The AMF certified examination requires a minimum rate of 80% correct answers for both financial literacy questions and essential knowledge questions. These two categories are not interchangeable.

MiFID II establishes a fundamental distinction between persons providing investment advice, who are subject to a higher level of requirements, and those limited to providing information on financial instruments. The former must verify the ability to understand the characteristics, risks, and costs of the products offered, to assess the suitability between a product and a client's profile according to suitability requirements, to analyze the impact of economic data on investments, to differentiate past performance from expected future returns, and to master the fundamental principles of portfolio management.

The AMF certified examination, administered by authorized organizations, consists of 120 multiple-choice questions. Passing this examination grants permanent and transferable validation from one employer to another, meaning the certificate is recognized regardless of the employer.

ESMA guidelines consider that a minimum experience of six months full-time equivalent is necessary for providing advice or information on financial instruments. Supervision may be extended up to a maximum of four years.

Internal verification is an alternative reserved for institutions that have formalized and auditable procedures. It is not available to all institutions without such procedures.

The minimum knowledge verification program defined by the AMF identifies twelve themes that must be assessed. These themes cover various aspects such as the institutional and regulatory framework, ethics, compliance, financial security, and many others.

The AMF certified examination is administered by approximately fifteen authorized organizations. These organizations are responsible for implementing the examination, which consists of 120 multiple-choice questions.

The French, European, and international institutional and regulatory framework constitutes one area of assessment. Ethics forms another theme covering rules of good conduct and management of conflicts of interest.