QFA Ireland (Qualified Financial Adviser)
The Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) designation is a qualification recognised under the Central Bank of Ireland’s Minimum Competency Code for advising on, arranging or carrying out specified functions for life assurance, pensions, savings and investments, housing loans and consumer credit. It is built from six modules: Regulation, Life Assurance, Loans, Investment, Pensions and Financial Planning (Financial Advice). Each of the first five is assessed by a two-hour online exam of 100 multiple-choice questions; Financial Planning is a written case study.
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Are the QFA Exams Difficult? Hardest Module, Study Hours, QFA vs CFA
How hard the QFA exams are, judged by format: 72 seconds a question, the case-study capstone, the order rules, how long the QFA takes, whether it is worth it, and QFA vs CFA.
QFA / APA Loans Exam: What’s Tested + 3 Practice Questions
The QFA Loans module, for the QFA and APA Loans: official outcomes, the Consumer Credit Act 1995, CPC 2025 lending and arrears rules, the mortgage measures and practice questions.
QFA Regulation: Consumer Protection Code Topics + 3 Practice Questions
The QFA Regulation module (in each of LIA’s four APA combinations): official outcomes, a topic map to the Consumer Protection Code 2025, the MCC and statutes, rules worth knowing and practice.
APA vs QFA: Which Qualification Do You Need for Your Role?
APA vs QFA in Ireland: at LIA an APA is QFA Regulation plus one product module, the QFA all six. Which designation each role needs under the Minimum Competency Code, and the routes.
QFA Exam Dates 2026–27 (IOB & LIA) + Format: 100 MCQs, Case-Study Capstone
The remaining 2026–27 QFA exam windows and registration deadlines at IOB and LIA, how the online exams run, 72 seconds a question, the case-study capstone and when results come out.
QFA Qualification Ireland: The 6 Modules, IOB vs LIA vs III, Cost and Time
What the QFA (Qualified Financial Adviser) is, the six modules, how IOB, LIA and the Insurance Institute compare, the published fees, entry rules, how long it takes and how the APA fits in.
Leave with a plan for today.
- 21 min
Study: Regulation
- 6 min
Review what you missed. Write down the reason behind each correction.
- 3 min
Close your notes and recall the main ideas in your own words.
A personal study plan, saved only in this browser.
Disclaimer
Independent practice, not affiliated with IOB, LIA or III