About the exam
CILEX CPQ Professional Exam structure
An independent England and Wales study guide for the complete CPQ Professional stage, preserving the required P1 project and all nine P2-P10 specialist pathways inside one qualification slug.
Issuer and path
CILEX CPQ Professional Study Guide is administered through CILEX. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
P1 Professional Skills Project
0 scored + 0 pretest
Required independent project assessed through a proposal form and 5,000-7,000-word business report.
P2 Dispute Resolution (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment; linked Advocacy is separately required for authorisation.
P3 Criminal Law and Litigation (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment; linked Advocacy is separately required for authorisation.
P4 Residential Conveyancing (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment.
P5 Commercial Conveyancing (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment.
P6 Wills, Probate and Private Client (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment.
P7 Family Law and Litigation (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment; linked Advocacy is separately required for authorisation.
P8 Employment Law and Practice (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment.
P9 Business and Commercial Law and Practice (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment.
P10 Immigration Law and Practice (optional)
0 scored + 0 pretest
Optional 300-hour specialist module with morning pre-read and a three-hour afternoon online assessment; expressly excepted from Advanced-option alignment in the current pathway diagram.
Before committing to a pathway or assessment
Use myCILEX to confirm your P1 submission requirements, selected P2-P10 module, Advanced underpinning or P10 exception, current specification and updates, registration deadline, assessment window, Professional Experience status, qualifying experience and any Advocacy or practice-right requirement.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 1. Project Problem, Purpose and Strategic Alignment | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P1 2. Research Design, Data and Ethics | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P1 3. Critical Analysis, Findings and Limitations | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| P1 4. Leadership, Teams, Stakeholders and Change | 0 | 15 | 3 | Good |
| P1 5. Business Report, Recommendations and Presentation | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P2 1. Civil Case Analysis, Evidence and Tactical Strategy | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| P2 2. Hearings, Representation and ADR | 0 | 16 | 3 | Strong |
| P2 3. Personal Injury, Death, Trespass and Commercial Claims | 0 | 16 | 3 | Good |
| P2 4. Communication, Drafting, Online Claims and AI | 0 | 17 | 3 | Priority |
| P3 1. Criminal Liability, Offences and Defences | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| P3 2. Police Powers, Evidence and Client Representation | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| P3 3. Magistrates, Youth and Crown Court Procedure | 0 | 16 | 3 | Strong |
| P3 4. Proceeds of Crime and Professional Litigation Skills | 0 | 17 | 3 | Good |
| P4 1. Regulation, Tax, Capacity and Transaction Risk | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| P4 2. Complex Title, Plans, Planning and Enquiries | 0 | 16 | 3 | Strong |
| P4 3. Contract, Exchange, Completion and HMLR | 0 | 16 | 3 | Priority |
| P4 4. Specialist Residential Transactions | 0 | 17 | 3 | Good |
| P5 1. Commercial Property Framework and Documents | 0 | 15 | 3 | Good |
| P5 2. FRI Leases, Security of Tenure and Consent | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P5 3. Commercial Agreements, Tax, Planning and Finance | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P5 4. Commercial Transaction Lifecycle | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| P6 1. Powers of Attorney, Deputies and Court of Protection | 0 | 15 | 3 | Good |
| P6 2. Estate Tax, IHT Forms and Grants | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P6 3. Estate Administration and Representative Protection | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| P6 4. Family-provision Claims, Contentious Probate and Practice | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P7 1. Case Preparation, Analysis and Family Court | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P7 2. Relationships, Breakdown and Financial Remedies | 0 | 15 | 3 | Strong |
| P7 3. Domestic Abuse and Private and Public Children Law | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P7 4. Communication, Drafting and Family Advocacy | 0 | 15 | 3 | Priority |
| P8 1. Status, Core Rights and Recruitment | 0 | 14 | 3 | Good |
| P8 2. Discrimination, Family Rights and Flexible Working | 0 | 14 | 3 | Priority |
| P8 3. Workplace Procedure, Termination and TUPE | 0 | 14 | 3 | Strong |
| P8 4. ACAS, Tribunal Claims, Settlement and Legal Change | 0 | 13 | 3 | Priority |
| P9 1. Directors, Company Finance and Shareholders | 0 | 17 | 3 | Priority |
| P9 2. Partnerships, Tax and Business Acquisitions | 0 | 17 | 3 | Good |
| P9 3. Commercial Contracts, Insolvency and Drafting | 0 | 16 | 3 | Strong |
| P10 1. Legal Framework, Applications and Remedies | 0 | 12 | 3 | Priority |
| P10 2. Visit, Work, Study and Other Routes | 0 | 12 | 3 | Priority |
| P10 3. Private and Family Life, Asylum and Protection | 0 | 11 | 3 | Strong |
| P10 4. Nationality, Removal, Deportation and Professional Skills | 0 | 11 | 3 | Priority |
How to use this guide
How to study the CPQ Professional stage
Build the independent research and business-report skills required for P1, then prepare the work-relevant tasks in the one P2–P10 pathway on your record.
