Can I do CeMAP with no experience?

Yes. Walbrook publishes no entry requirements for CeMAP and describes it as the starting point for mortgage advisers.

How long does CeMAP take from scratch?

Walbrook puts it at about 250 hours of study, 50 for each of the five units. At 6 hours a week that is roughly 10 months; at 12 hours a week, about 5. You have 18 months from registering for the full qualification.

Can I become a mortgage adviser as soon as I pass CeMAP?

Passing CeMAP gives you the qualification the FCA requires, but to advise you also need to work for an FCA-authorised firm, or an appointed representative of one. The firm supervises your advice until it assesses you as competent under the FCA’s Training and Competence rules.

Do I need a degree or A-levels to do CeMAP?

No. Walbrook lists no academic entry requirements. CeMAP is itself a Level 3 qualification, the same level as an A-level, so expect study at that standard.

Is there an apprenticeship route?

Yes. CeMAP is a mandated qualification in the Mortgage Adviser apprenticeship standard, so some firms train new advisers through an apprenticeship and pay for the qualification.

Can you do CeMAP with no experience?

Yes. CeMAP has no published entry requirements, and Walbrook describes it as the starting point for mortgage advisers. Coming to it from scratch means about 250 hours of study, then a job with a firm that supervises you until you're signed off as competent.

From Walbrook's CeMAP page and specification, and the FCA's Training and Competence sourcebook. Checked 6 November 2026.

Starting from scratch

Entry requirements	None published
Level	Level 3, the same as an A-level
Study	About 250 hours: 50 for each of 5 units
Time allowed	18 months from registering for the full qualification
Exams	Five, sat online at home whenever you're ready
Cost	£735 for the full qualification, with study materials and the first attempt at each exam

The first unit, FRE1, starts with what financial markets are for and the main asset classes, before moving on to law and regulation. If you've never worked in financial services, expect it to take the full 50 hours, and use the study planner to see when you'd finish at your pace.

After you pass

CeMAP is the qualification the FCA requires to advise on mortgages, but it isn't a licence on its own. To advise, you work for an FCA-authorised firm, or an appointed representative of one. Under the FCA's Training and Competence rules, the firm supervises your advice until it assesses you as competent.

Some firms train new advisers through the Mortgage Adviser apprenticeship, in which CeMAP is a mandated qualification. If you also want to advise on equity release, that needs a further qualification; see CeMAP or the CII route.

A first step that costs nothing

Before you pay to register, try the free FRE1 mock. You probably won't pass it before you've studied, but the questions and the results by learning outcome show you what the syllabus covers and how it's tested.

Questions

Can I do CeMAP with no experience?: Yes. Walbrook publishes no entry requirements for CeMAP and describes it as the starting point for mortgage advisers.
How long does CeMAP take from scratch?: Walbrook puts it at about 250 hours of study, 50 for each of the five units. At 6 hours a week that is roughly 10 months; at 12 hours a week, about 5. You have 18 months from registering for the full qualification.
Can I become a mortgage adviser as soon as I pass CeMAP?: Passing CeMAP gives you the qualification the FCA requires, but to advise you also need to work for an FCA-authorised firm, or an appointed representative of one. The firm supervises your advice until it assesses you as competent under the FCA’s Training and Competence rules.
Do I need a degree or A-levels to do CeMAP?: No. Walbrook lists no academic entry requirements. CeMAP is itself a Level 3 qualification, the same level as an A-level, so expect study at that standard.
Is there an apprenticeship route?: Yes. CeMAP is a mandated qualification in the Mortgage Adviser apprenticeship standard, so some firms train new advisers through an apprenticeship and pay for the qualification.

See where you stand

The free FRE1 mock is laid out like the real paper: 40 questions, 3 case studies, one hour, and your marks by learning outcome at the end.

Start the mock

FRE1 mock, paper 2Forty different questions in the same layout, for a second timed sitting once you have done the first.
CeMAP study plannerYour start date and hours a week in; a plan for every unit and the date to sit each one out.
Who inherits without a will?Answer a few questions about the family and see who inherits under the intestacy rules, and how much.
Drill one learning outcomePick the criterion that cost you marks and answer only its questions, with each answer explained.
The FRE1 exam: format, pass mark and what it testsHow the paper is laid out, the marks you need, and every assessment criterion in the syllabus.
CeMAP changed in 2025: the five new unitsHow the old CeMAP 1, 2 and 3 map onto FRE1, FRE2, MRT1, MRT2 and the final unit.
Remote exam checklist for CeMAPYour computer, room, ID and the day itself, as a list you can print and tick off.
How to answer CeMAP case-study questionsHow linked questions work, and a way through five of them without losing marks to one misread fact.
CeMAP or the CII route?The two main ways to qualify as a mortgage adviser in the UK, side by side.
Is CeMAP hard?What actually trips candidates up in the new exams, and how much study it takes.