CSC Exam 2 Mock Exams & Practice Exam Questions | CSI CSC Exam 2 - Canadian Securities Course

CSC Exam 2 mock exams and practice exam questions for CSI CSC Exam 2 - Canadian Securities Course. Timed practice sets and detailed explanations in the FINRA Exam Prep app (web, iOS, Android).

CSC Exam 2 is best prepared with scenario-heavy practice. Aim to get comfortable making “best-fit” decisions quickly.

High-yield practice categories:

  • portfolio decisions (constraints → allocation/rebalance action)
  • managed products (mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, structured products)
  • tax/fee concepts (what changes the client’s outcome most)

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  1. Pick a topic from the Syllabus .
  2. Do a short drill (10–20 questions).
  3. Turn each miss into a rule (for example: “time horizon short → reduce duration and volatility”).
  4. Do a weekly mixed set to force transfer across topics.

CSC Exam 2 is the second half of CSI’s Canadian Securities Course (CSC). It shifts from “recognize the product” (Exam 1) to analyze → decide → justify across portfolios, managed products, tax concepts, and client workflows.

Official exam snapshot (CSI)

  • Exam format: Proctored (remote or in-person at a test centre)
  • Exam duration: 2 hours
  • Question format: Multiple Choice
  • Questions per exam: 100
  • Passing grade: 60% (Per Exam)
  • Attempts allowed per exam: 3
  • Hours of study (CSC course guidance): 135 – 200 Hours
  • Enrolment period: 1 Year

Source: https://www.csi.ca/en/learning/courses/csc/exam-credits

Official topic weightings (Exam 2)

Weightings are published by CSI. Because Exam 2 has 100 questions, the weighting percentage also maps to a target question count.

Topic Weight Target questions CSI chapters (curriculum)
Investment Analysis 18% 18 13–14
Portfolio Analysis 18% 18 15–16
Mutual Funds 14% 14 17–18
Exchange-Traded Funds 10% 10 19
Alternative Investments, Other Managed, and Structured Products 16% 16 20–23
Canadian Taxation 6% 6 24
Fee-Based Accounts and Working with the Retail Client 8% 8 25–26
Working with the Institutional Client 10% 10 27

Curriculum source: https://www.csi.ca/en/learning/courses/csc/curriculum

What CSC Exam 2 is really testing

CSC Exam 2 tends to test application and judgment more than pure vocabulary:

  • Connect client goals + constraints to an appropriate portfolio action.
  • Interpret risk/return trade-offs (diversification, correlation, risk capacity vs risk tolerance).
  • Make managed-product decisions (mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, structured products) using the right mechanics.
  • Apply tax/fee vocabulary at a concept level (what is taxable vs deferred; what costs compound).
  • Recognize suitability and process failure modes (KYC gaps, mismatched horizon/liquidity, concentration, leverage).

Typical coverage (practical buckets)

  • Investment analysis: fundamental vs technical, company analysis, interpreting common metrics (concept-first).
  • Portfolio analysis: diversification, allocation, rebalancing, performance and risk measures (concept + light math).
  • Managed products: mutual funds, ETFs, other managed products, and structured products (mechanics + costs + fit).
  • Alternatives: benefits/risks, strategies, liquidity constraints, and performance interpretation.
  • Tax and fees: concepts that change outcomes (after-tax thinking, fee drag).
  • Client workflows: retail suitability process and institutional client realities (mandates, benchmarks, governance).

Common question styles

  • “Best recommendation” given objectives and constraints (time horizon, liquidity, taxes, risk tolerance).
  • “Which portfolio change improves X?” (reduce volatility, improve income stability, reduce concentration).
  • “Interpret the numbers” (returns, allocation weights, risk measures).
  • “Product mechanics”: mutual fund vs ETF trading/pricing, distributions vs returns, fee structures.
  • “Structure and risk”: alternatives/structured products—what the payoff is and what can go wrong.

How to prepare (simple and effective)

  1. Use the Syllabus as your checklist.
  2. Build a one-page formula + decision pack from the Cheatsheet .
  3. Practice scenario questions weekly (you need the “pick the best answer” muscle).
  4. Keep a miss log and revisit weak topics every 48–72 hours.

✅ Next: follow the Study Plan or open the Syllabus .