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CSC Exam 1 Weighting: The Volume 1 Topic Breakdown
The short answer: CSC Exam 1 has 100 multiple-choice questions, a 2-hour time limit and a 60% pass mark. Its biggest topics are the Canadian investment marketplace (15%), the economy (13%) and common and preferred shares (13%), with fixed income adding up to 23% across two topics. Below is the full official breakdown and what it means for how you study.
CSC Exam 1 at a glance
| Feature | Detail (per CSI) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice |
| Time limit | 2 hours |
| Passing grade | 60% (per exam) |
| Attempts allowed | 3 per exam |
| Delivery | Proctored — remote or in person at a test centre |
| Enrolment period | 1 year (covers both exams) |
The official Exam 1 weighting
CSI publishes topic weightings for each CSC exam. Here is Exam 1, sorted from heaviest to lightest. Because the exam has exactly 100 questions, the percentage is a good rough guide to how many questions you'll see — but CSI does not publish an exact count per chapter, so treat the "about" column as an estimate.
| Exam 1 topic | Weighting | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| The Canadian Investment Marketplace | 15% | ~15 questions |
| The Economy | 13% | ~13 questions |
| Common and Preferred Shares | 13% | ~13 questions |
| Features and Types of Fixed-Income Securities | 12% | ~12 questions |
| Pricing and Trading of Fixed-Income Securities | 11% | ~11 questions |
| Equity Transactions | 10% | ~10 questions |
| Derivatives | 10% | ~10 questions |
| Corporations and their Financial Statements | 8% | ~8 questions |
| Financing and Listing Securities | 8% | ~8 questions |
Which chapters are in Volume 1?
CSI's public course page lists the CSC as 27 chapters in 8 sections. It doesn't use the word "Volume" on that page, but the Exam 1 topic names match the first four sections exactly, so in practice Exam 1 (often called "Volume 1") covers Chapters 1–12:
- Section 1 — The Canadian Investment Marketplace: Ch. 1 The Canadian Securities Industry, Ch. 2 The Capital Market, Ch. 3 The Canadian Regulatory Environment
- Section 2 — The Economy: Ch. 4 Overview of Economics, Ch. 5 Economic Policy
- Section 3 — Investment Products: Ch. 6–7 Fixed-Income Securities (features and types; pricing and trading), Ch. 8 Common and Preferred Shares, Ch. 9 Equity Transactions, Ch. 10 Derivatives
- Section 4 — The Corporation: Ch. 11 Corporations and their Financial Statements, Ch. 12 Financing and Listing Securities
Always check against the textbook edition you were given — chapter numbering can shift between editions.
What the weighting tells you about how to study
1. Section 3 is the core of the exam
Add up the five Investment Products topics — two fixed-income topics, shares, equity transactions and derivatives — and you get 56% of Exam 1. More than half your marks come from understanding how bonds, shares and derivatives work and trade. If your time is limited, this is where it pays to be strongest.
2. Don't skip the "easy" first chapters
The Canadian Investment Marketplace is the single heaviest topic at 15%. These chapters (industry structure, capital markets, regulators) feel like background reading, so candidates often skim them — and then lose marks on detailed questions about who regulates what.
3. Fixed income is two topics, not one
Features and types (12%) and pricing and trading (11%) together are worth 23%. The pricing side includes yields, the price–yield relationship and duration-style reasoning, which is where many people find Exam 1 most technical. Practise the calculations until they're routine.
4. Economics is worth more than you might expect
At 13%, The Economy carries as much weight as common and preferred shares. Economic indicators, the business cycle and monetary versus fiscal policy are very testable — learn the definitions precisely.
5. The corporate chapters are smaller but not optional
Financial statements and financing/listing are 8% each. That's still around 16 questions combined — enough to decide a borderline result.
CSC Exam 1 vs Exam 2
Both exams share the same format (100 questions, 2 hours, 60%), but the content shifts from what products are to how you analyse and use them:
| Exam 1 | Exam 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chapters (by topic match) | 1–12 | 13–27 |
| Main focus | Markets, economics, bonds, shares, derivatives, corporations | Investment and portfolio analysis, mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, tax, working with clients |
| Heaviest topics | Marketplace 15%; Economy 13%; Shares 13% | Investment Analysis 18%; Portfolio Analysis 18%; Alternatives/Other Managed/Structured 16% |
If you're moving on to the second exam, see our CSC Exam 2 (Volume 2) practice questions, and for the whole-course picture read CSC exam format and how to pass the CSC.
Practise by topic, weighted the way the exam is
The fastest way to use the weighting is to practise heavily where the marks are and check which topics you keep missing. SmartExam has a CSC Exam 1 bank with exam-style questions, an explanation for every answer, and a topic-by-topic report after each session showing where you lost marks. Sessions come in 20, 50 or 100 questions, and everything works offline.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the weighting of CSC Exam 1?
CSI publishes topic weightings for Exam 1: Canadian Investment Marketplace 15%, The Economy 13%, Common and Preferred Shares 13%, Features and Types of Fixed-Income Securities 12%, Pricing and Trading of Fixed-Income Securities 11%, Equity Transactions 10%, Derivatives 10%, Corporations and their Financial Statements 8%, and Financing and Listing Securities 8%.
How many questions are on CSC Exam 1?
Each CSC exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, a 2-hour time limit, and a 60% passing grade, according to CSI.
Does CSI publish how many questions come from each chapter?
No. CSI publishes percentage weightings by topic, not an exact question count per chapter. With 100 questions, a percentage is a close guide to the number of questions, but treat it as approximate.
Is CSC Exam 1 harder than Exam 2?
It depends on your background. Exam 1 is heavier on definitions, products, economics and some calculations; Exam 2 leans more on analysis, managed products and applying concepts to clients. Many candidates find the bond pricing and derivatives material in Exam 1 the most technical.
Sources
- CSI — CSC exam details and topic weightings: csi.ca/en/learning/courses/csc/exam-credits
- CSI — CSC curriculum (chapter list): csi.ca/en/learning/courses/csc/curriculum
- CSI — CSC course page (2026 CIRO notice): csi.ca/en/learning/courses/csc
Information checked October 13, 2026. Exam rules can change — confirm details with CSI before you book.
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