About the exam
CILEX CPQ Foundation Exam structure
An independent England and Wales study guide for the complete CPQ Foundation stage, preserving its five mandatory modules, six online examinations, Ethics 1 and Professional Experience requirements inside one qualification slug.
Issuer and path
CILEX CPQ Foundation Study Guide is administered through CILEX. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
F1 Legal Systems
0 scored + 0 pretest
Two-hour online assessment with 60 MCQ and automated questions worth 80 marks.
F2 Law of Tort
0 scored + 0 pretest
Two-hour online assessment with 60 MCQ and automated questions worth 80 marks.
F3 Contract Law
0 scored + 0 pretest
Two-hour online assessment with 60 MCQ and automated questions worth 80 marks.
F4 Introduction to Property and Private Client
0 scored + 0 pretest
Two-hour online assessment with 60 MCQ and automated questions worth 80 marks.
F5 Succeeding in the Legal Environment
0 scored + 0 pretest
Two-and-a-half-hour online assessment worth 40 marks, combining knowledge work with an effective-communication practical exercise.
F6 Legal Research
0 scored + 0 pretest
Two-and-a-half-hour online assessment worth 60 marks, covering research process and methods plus research analysis and reporting.
Before booking an assessment
Use myCILEX to confirm the component code, current specification and learning materials, your registration deadline, any approved exemption, the live assessment window and remote-invigilation requirements. Do not infer F5 or F6 task counts from their mark totals.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 1. Structure and Classification of Law | 0 | 11 | 3 | Strong |
| F1 2. The English Legal System | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| F1 3. Provision and Regulation of Legal Services | 0 | 14 | 3 | Priority |
| F1 4. Nature of the UK Constitution | 0 | 10 | 3 | Good |
| F1 5. Legislative Power | 0 | 12 | 3 | Good |
| F1 6. Executive Power | 0 | 9 | 3 | Good |
| F1 7. Judicial Power and Precedent | 0 | 11 | 3 | Strong |
| F1 8. Judicial Review | 0 | 9 | 3 | Strong |
| F1 9. Civil Liberties, Human Rights and Equality | 0 | 9 | 3 | Priority |
| F2 1. Tort Law in Outline | 0 | 10 | 3 | Good |
| F2 2. Negligence | 0 | 27 | 3 | Priority |
| F2 3. Employers’ Liability | 0 | 11 | 3 | Good |
| F2 4. Occupiers’ Liability | 0 | 12 | 3 | Strong |
| F2 5. Highways Liability | 0 | 9 | 3 | Good |
| F2 6. Trespass and Nuisance | 0 | 13 | 3 | Good |
| F2 7. Defences in Tort | 0 | 10 | 3 | Strong |
| F2 8. Causation and Remedies in Tort | 0 | 13 | 3 | Priority |
| F3 1. Contract Law in Outline | 0 | 12 | 3 | Good |
| F3 2. Offer and Acceptance | 0 | 19 | 3 | Priority |
| F3 3. Consideration | 0 | 12 | 3 | Strong |
| F3 4. Intention and Capacity | 0 | 10 | 3 | Good |
| F3 5. Contractual Terms | 0 | 18 | 3 | Priority |
| F3 6. Vitiating Factors | 0 | 14 | 3 | Priority |
| F3 7. Performance, Termination and Breach | 0 | 10 | 3 | Strong |
| F3 8. Causation and Remedies for Breach | 0 | 10 | 3 | Strong |
| F4 1. Organisations and Regulatory Framework | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| F4 2. Land Law, Documents and Co-ownership | 0 | 24 | 3 | Priority |
| F4 3. Wills, Probate, Intestacy and Personal Representatives | 0 | 25 | 3 | Priority |
| F4 4. Conveyancing Overview and Initial Instructions | 0 | 18 | 3 | Strong |
| F4 5. Title, Contract, Searches and Enquiries | 0 | 23 | 3 | Priority |
| F4 6. Finance, Reporting and Exchange | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| F4 7. Preparing for and Effecting Completion | 0 | 14 | 3 | Strong |
| F4 8. Post-completion and Registration | 0 | 9 | 3 | Priority |
| F5 1–3. Personal Impact, Teamwork and Standards | 0 | 18 | 3 | Priority |
| F5 4–5. Client-first and Commercial Focus | 0 | 18 | 3 | Good |
| F5 6. Impact of Technology | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| F5 7. Communication with Internal and External Clients | 0 | 22 | 3 | Priority |
| F6 1. Research Scope, Issues and Sources | 0 | 20 | 3 | Priority |
| F6 2. Search, Primary Authority and Evaluation | 0 | 25 | 3 | Strong |
| F6 3. Analysis, Reporting and Ethical Use | 0 | 28 | 3 | Priority |
How to use this guide
How to study the CPQ Foundation stage
Prepare each separately assessed component on its own terms, then connect law, regulation, client service and research across the full stage.
1. Identify the component and task
Name F1–F6, the syllabus heading, the jurisdiction and whether the task tests recall, application, communication or research.
