About the exam
CILEX CPQ Advanced Exam structure
An independent England and Wales study guide for the complete CPQ Advanced stage, preserving A1, A2, A4 and A5 plus the A3, A6, A7 or A8 option inside one qualification slug.
Issuer and path
CILEX CPQ Advanced Study Guide is administered through CILEX. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
A1 Dispute Resolution and Litigation
0 scored + 0 pretest
Mandatory 150-minute online assessment worth 100 marks, combining automated questions with a progressive client case study.
A2 Criminal Law and Litigation
0 scored + 0 pretest
Mandatory 150-minute online assessment worth 100 marks, combining automated questions with a progressive client case study.
A3 Property and Conveyancing (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 150-minute online assessment worth 100 marks, combining automated questions with a progressive client case study.
A4 Succeeding in the Legal Environment
0 scored + 0 pretest
Mandatory 90-minute online skills assessment with two communication and drafting tasks in an available practice context.
A5 Legal Accounts and Legal Research
0 scored + 0 pretest
Mandatory 150-minute online skills assessment covering Legal Accounts, research methodology and three research documents.
A6 Wills, Probate and Private Client (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 150-minute online assessment worth 100 marks, combining automated questions with a progressive client case study.
A7 Family Law and Practice (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 150-minute online assessment worth 100 marks, combining automated questions with a progressive client case study.
A8 Business and Employment Law (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 150-minute online assessment worth 100 marks, combining automated questions with a progressive client case study.
Before booking an assessment
Use myCILEX to confirm the assessment code, current specification and learning materials, your optional-module and Professional-stage alignment, approved exemptions, registration deadline, live assessment window, remote-invigilation requirements and the A4 version currently offered.
Official Outline Coverage Map
Coverage is mapped to official outline item counts so content depth can be checked without hard-coding a single exam.
| Topic | Official outline items | Your questions | Your flashcards | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 1. Cause of Action, Limitation and Funding | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A1 2. Pre-action Conduct, Information and ADR | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A1 3. Issuing, Service, Response and Statements of Case | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A1 4. Case Management, Disclosure and Evidence | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| A1 5. Interim Applications, Settlement and Trial | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| A1 6. Appeals, Enforcement and Costs | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| A2 1. Criminal-law Context, Courts and Stakeholders | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A2 2. Principles of Criminal Liability | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A2 3. Key Offences | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A2 4. Defences and Evidential Burdens | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| A2 5. Acting for the Defendant and Criminal Procedure | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| A2 6. Vulnerable Clients, Witnesses and Fair Participation | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| A3 1. Estates, Title and Registration | 0 | 14 | 3 | Priority |
| A3 2. Easements, Covenants and Third-party Rights | 0 | 14 | 3 | Strong |
| A3 3. Mortgages, Co-ownership and Adverse Possession | 0 | 14 | 3 | Priority |
| A3 4. Leases, Landlord and Tenant and Registration | 0 | 14 | 3 | Strong |
| A3 5. Leasehold Transactions and Residential Remedies | 0 | 14 | 3 | Priority |
| A4 1. Personal Impact and Team Performance | 0 | 16 | 3 | Good |
| A4 2. Standards, Client-first Service and Risk | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| A4 3. Commercial Focus and Technology | 0 | 16 | 3 | Good |
| A4 4. Effective Communication and Legal Drafting | 0 | 17 | 3 | Priority |
| A5 1. Client Money and Accounts Controls | 0 | 18 | 3 | Priority |
| A5 2. Ledgers, Double Entry and Reconciliation | 0 | 19 | 3 | Priority |
| A5 3. Research Methodology and Authority | 0 | 19 | 3 | Strong |
| A5 4. Research Analysis and Documents | 0 | 19 | 3 | Priority |
| A6 1. Equity and Trusts Foundations | 0 | 17 | 3 | Good |
| A6 2. Will Instructions, Capacity and Risk | 0 | 17 | 3 | Priority |
| A6 3. Will Structure, Gifts, Revocation and Execution | 0 | 18 | 3 | Priority |
| A6 4. Personal Representatives and Intestacy | 0 | 18 | 3 | Strong |
| A7 1. Family-practice Themes, Funding and Resolution | 0 | 12 | 3 | Good |
| A7 2. Marriage, Civil Partnership and Validity | 0 | 12 | 3 | Good |
| A7 3. Divorce, Dissolution and Financial Relief | 0 | 12 | 3 | Priority |
| A7 4. Cohabitants, Property and Succession | 0 | 12 | 3 | Strong |
| A7 5. Private Children Proceedings and Maintenance | 0 | 11 | 3 | Priority |
| A7 6. Public Children Law and Domestic Abuse | 0 | 11 | 3 | Priority |
| A8 1. Business Structures and Formation Choice | 0 | 14 | 3 | Good |
| A8 2. Governance, Authority and Business Finance | 0 | 14 | 3 | Strong |
| A8 3. Company Procedures, Transactions and Records | 0 | 14 | 3 | Strong |
| A8 4. Dissolution, Insolvency and Winding Up | 0 | 14 | 3 | Good |
| A8 5. Business Taxation and Employment-law Foundations | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
How to use this guide
How to study the CPQ Advanced stage
Prepare each separately assessed component on its own terms, then connect legal analysis, client judgment, drafting, accounts and research across the route.
1. Identify the component and client objective
Name A1–A8, whether it is required or optional, the practice context, the task format and the outcome the client needs.
2. Build the chronology and issues
Identify parties, legal relationship, procedural or transactional stage, deadlines, evidence and professional constraints.
3. Apply authority and professional controls
Connect each conclusion to current law, procedure, material facts, client-money safeguards, ethics and scope of authority.
