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#2144137 - 08/29/17 09:00 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
RockChucker, CAMS Offline
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The Country
Yes, multiple choice test.
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#2144140 - 08/29/17 09:03 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
BrianC Online
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BrianC
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Illinois
Yeah the fun part is all the goofy choices.

A. I, II and IV are correct
B. I, II and III are correct
C. II, III and IV are correct
D. All of the above are correct.

It is a testing methodology to ensure you understand each term in the question. Just like back in grade school, eliminate the obvious wrong answers first...No #2 pencil though since the test is computerized.
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#2144143 - 08/29/17 09:05 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
MollyM Offline
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Posts: 127
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My advice is to go through all materials and mark only the pages you are not familiar with - then concentrate on those pages! Also, never take the test during a Beta phase. I had an employee who recently did so - they had changed the passing score without updating the website or notifying anyone, you had 90 additional questions and only 30 extra minutes - she did not pass.

The exam has settled down and is no longer so many questions and is easily passable - another employee took it after the Beta and passed!

Good luck - it is not that bad of a test at all.
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#2144144 - 08/29/17 09:06 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
MScarn6942 Offline
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Awesome! So Brian, is that how all of the questions are? Or just some of them? The study guide looks like it'll accept A, B, C, D, or any combination of those. Which makes it a fair amount tougher because elimination obviously gets harder...
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#2144147 - 08/29/17 09:08 PM Re: CAMS Exam MScarn6942
bcompliance Offline
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Originally Posted By MScarn6942
Is this a multiple choice test like the study guide's examples?


it is multiple choice
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#2144161 - 08/29/17 09:40 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
BrianC Online
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Not all of the questions are like that. Some are "Which of the following is NOT" or "Choose the answer that most closely describes..."
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#2144934 - 09/06/17 01:29 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
E.E.G.B Offline
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The test was substantively revised last year. A lot of effort was put into weeding out misleading, trick, or illogical questions.
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#2206890 - 02/22/19 07:25 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
MScarn6942 Offline
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Land Lacking in Lakes, IL
So... life (a baby!) got busy and I didn't get moving towards the CAMS and am hoping to start up again. I thought I'd found a study guide once, but ACAMS website says that it's only issued after you pay. Is there one available for free that anyone knows of that's recent? I found the 2012 guide online but am worried that'll be too far out of date.
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#2206897 - 02/22/19 07:56 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
ComplianceNewbie Offline
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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 19
The most recent CAMS Study Guide (Sixth Edition) is a copyrighted work, so it is not permissible to distribute without permission from ACAMS. The 2012 study guide is not the most recent revision either. I believe that would be the fifth edition.

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#2206899 - 02/22/19 08:04 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
MScarn6942 Offline
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Land Lacking in Lakes, IL
Gotcha, thank you! The one I found was the 5th edition... I saw 2012 somewhere but not sure where. Is it true that the main difference is the addition of the fifth pillar to the 6th edition?
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#2206903 - 02/22/19 08:23 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
ComplianceNewbie Offline
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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 19
The new CDD rule is mentioned and occupies about a third of a page in the study guide. FATF Recommendation 10 is referenced more with CDD than FinCEN's CDD Rule. I would become familiar with the FATF 40 Recommendations if you are planning on taking the CAMS exam. I cannot answer your question on the difference between the editions, since my exam was based on the sixth edition.

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#2221520 - 09/12/19 11:51 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
mdosu Offline
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 33
I'm 3 weeks out from my schedule CAMS exam.

I've read most of the study guide twice. I've gone through the unfamiliar targeted sections multiple times. The first time I took the Chapter 6 practice test, I scored 85% (103/120).

I've read all the reddit summaries on areas of focus, so I'll be concentrating on those. My weakest is the international bodies' recommendations FATAF, EU directive, Wolfsberg. I also plan on reading and re-reading all the Chapter 3 red flags as I noticed the practice exam questions on those topics followed very closely with the written materials.

I have my CRCM, and I've worked in consumer compliance program management for 4+ years (zero years working on AML topics), so I noticed that the situational questions especially on Chapter 4 topics are "second nature" to me. A lot of it is simply understanding best practices in compliance, risk and bank program management.

So for those who took the exam, how much should i discount my practice exam score by for an indicator of my final score? I read that the practice exam was too easy, and I also recognize that too as it was easy to eliminate many of the wrong answers by simply just reading the question and answer carefully and recalling what generally the study guide discussed.

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#2221523 - 09/13/19 12:56 AM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
BrianC Online
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The questions that I found most challenging also focused on the international directive.

For example, a question may ask, "Which of the following are Wolfsberg Group priorities?" And then the answers will list 3 Wolfsberg Group priorities, one FATF recommendation, and one EU Directive priority.

The choices are then
a. I, II, V
b. I, II, IV
c. I, III, V
d. II, III, IV

It is much harder to eliminate the 'obvious' wrong answer with this format. As much as you can, memorize through the use of flashcards which areas of focus apply to which money laundering group.
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#2221580 - 09/13/19 06:27 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
RockChucker, CAMS Offline
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The Country
I agree with BrianC. My area of additional focus was for international stuff as I had no experience with it in my prior banking experience. The exam wasn't as bad as I expected but I was glad that I did study.
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#2221603 - 09/13/19 10:29 PM Re: CAMS Exam BrianC
mdosu Offline
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 33
thanks, I was recently aware of questions in this format. Now back to my attempt to tattoo FATAF, Wofsberg and BASEL papers/recommendations into my brain!

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#2222935 - 10/03/19 03:36 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
Beagles22 Offline
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State of confusion
Good luck mdosu! I am just starting the process - got my guide yesterday!
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#2222981 - 10/03/19 07:50 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
praBSA Offline
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Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 348
The exam was much tougher than any practice questions. With that said, make sure you really study FATF, Wolfsberg, and EU Directives.

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#2226006 - 11/20/19 07:53 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
MNCompliance Offline
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 14
Recently took and passed the exam! I felt the practice exam was nothing like the actual exam (actual exam was much tougher than the practice). I felt the type and format of the questions on the exam which much different than the practice test.

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#2226073 - 11/21/19 02:35 PM Re: CAMS Exam AnnRoy
jsim913 Offline
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 46
I passed the exam in May and I agree - the practice exam from the book isn't close to the actual exam. When I was studying, I found a recommendation for AML Assassin on another forum. I bought access to their practice test (~$100) and it was much more realistic. It had 120 questions set up like BrianC mentioned above and was very reflective of my test. I also could do it on my phone so I could knock out 5 or 10 random questions when I had time to kill. That being said, looking back, I feel like I could have passed the exam by reading through the manual a few times and hitting the flash cards more. Flash cards don't give you the fallback of process-of-elimination on multiple choice - you can nail all those flash cards then the exam will be cake.

A note on the ACAMS test prep class - I personally don't recommend it. The only thing it does is force you to read the book each week to follow their homework structure. The assignments and extra reading were interesting but a lot of it had nothing to do with the exam imo. Better yet, save the cost of the class and get the AMLA practice test.

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