1. Define the professional objective
Identify P1 or the selected pathway, the stakeholder or client, the decision required, constraints and the governing date.
2. Gather and test information
Select authoritative legal, business, factual and data sources; test relevance, reliability, permission, confidentiality and gaps.
3. Analyse options and risk
Connect facts to current authority, compare solutions and evaluate cost, benefit, compliance, ethics, implementation and uncertainty.
4. Deliver a work-ready outcome
Produce the requested report, advice, draft, strategy or recommendation with evidence, priority, next steps and appropriate escalation.
1. Project Problem, Purpose and Strategic Alignment
Select a viable organisational, client, team or sector problem or opportunity and define a clear purpose, scope, objectives and commercial rationale.
Key rules
Rule 1
The project must address a specific problem, opportunity or issue with credible strategic relevance.
Exam cue: Turn the broad topic into a focused answerable problem.
Rule 2
A clear research statement, objectives, boundaries and intended audience control the project design.
Exam cue: Link every objective to an organisational or sector need.
Rule 3
Commercial viability includes value, cost, risk, compliance and organisational capability.
Exam cue: State scope, exclusions, constraints and success measures.
Common traps
Choosing a descriptive topic with no decision or recommendation.
Prevention: Do not study all nine pathways as mandatory, treat P1 as a timed exam, confuse passage with authorisation or rely on outdated law, tax, procedure or regulator guidance.
Writing objectives too broad for the available time and data.
Prevention: Do not study all nine pathways as mandatory, treat P1 as a timed exam, confuse passage with authorisation or rely on outdated law, tax, procedure or regulator guidance.
Assuming personal interest alone establishes strategic relevance.
Prevention: Do not study all nine pathways as mandatory, treat P1 as a timed exam, confuse passage with authorisation or rely on outdated law, tax, procedure or regulator guidance.
Memory anchors
Project spine
Problem, purpose, objectives, scope, value and audience.
Strategic fit
Need, benefit, cost, risk, capability and timing.
Viable question
Focused, researchable, relevant and capable of action.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
A legal team proposes a project titled 'Technology in law firms'. What change would make the project assessable and useful?
Complaint data show repeated delays in probate updates. Which project statement is strongest?
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
Current public CPQ page describing P1, P2-P10 specialist modules, synoptic workday assessments, Professional Experience and Advocacy.
CILEX CPQ pathway diagram
Current visual route map showing P1, nine Professional options, P2-P9 alignment, the P10 exception, Professional Experience and Advocacy.
Apply for CPQ
Current application page stating that Professional stage has two assessment entries and a modular stage must be completed within three years.
P1 Professional Skills Guidance for Trainees v1.9
June 2026 project requirements, learning and assessment outcomes, proposal, report structure, research ethics, submission and resubmission guidance.
P1 Professional Skills Marking Criteria
Current Fail, Pass and Distinction descriptors for objectives, methodology, research, analysis, recommendations and presentation.
CPQ Professional assessment overview
Public overview of the P2-P10 morning pre-read and three-hour afternoon remote-assessment structure.
P2 Dispute Resolution specification 2026-2027
Latest public P2 scope, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and A1 prerequisite.
P3 Criminal Litigation specification 2026-2027
Latest public P3 scope, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and A2 prerequisite.
P4 Residential Conveyancing specification 2026-2027
Latest public P4 complex-residential scope, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and property prerequisites.
P5 Commercial Conveyancing specification
Current public P5 commercial-property scope, five transaction scenarios, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and property prerequisites.
