Become a Qualified Financial Adviser with DipFA
Coming Q4 2026 — Register your interest now.
DipFA (Diploma for Financial Advisers) is the Level 4, FCA-recognised qualification that takes you beyond mortgages and protection into full financial advice (pensions, investments, retirement planning, and more).
I'm building this exactly the way I built CeMAP: structured e-learning, broken down so it actually makes sense, with WhatsApp support from me until you're qualified. This won’t be a live classroom (yet), instead something you can study around your job, your kids, your life.
WHAT IS DIPFA?
If CeMAP is your licence to advise on mortgages, DipFA is your licence to advise on everything else — pensions, investments, protection, and retirement planning.
It's a Level 4 qualification awarded by Walbrook Institute (formerly LIBF), and it's the natural next step if you want to stop being "just" a mortgage adviser and start offering clients a genuinely complete financial picture.
Important Note: if you've already passed CeMAP me since January 2026, you've already passed DipFA's Module 1. FSRE — Financial Services, Regulation and Ethics — is shared between both qualifications. A pass in one counts for the other. So if you're CeMAP qualified, you're not starting DipFA from zero. You're starting at Module 2.
The Six Modules
DipFA is made up of six modules. You can take Modules 2–5 in any order,there's no fixed sequence.
Module 1: Financial Services, Regulation & Ethics (FSRE)
The same module as CeMAP's Module 1. Already CeMAP qualified? Skip straight to Module 2.
2 units, 1 hour each — 25 MCQs + 3 case studies (5 MCQs each) per unit
Pass mark: 70%
Module 2 — Taxation (AFAT)
How the UK tax system applies to individuals and trusts when you're advising on investments.
90-minute exam, 2 units — 20 MCQs + 2 case studies (5 MCQs each) per unit
Pass mark: 70%
Module 3 — Investments (AFAI)
Investment products, market theory, and how economic shifts affect client portfolios.
90-minute exam, 2 units — 20 MCQs + 2 case studies (5 MCQs each) per unit
Pass mark: 70%
Module 4 — Protection (AFAP)
State benefits, protection policies, and identifying what clients actually need to stay covered.
90-minute exam, 2 units — 20 MCQs + 2 case studies (5 MCQs each) per unit
Pass mark: 70%
Module 5 — Retirement Planning (AFAR)
State pensions, tax treatment, and how defined-benefit and defined-contribution schemes actually work.
90-minute exam, 2 units — 20 MCQs + 2 case studies (5 MCQs each) per unit
Pass mark: 70%
Module 6 — Coursework (AFAC)
Bringing it all together — a real client fact-find and a written suitability report, marked on your ability to apply everything from Modules 1–5.
Coursework: pre-released fact find + written report
No MCQ exam
Pass all six and you're fully qualified to give regulated financial advice in the UK
How long does it take?
FSRE and 6 months across the remaining modules. If you're already CeMAP qualified and skipping FSRE, you'll likely move faster than that.
As always, there's no single right timeline. Some people want to power through one module a month. Others want to take it slower around work and family. Both are fine — the structure flexes around you, not the other way round.
How it'll work.
This will be an E-learning Platform built the way my CeMAP students already know.
Video lessons, audio files and exam styles questions under structured modules, and a clear study plan for each one — plus WhatsApp support from me throughout, not just during a fixed course window.
This is launching as e-learning only to start, there may be live course dates added in 2027.
Pricing
Please Note: There WILL be an early bird offer available on all the below prices listed.
Module fees ( training course only — Walbrook's own exam registration fees are separate and paid directly to them). All prices include VAT.
Module 1: FSRE (skip if CeMAP qualified) - £399
Module 2: Taxation (AFAT) - £279
Module 3: Protection (AFAP) - £279
Module 4: Investments (AFAI) - £329
Module 5: Retirement Planning (AFAR) - £329
Module 6: Coursework support (AFAC) - £249
Why I'm not LIBF accredited
When I launched my CeMAP MasterClasses back in 2023 and saw the first courses sell out with incredible student results (100% passed first time 'thankyouverymuch'), I fully intended to become officially accredited.
I contacted LIBF directly to ask about joining their Accredited Provider list, only to be told that applications from new providers were not being accepted. That was three years ago, and hasn't changed yet.
That was a bit of a hard lesson for me, because I realised that it was almost impossible for student-focused businesses to gain formal recognition, regardless of the quality of support or outcomes they provide.
What I came to understand after that is that accreditation and credibility are not always the same thing. I measure the value of what I do through student outcomes, long-term support, honest reviews from people who have actually passed, and the fact that my students continue to receive guidance long after a course ends.
I’ve built my business around accessibility, accountability, and real human support, not just a logo or title. Every learner still sits the exact same official CeMAP exams through LIBF, and ultimately the qualification they achieve is identical. The difference is simply the level of structure, encouragement, and personal support they receive while getting there. I made an entire podcast episode on this too, you can watch it here:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does registering my interest actually involve?
Just your name and email. You're joining the list to be notified the moment DipFA e-learning goes live, with first access to founding pricing.
When will DIPFA launch?
I'm targeting myself a launch in Q4 2026. That's an estimate, not a guarantee — registering means you'll get updates as the launch date firms up.
I'm already CeMAP qualified — do I need to do FSRE again?
This depends on when you got your CeMAP. If you sat CeMAP 1 before 16th January 2026 you probably say UKFR. Anyone who did CeMAP 1 after this date will have probably sat FSRE which is the new CeMAP 1 exam. Please double check this in your MYLIBF portal as there was a 6 month grace period given by LIBF regarding this. If you have sat and passed the new FSRE exam for CeMAP you will not need to retake this and can skip to module 2.
Will this be live classes or self-paced?
For now this will be an E-Learning Product ONLY. I may look to launch live dates for this later in 2027 but this isn't decided yet.
Is DipFA actually a step up from CeMAP, or a totally different qualification?
DipFA is broader. CeMAP qualifies you to advise on mortgages. DipFA qualifies you to advise on the full range of retail financial products — pensions, investments, protection, retirement planning.
What will the exam fees cost on top of the course?
Exam registration is paid directly to Walbrook Institute (the awarding body) separately from course fees. Fees listed below are accurate as of July 2026:
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Module 1 – Financial Services, Regulation & Ethics (FSRE): £310
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Module 2 – Taxation : £260
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Module 3 – Investment: £260
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Module 4 – Protection: £260
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Module 5 – Retirement Planning: £260
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Module 6 – Coursework: £200