How to Pass CeMAP: Tips for CeMAP 1, 2 and 3

7 min read · facts checked 11 Oct 2026

Every CeMAP unit needs 70%, and you choose when to sit. That changes the job: you are not racing a date, you are getting to a score. Walbrook estimates 50 hours of study per unit, so about 100 hours for CeMAP 1, 100 for CeMAP 2 and 50 for CeMAP 3.

A revision method that works for every unit

• Learn one topic at a time from your notes, then do 15 to 20 questions on it the same day.
• Read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right. A lucky guess is a mark you will lose on the day.
• Keep an error list by rule, not by question: "FOS award limit", not "question 14".
• Re-test your error list after three days. Rules you miss twice go on a one-page sheet.
• Once you have covered the syllabus, sit full timed mocks in the real format.
• Book the exam when two fresh mocks in a row score 80% or more. That margin covers one bad case study.

How to pass CeMAP 1 (FRE1 and FRE2)

• Expect the widest syllabus. Walbrook's course page says CeMAP 1 is often considered the most challenging module.
• Make a dated timeline of regulation (FSMA 2000, the FCA and PRA in 2013, the Consumer Duty from 31 July 2023) and drill it.
• For the law, learn the contrasts: joint tenants vs tenants in common, wills vs intestacy, a lasting power of attorney before and after registration.
• In FRE2, ask what outcome the customer should get under the Consumer Duty, then find the rule that delivers it.
• Each FRE exam has 3 case studies of 5 questions. Read the case first, note the client's key facts, then answer.

How to pass CeMAP 2 (MRT1 and MRT2)

• Know the purchase taxes for each nation: SDLT in England and Northern Ireland, LBTT in Scotland, LTT in Wales, each with its own bands.
• Practise calculations until they are quick: loan-to-value, interest-only payments, stamp duty, early repayment charges.
• MRT1 is 50 questions in an hour. If a question takes over 2 minutes, flag it and move on.
• For MRT2, learn the MCOB 13 arrears steps in order and when debt consolidation needs extra care.

How to pass CeMAP 3 (ASEW or ASSC)

• Take it last, after both MORT units, as Walbrook suggests.
• Give each of the six cases 20 minutes, and move on when the time is up.
• Before the questions, write down the client's age, income, deposit, goal and nation. Most wrong answers ignore one of them.
• Test every option against this client. An answer that is true in general can be wrong for this case.

Exam-day timing