The CAMS examination is the global standard in anti-money laundering certification. Passing it requires more than memorising definitions — it requires understanding how AML principles apply to real compliance scenarios. Agnos Consulting provides specialist coaching for compliance professionals preparing for the CAMS exam and for practitioners deepening their working knowledge of UK AML legislation.
Get in TouchThe Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist examination is administered by ACAMS and tests competence across eight core domains. Each domain is examined through application — not just recall.
The ACAMS CAMS examination covers the following domains, weighted by the number of questions in the exam paper:
The CAMS examination consists of 120 multiple-choice questions, to be completed in 3.5 hours. A minimum score of 75 out of 100 (scaled) is required to pass. The examination is delivered in test centres and remotely proctored online.
The CAMS certification is the benchmark qualification for compliance officers, MLROs, financial crime investigators, regulators and anyone whose role involves AML compliance, KYC operations or financial crime risk.
Becoming CAMS certified requires passing the examination and maintaining the credential through continuing education. Understanding the fees and renewal obligations is part of planning your certification journey.
ACAMS charges an application fee and an examination fee to sit the CAMS examination. Fees vary depending on ACAMS membership status — members pay a reduced rate. As a guide, the total cost of CAMS certification (application, exam and study materials) typically falls in the range of $1,000–$2,000 USD. Current fees are published on the ACAMS website and are subject to change. Employers in the financial services and compliance sectors frequently fund CAMS certification as part of professional development.
CAMS certification must be renewed every three years. Renewal requires earning 60 credits of continuing professional education (CPE) across the three-year period. Credits can be earned through ACAMS conferences, webinars, courses and other approved activities. Failure to renew results in the credential lapsing. Lapsed credentials can be reinstated but may require re-examination depending on the length of the lapse.
A CAMS certified professional has demonstrated competence across all eight domains of the ACAMS examination — money laundering methods, international standards, FATF Recommendations, KYC and due diligence, suspicious activity reporting, compliance programme design, investigations and emerging payment technologies. The credential is recognised by regulators, banks, payment institutions and financial crime teams worldwide as the benchmark standard in AML compliance.
CAMS certification is increasingly a prerequisite for senior compliance roles. MLROs, heads of financial crime and AML managers at regulated firms are routinely expected to hold CAMS. In the UK, the FCA does not mandate CAMS specifically, but supervisory expectations around MLRO competence make professional certification a practical requirement for anyone in a senior AML role.
The CAMS examination is global, but UK candidates must also understand the domestic legislative framework. The UK AML regime is built on three interlocking statutes.
The primary AML legislation for regulated firms in the UK. Requires a risk-based approach, customer due diligence, ongoing monitoring, policies and controls, and staff training. Amended in 2019 and 2022 to align with FATF Recommendations and the EU's 5th and 6th Money Laundering Directives.
The Financial Action Task Force sets the international standards that underpin the CAMS examination. The 40 FATF Recommendations cover customer due diligence, beneficial ownership, correspondent banking, new technologies, sanctions compliance and international cooperation. CAMS candidates must be fluent in the Recommendations and how they are applied domestically.
Creates the criminal offences of money laundering and tipping off. Imposes a duty on the MLRO to submit Suspicious Activity Reports to the National Crime Agency. Personal criminal liability attaches to individuals who know or suspect money laundering and fail to act. A core CAMS examination topic.
Extends AML-style obligations to terrorist financing and imposes screening obligations against designated persons lists. Alongside OFSI sanctions regulations, the Terrorism Act creates a parallel compliance framework that every CAMS candidate must understand.
These six topic areas account for the majority of questions in the CAMS examination. Candidates who cannot apply these concepts to scenarios — not just define them — will not pass.
KYC is the foundation of any AML programme. It requires identifying and verifying the customer, understanding the nature and purpose of the business relationship, and establishing the expected transaction profile. The CAMS examination tests both the principles and the practical application of KYC across different customer types and sectors.
Standard CDD applies to all customers. Enhanced Due Diligence is mandatory for high-risk customers — Politically Exposed Persons, correspondent banking relationships, non-face-to-face customers and those from high-risk jurisdictions. CAMS candidates must know when EDD is triggered, what it requires and how it is documented.
PEPs are individuals who hold or have held prominent public functions, along with their immediate family and close associates. Under the MLR 2017 and FATF Recommendations, PEP relationships require senior management approval, source of wealth verification and enhanced ongoing monitoring. PEPs are a recurring CAMS examination topic.
The SAR regime is central to the UK's anti-money laundering framework. When an employee suspects money laundering or terrorist financing, an internal SAR must be submitted to the MLRO. The MLRO then decides whether to make an external disclosure to the National Crime Agency. The tipping-off prohibition runs alongside this obligation.
All customers and transactions must be screened against relevant sanctions lists — OFSI in the UK, OFAC for USD transactions and EU lists where applicable. A sanctions match requires immediate asset freezing and reporting. Failure to screen is a strict liability offence. The CAMS examination tests both the technical and legal aspects of sanctions compliance.
Ongoing monitoring of transactions to detect activity inconsistent with the customer's known profile. Effective transaction monitoring requires calibration to the specific customer base — generic rules applied without review do not satisfy either the MLR 2017 or the CAMS examination standard.
Steven Faulkner is a payments and compliance specialist with over 30 years of hands-on experience across AML frameworks, FCA regulatory applications, MLRO advisory and cross-border payments compliance. The coaching content reflects real-world practice — not just what the textbook says.
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