P6 Probate and Private Client specification 2026-2027
Latest public P6 private-client scope, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and A6 prerequisite.
P7 Family Law and Litigation specification 2026-2027
Latest public P7 family-practice scope, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and A7 prerequisite.
P8 Employment Law and Practice specification 2026-2027
Latest public P8 employment scope, phased legal updates, learning outcomes, 300-hour TQT and A8 prerequisite.
P9 Business and Commercial specification 2026-2027
Latest public P9 company, partnership, transaction and insolvency scope, 300-hour TQT and A8 prerequisite.
P10 Immigration Law and Practice specification 2026-2027
Latest public P10 immigration, protection, nationality and removal scope and 300-hour TQT.
How to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer
Current academic, qualifying-experience, Professional Experience, Fellowship and practice-authorisation requirements.
CILEX Approved Exemption Claims Procedure 2026
Current cross-check of CPQ entry, outstanding components, underpinning modules and Professional-stage completion.
CILEX Competency Framework
The principles, behaviours and activities underpinning CPQ and Professional Experience.
FAQ
Common CILEX CPQ Professional questions
Is this an official CILEX course?
No. This is an independent guide mapped to CILEX's public current qualification, pathway, assessment and module information. The current CPQ handbook in myCILEX, CILEX policies, your record and your approved training provider control your route and sitting.
What does a standard Professional-stage learner complete?
Two assessed components: the required P1 Professional Skills Project and one specialist online assessment from P2 to P10. Professional Experience is mandatory, and a litigation pathway also requires the separate approved Advocacy course and assessment for authorisation.
Why does this guide include all P1-P10 sections?
It is a qualification-wide resource preserving every current pathway without creating separate tracker banks. An individual learner completes P1 and one P2-P10 option, not all ten sections.
What is the P1 assessment?
P1 is an independent research-driven project rather than a timed online exam. CILEX's June 2026 guidance requires a proposal form and a 5,000-7,000-word business report addressing a relevant organisational, client, team or legal-sector problem or opportunity.
How long does P1 take?
CILEX states there is no formal report-completion time limit but expects the work to take between six months and one year. Submission requires a booked window and training-provider submission under the current guidance.
How are P2-P10 assessed?
CILEX describes an online remotely invigilated assessment that replicates a working day: online pre-read material in the morning followed by a three-hour afternoon exam containing work-relevant tasks. Public sources do not give a common item or mark total, so this guide does not invent one.
Which Advanced module underpins each pathway?
P2 aligns with A1; P3 with A2; P4 and P5 with A3; P6 with A6; P7 with A7; and P8 and P9 with A8. The current CILEX pathway diagram expressly excepts P10 Immigration Law and Practice from this alignment rule.
Does passing P2, P3 or P7 grant advocacy rights?
No. CILEX separately requires trainees in civil, criminal and family litigation pathways to complete an approved Advocacy course and pass its assessment before becoming authorised as a CILEX Lawyer in that pathway.
Why is A6 not shown as a Professional option here?
The current assessed-modules HTML contains a stray duplicate A6 entry in the Professional list, but the same page's pathway diagram, the assessment overview and the current P6 specification identify P6 as the Professional Wills, Probate and Private Client option. This guide models the consistent P2-P10 structure.
Is there an Ethics and Professional Responsibility 3 module?
Not in CILEX's current public pathway structure. It shows Ethics and Professional Responsibility 1 at Foundation and 2 at Advanced. Full CPQ completion still requires the Ethics modules and compliance with the current myCILEX handbook.
Does passing P1 and a pathway exam automatically make me a CILEX Lawyer?
No. CILEX Lawyer status also depends on the full academic route, mandatory Professional Experience, qualifying experience, Fellowship, any pathway-specific Advocacy requirement and CILEX Regulation authorisation or practice rights where applicable.
Are the planned 601 questions weighted by CILEX?
No. P1 is a project and P2-P10 are alternative specialist exams with no published common scored topic distribution. The 601-item allocation is a balanced Pass Harbor authoring plan across the whole qualification and remains unreleased.
How should I handle legal updates?
Use the latest module specification, myCILEX learning updates and training-provider notices for your assessment window. Verify current legislation, rules, tax figures, forms, procedure and regulator guidance for every dated client matter.