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New Candidates
CIRO’s new proficiency model for Approved Persons of Investment Dealers is designed to ensure high proficiency standards which in turn promote stronger investor protection and healthier capital markets in Canada.
The new proficiency model does not mandate preparatory courses to study for exams which is intended to provide candidates with the flexibility in how to prepare for an exam. To learn more about each CIRO exam, visit the Exam Hub.
No. Individuals enroling in a CIRO Exam must meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Exam Enrolment and Attempts Policy.
If you intend to work at a CIRO Investment Dealer firm, you will need to seek approval.
The proficiency requirements include completion of the CIRO exam(s), and in some cases education or experience in addition to dealer training. All CIRO Investment Dealer Approved Persons will also be subject to Conduct Training following approval. There are also firm training requirements. Please refer to the Rules for more information on the required proficiencies for Approved Persons.
In order to apply to be a CIRO Approved Person, an individual must be sponsored by a CIRO Investment Dealer. Dealers conduct their own due diligence screening on applicants and applications submitted will be reviewed by CIRO.
Please speak to your dealer and visit the Becoming a Registered Individual at an Investment Dealer page for more information.
Effective January 1, 2026, individuals applying for registration are subject to the new rules which include pre-approval (exam and education/experience) requirements under section 2603 and post-approval (conduct training and dealer training) requirements under section 2604.
The proficiency requirements for each Approved Person category can be found in the Investment Dealer and Partially Consolidated (IDPC) Rules, refer to section 2603 and 2604. A copy of the new rules can be found at Investment Dealer and Partially Consolidated Rules.
For more information on the minimum education/experience – refer to Guidance on Relevant Education and Experience Requirements | Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization.
More information about the new CIRO exams can be found on the Exam Hub | Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization.
Your specific proficiencies will have to be evaluated at the time your dealer submits your application to CIRO. For more information on this process or questions about your application, please speak to your dealer.
Individuals enroling in a CIRO Exam must meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Exam Enrolment and Attempts Policy.
For technical assistance, please contact Fitch Learning directly by submitting a request using the support site. Candidates can also call the dedicated support line at 1(647) 905-5108, between the hours of 9am to 6pm EST, Monday to Friday, excluding Canadian national holidays and Ontario provincial holidays.
The new proficiency model does not require preparatory courses although you can look for education providers who may be offering relevant education, courses or other resources to help you prepare. We do not provide a list.
For each exam category, we have published a syllabus, practice exam, and Guide for Studying for anyone who wishes to self-study, available through the relevant exam pages on the Exam Hub.
To enrol in an exam, new candidates can sign up through the Enrolment Portal. Through the portal, candidates can select an exam category and pay for their exam. From there, they’ll be able to use the Candidate portal to schedule exams. The portal also gives candidates access to their results, downloadable transcripts, access to Conduct Training, and access to a support team for technical and operational assistance. Once the exam is successfully completed, candidates will be issued a completion confirmation, to report their completion on NRD and on CIRO Services.
Once enroled, Candidates will be able to use the Candidate Portal to schedule or reschedule exams.
Please read the attestation carefully to ensure you are eligible to enrol in the exam.
One of the benefits of the new proficiency model is that it has reduced the cost of examination and removed some barriers to entry. More information on fees is available at this link.
Fees can be paid by Candidates through the Enrolment portal. Dealers may choose to have Firm Portal access to allow them access, to pay the fees as well as have access to other candidate information.
The fee for the first exam attempt in an enrolment period is $475. The enrolment period begins when an individual pays the exam fee and continues to a maximum of 12 months, during which time the individual may complete up to three exam attempts for the exam, Subject to a retake fee of $300 for each second and third attempt.
There will be a cooling off period of 6 months, associated with those that attempt and fail an exam three times in a 6-month period.
If you are in the midst of completing a CSI course, there are conditions under which you would be able to have the course recognized.
You may be exempted from some of the new requirements, if you satisfy the proficiency requirements in effect prior to January 1, 2026 and meet all the conditions in 2629(1). In summary, the conditions are:
- The individual enrolls in a course(s) offered by the CSI prescribed under the rules prior to January 1, 2026,
- The individual successfully completes the course(s) and its exam(s) prior to January 1, 2027,
- The individual would satisfy the proficiency requirements applicable to the same Approved Person category being sought prior to January 1, 2026, upon completion of the course(s) and exam(s), and
- The sponsoring dealer submits an application for approval for the individual, prior to January 1, 2027.
For more information, please speak to your dealer, and consult the Guidance on the new CIRO Proficiency Model for Approved Persons of Investment Dealers – Exemptions, Recognition, Transition and Validity Provisions.
Mutual Fund Dealer Representative proficiency requirements are prescribed under National Instrument 31-103, Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Contact your Mutual Fund Dealer for more information.
No. At this time, as the market of education providers are developing, we are not publishing, accrediting, recognizing or otherwise providing a list of any education providers. We are however, committed to fostering a healthy market of education providers. We encourage you to conduct your own search and talk to your dealer as to the best approach, and provider if you choose to go with a provider, for you.
Please note that for each CIRO exam, we have published a syllabus, practice exam and guide for studying in order to support candidates who wish to self-study and education providers who wish to provide preparatory courses. For more information please visit the Exam Hub.
No. Passing grades exist to ensure the minimally competent candidate can achieve a pass on the exam. Often, candidates misunderstand that a passing grade means they have to only do that particular percentage of the exam materials. Furthermore, there are different versions of each exam, each with its own passing grade. As such, publishing one passing grade will be misleading.
Upon completion of an exam, individuals will receive a pass or fail mark.
Yes. Test Centre locations are available across Canada. Individuals can schedule an appointment as it fits them. To access the enrollment and candidate portals, please visit the Exam Hub.
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