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RE5 exam guide.
New to RE5? Get the key facts, separate official examination requirements from study resources, and decide what to do first.
What is RE5?
RE5 is the regulatory examination for representatives in South Africa's financial-services sector. It assesses regulatory knowledge and its application. RE1 is the examination for key individuals; they are different examinations. Confirm the examination relevant to your role with your employer or compliance officer.
Think of preparation as two separate questions: What rule applies? and How does it apply to this situation? Reading notes can help with the first. Scenario questions help expose gaps in the second.
RE5 format and pass mark
- Questions
- 50 multiple-choice questions
- Time
- 2 hours
- Pass mark
- 66%: 33 correct answers out of 50
- Format
- Closed book; one correct option per question
The FSCA preparation guide, dated 17 January 2026, records these details in sections 3.1 and 8.11. Check the latest official guidance before booking.
Read the FSCA RE1 and RE5 preparation guide, hosted by Moonstone (PDF).
What should you study?
The official RE5 qualifying-criteria map has eight tasks. Use the complete map in Appendix A to check your coverage, rather than revising only subjects familiar from your job.
Make a working checklist from the current criteria. For each item, record where you studied it and one question that showed whether you understood it. A heading you recognise is not yet evidence that you can apply the rule.
The FSCA preparation-material page identifies relevant legislation, including the FAIS Act, General Code of Conduct, Fit and Proper requirements and FIC Act material. This short guide is an orientation, not a replacement syllabus.
Study access is not official exam registration
Buying a textbook, subscribing to an app or completing a mock exam does not register you for the official examination. Use the examination body's current registration process and confirm your booking, fee, identification requirements and venue instructions directly with it.
The official preparation guide identifies Moonstone as the examination body. Follow its current links and instructions. RE5 Master does not book or administer the examination, issue official RE5 certificates or guarantee a pass.
For role-specific deadlines, exemptions and other competence requirements, ask your employer or compliance officer. Do not treat a general study article as an assessment of your individual regulatory position.
Your first study session
- Gather the current sources. Keep the official preparation guide and legislation list beside your chosen study material.
- Try a small baseline. Use our free ten-question practice quiz. Its selected fundamentals are a starting check, not a full readiness assessment.
- Pick one gap. Write down a question you could not explain and revisit that concept in a free lesson.
- Set your next session. Use the four-week study-plan template, extending it where needed.
Before taking a full paper, read our exam-technique guide. Then use the five free question papers for longer practice. Their answer memorandum is sold separately.
Sources and editorial note
Written by RE5 Master. Checked on . Exam-format facts refer to the FSCA preparation guide dated 17 January 2026. Study schedules, review methods and technique examples are RE5 Master's suggestions, not official examination instructions.
- FSCA RE1 and RE5 preparation guide, hosted by Moonstone (PDF)
- FSCA RE5 preparation material and legislation list
Check current official material before relying on a requirement. These guides do not determine your personal eligibility or regulatory deadline. Report a possible error to culturecreatives3@gmail.com with the page, statement and source reference.