How to book a Saudi CMA qualification exam: steps, fees, rescheduling

How to book

You book on the Financial Academy (FA) website with an FA account: an exam page's Register link sends you to the FA login first (FA registration link). The FA's older, undated user manual for individuals describes the steps (FA user manual for individuals):

• Create an individual account and confirm it from the email the FA sends.
• Open the exam's page on the FA website and click Register.
• Choose a test centre.
• Pick a date (today can't be chosen) and an available time.
• Add the exam to the cart and pay online.
• The FA then sends one email per booking, plus an invoice.

The manual's fee, cancellation and retake rules are out of date, so this page takes those from the FA's current exam policy and FAQ. Older guides call the booking system FAST; the name now survives only in FA file paths. The CMA sets the requirement and registers people; the FA runs the exams, including booking, fees, centres, study material, policy and Hadaf; CISI provides the A papers and works with the FA on the B papers (CMA CME page).

Before the exam, complete the online qualification registration form (QRF), because the FA issues no official result without it (FA exam policy). Sitting the A paper first is common practice, not a rule: no official source sets an order. To check which papers you need, see the CME guide and Which CME do I need?.

When you can sit

You choose an open slot in the booking calendar at one of the FA's five test centres (FA Testing Centres), whose addresses are on exam day.

Official pages disagree: The FA's FAQ says exams run every day except Friday, Saturday to Thursday from 8 AM to 4 PM, with Saturday sittings only during scheduled exam periods (FA FAQ). Its exam policy says Sunday to Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM (FA exam policy). Expect Sunday to Thursday, with Saturday sittings in some periods; the booking calendar shows the open slots.

Not published: how far ahead seats open, the shortest notice for a booking, which payment methods are accepted, and whether the FA's mobile app can book exams.

Fees

You pay the full fee when you book, and once payment is confirmed it is not refundable unless the FA cancels the exam (FA exam policy).

Fees are as shown on each paper's FA page, linked in the first column. The Hadaf column follows the paper's page or the FA exam catalogue. A first attempt at a whole qualification costs SAR 2,200 for CME-1, 3,800 for CME-3 or CME-4, 3,650 for CME-5 and 4,900 for the three-paper compliance and AML/CFT route. Every attempt is paid for, including retakes (FA exam policy, FA rules). Your tax invoice is in your FA account under Dashboard > Financial Operations (FA FAQ).

Not published: whether the fees include VAT, and whether a retake costs the same as a first attempt. Pay the fee shown on the FA exam page and check the total at checkout.

Official pages disagree: The FA's legacy pages for the old CME-1 Part 1 and Part 2 still show SAR 1,250 a part (FA, old CME-1 Part 1; FA, old CME-1 Part 2), and the CMA's guide has an older fee table (CMA Qualification Examinations Guide). Both are out of date; use the fees on the current FA exam pages.

Getting fees back through Hadaf

You can reclaim CME fees through HRDF's Hadaf platform only after you pass both papers of the qualification: the FA's pages say support is not granted for passing one of the two separately (FA CME-1B page; FA CME-4B page). The FA's FAQ gives the steps (FA FAQ):

• Get your certificate.
• Download the tax invoice from your FA account. Attaching the preliminary invoice instead can get the request rejected.
• Submit the claim on Hadaf.

The FAQ names two common reasons for rejection: a certificate for only one part of a multi-part exam, and skipping verification. CISI certificates are verified through the FA's Verify Certificate service using the certificate's issue number. The catalogue tags CME-3A and 3B "No", so don't count on a refund for CME-3.

Not published: which certificate and invoice files Hadaf accepts for a CME, and whether there is a deadline for claiming.

Rescheduling

You can move a booking to a new date within six months of the original booking, as long as the request reaches the FA at least three working days before the exam (FA exam policy). Inside that limit the FA may, at its discretion, accept a documented emergency: a life-threatening illness, the death of a relative up to the fourth degree, approved sick leave or another case it accepts. The policy page sets these fees:

Official pages disagree: The FA's FAQ gives a flat SAR 100 fee for rescheduling within six months (FA FAQ). The policy table is more detailed and the FAQ tells candidates to read the policy, so this guide follows the table. The policy doesn't say whether the table covers the A papers, the B papers or both. Move only once, and 15 or more days ahead if you can.

If you move to a date covered by newer study material, the FA treats it as a new exam and gives you the new material (FA exam policy, CISI rules).

Cancelling and missing an exam

Treat a paid booking as non-refundable and plan to reschedule rather than cancel.

Official pages disagree: The FA's exam policy lets individuals and organisations cancel online at least three working days before the exam, with no refund but one later reschedule (FA exam policy). Its FAQ says individuals can't cancel after paying (FA FAQ). The CISI rules on the policy page offer no cancellation at all, so the A papers can't be cancelled (FA exam policy, CISI rules).

• A no-show loses the full fee, but it doesn't count as an attempt (FA exam policy).
• You can't swap a booked exam for a different exam (FA FAQ), or change a CISI paper's language after booking (FA exam policy).
• If the FA moves or cancels a sitting itself, you can reschedule free or take a full refund (FA exam policy). The FA's wallet policy says refunds from cancellations go to the FA e-wallet (FA wallet policy).

Booking for employees

Employers book staff through an organisation account (FA exam policy). An organisation can swap in another of its employees up to 24 hours before an FA exam, but not for a CISI exam; individual candidates can't swap at all. Organisations can cancel at least three working days ahead (FA FAQ). They can also prepay with e-vouchers or a wallet balance, which expire three years after issue or activation and can't be refunded in cash or transferred (FA wallet policy).