4. Produce the requested outcome
Give clear client-focused advice, complete the requested document or record and identify actions, uncertainty and escalation.
1. Cause of Action, Limitation and Funding
Identify the cause of action, parties, remedy, limitation position, evidence and proportionate funding route before proceedings.
Key rules
Rule 1
A viable claim begins with the correct cause of action, parties, elements and remedy.
Exam cue: Build a chronology and match each fact to an element and evidence source.
Rule 2
Limitation is calculated from the governing statutory rule and any relevant accrual, knowledge, disability or discretion provision.
Exam cue: Calculate the primary limitation date before considering exceptions.
Rule 3
Costs information, retainers, insurance, conditional arrangements and third-party funding affect proportionate client advice.
Exam cue: Record funding, adverse-cost and proportionality advice.
Common traps
Starting procedure before confirming a sustainable cause of action.
Prevention: Do not study all optional modules as mandatory, combine unlike assessment structures, exceed professional authority or rely on outdated law, procedure, tax or regulator rules.
Treating limitation as one universal six-year rule.
Prevention: Do not study all optional modules as mandatory, combine unlike assessment structures, exceed professional authority or rely on outdated law, procedure, tax or regulator rules.
Ignoring exposure to opponent costs and disbursements.
Prevention: Do not study all optional modules as mandatory, combine unlike assessment structures, exceed professional authority or rely on outdated law, procedure, tax or regulator rules.
Memory anchors
Claim viability
Cause, parties, facts, evidence, remedy, limitation and funding.
Limitation clock
Rule, accrual, knowledge, disability, extension and issue date.
Funding advice
Retainer, budget, insurance, risk, proportionality and updates.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
A retailer paid for a refrigeration unit that never achieved the promised temperature. Before drafting proceedings, what should the caseworker establish first?
A client suffered ordinary property damage when a contractor acted negligently six years and two months ago. No postponement provision appears to apply. What is the immediate limitation concern?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Open another topic next
Official resources
Verify the details with the official sources
Use these links for eligibility, scheduling, handbook rules, and issuer updates. Our guide helps you study; official sources tell you what the testing partner currently requires.
CILEX Assessment Modules
The current public CPQ assessment page listing Advanced modules, required option, assessment approach, Ethics and Professional Experience outcomes.
CILEX qualifications
Current CILEX qualification overview confirming that CPQ remains an open progression route.
Apply for CPQ
CILEX's current application page stating that the Advanced stage has five examinations and that a modular stage must be completed within three years.
CPQ Advanced assessment overview
CILEX's live public A1–A8 duration, mark and task structures, including the three A4 contexts shown in the PDF.
CILEX Approved Exemption Claims Procedure 2026
Current cross-check of Advanced components, underpinning options, Ethics requirements and Professional Experience treatment across entry routes.
CILEX Competency Framework
The core principles, behaviours and activities that underpin CPQ's work-focused outcomes.
FAQ
Common CILEX CPQ Advanced questions
Is this an official CILEX course?
No. This is an independent guide mapped to CILEX's public qualification, assessment and module information. Your myCILEX record, current learning materials, CILEX policies and approved training provider control your route and sitting.
Which five Advanced assessments does a standard-route learner take?
A1 Dispute Resolution and Litigation, A2 Criminal Law and Litigation, A4 Succeeding in the Legal Environment and A5 Legal Accounts and Legal Research are required, plus one of A3 Property and Conveyancing, A6 Wills, Probate and Private Client, A7 Family Law and Practice or A8 Business and Employment Law.
Why does this guide contain all A1–A8 sections?
It is a qualification-wide resource. It preserves every current Advanced assessment code without creating separate tracker banks. An individual standard-route learner studies the four required codes and one optional code, not all eight.
Does CPQ Advanced have one final combined examination?
No. CILEX requires five separately booked online examinations in the standard route. This guide supports section and mixed revision but does not present an eight-section session as an official mock.
How are A1, A2 and the optional law-and-practice papers assessed?
CILEX's public overview gives each paper 150 minutes and 100 marks. Section A uses automated questions to test practice-area knowledge; Section B is a progressive client case study testing application of law.
What is tested in A4?
A4 is a 90-minute skills assessment containing two communication and drafting tasks linked to a progressive case-study context. CILEX says it can also be sat standalone.
Which practice contexts are available for A4?
CILEX's current HTML assessment summary names Dispute Resolution and Criminal Law and Litigation, while its live public assessment-overview PDF also lists Property and Conveyancing. Because those official sources differ, confirm the version offered for your sitting in myCILEX before preparing or booking.
What is tested in A5?
A5 lasts 150 minutes. Its published structure is Section A Legal Accounts, Section B automated questions on legal-research methodology and Section C production of three research documents.
How should I select my optional Advanced module?
Choose the A3, A6, A7 or A8 module that supports your intended Professional-stage practice pathway, subject to your entry route and exemptions. Confirm the required underpinning module in myCILEX before purchase.
What do I receive without Professional Experience?
CILEX states that completing the Advanced examinations and ethics without Professional Experience earns the CILEX Advanced Diploma in Law and Practice. Completing the Advanced Professional Experience requirement completes the stage and supports the CILEX Advanced Paralegal designation.
Are the planned 601 questions weighted by CILEX?
No. CILEX publishes syllabus coverage and assessment structures but no scored topic distribution. The 601-item qualification-wide allocation is a balanced Pass Harbor authoring plan across mandatory and optional routes and remains unreleased.
How should I handle legal updates?
Use the current module specification, myCILEX materials and training-provider notices for your sitting. Verify live legislation, procedure, regulator rules and tax figures rather than treating this syllabus guide as a complete current-practice source.