2. Classify the facts and authority
Identify parties, legal relationship, procedural or transactional stage, source of law and any professional limits.
3. Apply the rule or skill
Connect each conclusion to the material facts, controlling authority, client need and ethical or regulatory safeguard.
4. State the outcome and next step
Give a clear supported answer, record uncertainty and escalate or research further where competence or evidence is incomplete.
1. Structure and Classification of Law
Civil and criminal law, common law and equity, burdens and standards, objectives, remedies and case citation.
Key rules
Rule 1
Civil and criminal proceedings differ in purpose, parties, proof and remedies.
Exam cue: Classify the dispute before selecting a procedure or remedy.
Rule 2
Common law, equity and legislation interact, with equitable principles and remedies supplementing legal rights.
Exam cue: Separate the source of a right from the remedy sought.
Rule 3
Accurate classification controls the court route, standard of proof and available outcome.
Exam cue: Use the correct burden, standard and case citation for the context.
Common traps
Using the criminal standard of proof in a civil claim.
Prevention: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Treating equity as a separate modern court system.
Prevention: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Assuming every successful claim produces damages.
Prevention: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Memory anchors
Civil or criminal?
Identify parties, purpose, burden, standard and remedy.
Law and equity
Legal and equitable rules are administered together but retain distinct principles and remedies.
Classification first
The legal category directs procedure, proof and outcome.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
A company seeks compensation after a supplier breaches a private agreement. How should the claim be classified?
Who normally bears the burden of proving a criminal charge?
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 the three stages, Foundation modules, online assessment approach, Ethics and Professional Experience outcomes.
CILEX qualifications
Current CILEX overview confirming that CPQ remains offered for learners progressing toward CILEX Paralegal or CILEX Lawyer status.
CPQ Foundation assessment overview
CILEX's public F1–F6 duration, question or mark totals and section structures.
F1 Legal Systems module specification
Official Legal Systems aims, learning outcomes, nine content areas, tribunal update and linked F1 assessment.
F2 Law of Tort module specification
Official Tort aims, outcomes and eight content areas for F2.
F3 Contract Law module specification
Official Contract aims, outcomes, eight content areas and 2023 scope changes for F3.
F4 Property and Private Client module specification
Official conveyancing and probate aims, outcomes and registered-freehold transaction scope for F4.
F5/F6 Professional and Legal Skills module specification
Official workplace, communication, technology and legal-research scope linked to the two Professional and Legal Skills assessments.
CILEX Approved Exemption Claims Procedure 2026
Current cross-check of the Foundation components, Ethics 1 and Professional Experience stage-completion treatment.
CILEX Competency Framework
The core principles, behaviours and activities that underpin CPQ and its work-focused outcomes.
FAQ
Common CILEX CPQ Foundation questions
Is this an official CILEX course?
No. This is an independent guide mapped to CILEX's public current qualification and assessment information. The handbook and live learning materials in myCILEX, CILEX policies and your approved training provider control your registration and sitting.
Why are there five modules but six examinations?
Legal Systems, Law of Tort, Contract Law and Introduction to Property and Private Client each have one examination. The fifth module, Professional and Legal Skills, has two: F5 Succeeding in the Legal Environment and F6 Legal Research.
Does CPQ Foundation have one final combined examination?
No. CILEX assesses F1–F6 separately. This guide therefore supports section-level practice but does not present a six-paper mixed session as an official Foundation mock.
What is tested in F1–F4?
CILEX describes 60 MCQ and automated questions in two hours for each paper, worth 80 marks. Its examiner reports explain that knowledge questions and increasingly applied short scenarios are used, so recall alone is not enough.
How do F5 and F6 differ from F1–F4?
F5 and F6 each run for two and a half hours. F5 combines knowledge of the legal workplace with a communication practical exercise. F6 combines research methods with analysis and reporting. Their published totals are marks, not comparable multiple-choice item counts.
Is Ethics and Professional Responsibility 1 a sixth module?
No. CILEX lists five mandatory Foundation modules. Ethics and Professional Responsibility 1 is separate CILEX-delivered e-learning required alongside the examinations for the Foundation award.
Must I be employed before I start?
CILEX says employment is not required to start studying. Professional Experience is optional during Foundation study, but the full Foundation stage and CILEX Paralegal designation require it. Confirm the evidence and employment rules in your current myCILEX materials.
What do I receive without Professional Experience?
CILEX states that a trainee who completes the Foundation examinations and Ethics without Professional Experience receives the CILEX Diploma in Law. Completing the Foundation Professional Experience requirement completes the stage and supports the CILEX Paralegal designation.
Are the 601 practice questions weighted by CILEX?
No. CILEX publishes module specifications and assessment totals but no scored topic distribution. The 601-item allocation is a balanced Pass Harbor study plan, not an official weighting or a substitute for the non-MCQ tasks in the live assessments.
How should I handle legal updates?
Use the current module specification, myCILEX learning materials and training-provider notices for your sitting. For professional work, verify live legislation, rules and regulator guidance rather than treating an assessment specification as a complete current-practice source.