FSCA RE5 Exam Blueprint and Practice Map
Review the official FSCA RE5 format, cognitive levels, eight task areas, and Finance Prep's clearly labelled 1,200-question practice allocation.
Official exam snapshot
| Item | Current public FSCA information |
|---|---|
| Examination | Regulatory Examination 5: Representatives in all Categories of FSPs |
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice questions |
| Options | Four per question; select one |
| Time | 120 minutes |
| Pass threshold | 65%; at least 33 correct answers are required |
| Scope | Eight official RE5 tasks |
The FSCA preparation guide also describes a cognitive-complexity mix of 30% Level 1, 40% Level 2, 20% Level 3, and 10% Level 4. This means preparation should move beyond definitions into application and analysis.
Eight official task areas
| Task | What to be ready to decide |
|---|---|
| 1. FAIS regulatory framework | Roles, regulated services, authority, licence scope, prohibited conduct, and regulatory consequences |
| 2. Maintaining the FSP licence | Licence conditions, display and disclosure, operational requirements, insurance cover, and escalation |
| 3. Key individual’s role | Management and oversight of financial services, distinct from representative and compliance duties |
| 4. Codes of Conduct | Fair conduct, disclosure, conflicts, advice, suitability, custody, complaints, and termination |
| 5. Record keeping | Which record is required, when its retention clock starts, accessibility, and retrieval |
| 6. FIC Act compliance | Customer due diligence, risk controls, escalation, reporting confidentiality, and records |
| 7. FAIS Ombud | Complaint jurisdiction, cooperation, process, outcome, and referral boundaries |
| 8. Operating as a representative | Fit and proper, training, supervision, registers, debarment, reconsideration, and reappointment |
Finance Prep practice allocation
FSCA publishes the tasks and qualifying criteria, but does not publish task-level exam percentages. The table below describes the rebuilt bank published September 16, 2026, not an official blueprint.
| Task | Questions in the 1,200-question bank | Inventory share |
|---|---|---|
| FAIS Regulatory Framework | 104 | 8.7% |
| Maintaining the FSP Licence | 223 | 18.6% |
| Key Individual’s Role | 68 | 5.7% |
| Codes of Conduct | 361 | 30.1% |
| Record Keeping | 56 | 4.7% |
| FIC Act Compliance | 51 | 4.3% |
| FAIS Ombud | 27 | 2.3% |
| Operating as a Representative | 310 | 25.8% |
| Total | 1,200 | 100% before rounding |
These are inventory counts, distinct from the app’s topic-selection weights and the fixed free set. Do not use them to predict the number of live exam questions from each task.
The bank combines 910 single-answer questions with 290 Select TWO exercises. The additional two-answer format asks you to evaluate independent conclusions; it is a learning adaptation. The official RE5 format is four choices with one correct answer, which is the format used in the free 50-question set .
The FSCA preparation-guide page and regulatory-examination FAQ are the sources for official scope and candidate information. See updates and feedback for the dated practice-bank review.
Timing checkpoints
The public format allows an average of 144 seconds per question. A practical first-pass plan is:
| Checkpoint | Target elapsed time |
|---|---|
| Question 10 | 22 minutes |
| Question 20 | 45 minutes |
| Question 30 | 68 minutes |
| Question 40 | 91 minutes |
| Question 50 | 108 minutes |
| Review | 12 minutes |
Use the free 50-question practice exam for a first diagnostic, then use the study plan to convert misses into task-specific work.