, income, and return.
- I can complete common calculations without checking notes.
- I have redone all high-priority missed questions.
- I understand why my tempting wrong answers were wrong.
- I have practised under timed conditions.
- I know which topics still need careful reading during the exam.
- I have checked exam logistics and identification requirements.
- I will not exhaust myself the day before the exam.
Exam-readiness checks
Use these checks to decide whether to keep studying broadly or focus narrowly.
| Readiness signal | Good sign | Action if weak |
|---|---|---|
| Topic coverage | You have studied every syllabus area at least once | Cover only the missing high-level areas, then practise |
| Mixed practice | Scores are stable, not random | Review explanations and reduce guessing |
| Calculation speed | You can set up formulas quickly | Do daily 15-minute formula drills |
| Product distinctions | You can compare similar products clearly | Build comparison tables |
| Scenario judgment | You can choose the best answer, not just a true statement | Drill applied questions |
| Error log | Most old errors are closed | Retest open errors before doing more new questions |
| Timing | You finish timed sets without rushing badly | Practise shorter timed blocks |
If you are short on time
When time is limited, study in this order:
- Latest official syllabus and learning outcomes
- Diagnostic mixed questions
- Weakest high-frequency product areas
- Calculation drills
- Missed-question review
- Timed mixed sets
- Final formula and comparison review
Reduce:
- Long note rewriting
- Passive rereading
- Untimed question marathons without review
- Studying topics you already score well on
Keep:
- Error log
- Explanation review
- Timed practice
- Formula recall
- Product comparison
Practical next step
Choose the plan that matches your exam date, take a short diagnostic set, and build your first error log today. Then start with the weakest topic bucket and combine focused study with timed CISI IAD Securities practice questions and explanation review.