Which CMFAS papers do I need for my role?
Find your role, see the papers SCI and MAS say it needs, the order to sit them and what each sitting costs.
Which papers will you actually sit?
It comes down to what you'll sell, not your job title. Advising on life, investment-linked and health insurance? MAS's notice and SCI's paper pages add up to four papers: RES 5, M9, M9A and HI. Find your row.
| Your role | Papers | Order | Sit together | SCI fee per sitting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life insurance adviserYou advise on or arrange life policies, investment-linked ones included. MAS's FAQ on FAA-N26 lists all three papers. | RES 5, M9, M9A | RES 5, M9, then M9A | CM-LIP (M9 and M9A): S$239.80 to S$301.93 | RES 5 S$185.30 to S$236.53. M9 and M9A S$109.00 to S$149.33 each. |
| Life policies only, no ILPsYour firm confines you to life policies that aren't investment-linked and supervises that limit. | RES 5, M9 | RES 5, then M9 | No combined paper for this pair | RES 5 S$185.30 to S$236.53. M9 S$109.00 to S$149.33. |
| Unit trust adviserYou advise on collective investment schemes. | RES 5, M8, M8A | RES 5, M8, then M8A | CM-CIS (M8 and M8A): S$239.80 to S$301.93. Selling life policies too? CM-LIC sits all four: S$457.80 to S$563.53. | RES 5 S$185.30 to S$236.53. M8 and M8A S$109.00 to S$149.33 each. |
| Health insuranceYou advise on or sell medical expense, disability income, long-term care, critical illness or managed healthcare cover. | HI | Any point in your list | No combined paper | HI S$109.00 to S$119.90. |
| General insurance agentPersonal cover such as motor, travel and home, or business cover. | BCP, then PGI for personal cover and ComGI for business cover | BCP first | No combined paper | BCP S$49.05 to S$54.50. PGI and ComGI S$109.00 to S$119.90 each. |
Fees are SCI's, GST included, read 11 October 2026 and unchanged on 4 November 2026. The lower figure is a weekday sitting before 5pm at the member rate; the higher is an evening or weekend sitting at the non-member rate. HI, BCP, PGI and ComGI have one rate for everyone.
What order should you sit RES 5, M9, M9A and HI?
Start with RES 5. It's on every adviser row, so you'll need it whatever you end up selling. Sit M9 before M9A: SCI's combined paper sets M9 as Part I and M9A as Part II. M8 comes before M8A the same way. HI fits anywhere, since SCI's HI page names no paper to pass first. For general insurance, SCI sets the order itself: BCP first, then PGI or ComGI. The rest is our suggestion.
Two rules set the spacing. A RES 5 pass lapses if you don't start as an appointed representative within three years of passing (MAS Notice FAA-N26, paragraph 4.15), so don't sit it long before you join a firm. And SCI allows no cancellation or refund, with a free date change only for your first request made 7 or more working days ahead. So book one paper, sit it, and book the next once your timed mocks clear its pass mark. SCI runs RES 5, M9, M9A and HI every weekday, so the calendar won't hold you back.
Sit M9 and M9A together, or one at a time?
You can sit both at once as CM-LIP: 150 questions in 3 hours, with 70% needed in each part. It costs S$239.80 to S$301.93. Two single papers at the same rate cost less, at S$109.00 to S$149.33 each, so the combined sitting saves you a second exam day, not money. CM-CIS does the same for M8 and M8A, and CM-LIC puts all four in one 4-hour sitting.
Check your list with compliance before you pay an exam fee
SCI's paper pages say it in so many words: "Candidates are also advised to check with their Compliance Department for their applicable CMFAS examination modules." What you're appointed to sell decides the list, so ask your agency before you book.
Questions, time and pass mark for all 9 papers
As SCI sets them. Each code opens that paper's page.
| Paper | Questions | Time | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| RES 5Rules, Ethics and Skills for Financial Advisory Services | 150 (Part I 110, Part II 40) | 3 hours | 75% + 80% (must pass both parts) |
| M9Life Insurance and Investment-Linked Policies | 100 | 2 hours | 70% |
| M9ALife Insurance and Investment-Linked Policies II | 50 | 1 hour | 70% |
| M8Collective Investment Schemes | 50 | 1 hour | 70% |
| M8ACollective Investment Schemes II | 50 | 1 hour | 70% |
| HIHealth Insurance | 50 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 70% |
| BCPBasic Insurance Concepts and Principles | 40 | 45 minutes | 70% |
| ComGICommercial General Insurance | 50 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 70% |
| PGIPersonal General Insurance | 50 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 70% |
Source: each paper's page on scicollege.org.sg (For Whom, Structure & Format, Exam Fees), read 11 October 2026.
Common questions about which papers you need
Usually, yes. MAS's FAQ on FAA-N26 says advising on and arranging life policies, investment-linked ones included, needs RES 5, M9 and M9A. You can go without M9A only if your firm confines you to policies that aren't investment-linked, and MAS strongly encourages it even then.
No. RES 5 replaced it, and SCI's fee page lists M5 only until 28 March 2024. If a job ad or old notes say M5, read it as RES 5.
Only if you're ready for both on the same day. CM-LIP is 150 questions in 3 hours, and you need 70% in each part in that one sitting. It also costs more than two single sittings.
BCP. SCI's own page says: "Preferably, the BCP examination should be taken at the first attempt, as the BCP module forms the foundation knowledge upon which the other modules are based."
Maybe not. SCI's HI page says advice on products with only critical illness or hospital income benefits doesn't need HI, if you've passed BCP and PGI, or M9. MAS Notice 117 has the detail.
Practise for exactly the papers on your row
RES 5, M9, M9A and HI: if that's your row, the New Adviser Pack has mock exams for all four. Single papers and pairs are on the pricing page.