Focus on the CII R06 Fact-Finding Questions
You can almost always count on seeing a fact-finding question in the CII R06 exam. In this article, we highlight the common subject areas and key information you’ll need to secure some quick-win marks.
This article is correct as at 4 July 2025.
Fact-finding questions usually appear at the start of one of the case study sections and often take the form:
“Identify the additional information an adviser would require in order to advise the client on their…”
The topic is often broad such as retirement planning or long-term goals but may occasionally focus on something more specific, like a Whole of Life policy or defined benefit scheme. These more targeted questions typically appear as a second fact-finding question in the exam.
The purpose of fact-finding is to test your understanding of the information required to give suitable advice. These questions are generally straightforward, and most candidates perform well. When reviewing the case studies, pause and ask yourself:
“If these were my clients, what else would I need to know?”
Any information already included in the case study won’t earn marks if repeated but, the good news is, there is no negative marking so you won’t lose marks either.
Fact-finding questions are often worth 10 marks or more, making them a great opportunity to pick up easy marks if you’re well prepared.
Generic Information
Typical information you would need to know about your client would include:
- Missing personal information – health status/family/dependants.
- Details of existing savings and investments – current values/charges/performance/fund choices/interest rates on cash deposits.
- Use of tax allowances – CGT/ISA/history of pension contributions/ CGT losses carried forward.
- Future capital amounts – any inheritances due/downsizing (for older clients).
- Risk – ATR/CFL.
- Income – Income/expenditure/emergency fund required.
- Liabilities/debts.
- Objectives/priorities/timescales.
- Wills/powers of attorney (for older clients)/nomination forms.
If any of this data is missing, you are likely to need to know it.
In certain client scenarios, you will need to be more specific in your answers. For example, if you know one of the clients has a long-term illness, you would perhaps need to ask about life expectancy/prognosis/state benefits/care requirements.
Subject-Specific Information
Advising on investments
Other relevant missing information could include:
- Willingness to transfer assets to a spouse/civil partner.
- Base cost of investments/any withdrawals (typically if they have shares, an OEIC or UT).
- Ethical preferences.
- Plans for gifting to children/grandchildren.
- Investment experience/knowledge.
Advising on protection
Other relevant missing information could include:
- Full details of family health/smoking/hazardous pursuits.
- Employer sick pay entitlement.
- Current premium/cost to replace.
- Critical illness included?
- Sum assured/term.
- Guaranteed or reviewable premiums/loading.
- Use of trusts.
- Smoker status.
Advising on pensions
Other relevant missing information could include:
- Planned retirement age.
- Lump sums needed/target income.
- Views on flexible/guaranteed income/inflation protection needs.
- BR19/State pension forecast.
- Contribution history/carry forward.
- Enhanced annuity rates (if one of the clients is in ill health).
- For DB schemes – PPF status/scheme retirement age/PCLS availability/accrual rate/dependants benefits/CETV.
- For DC shemes – fund choice/performance/charges/salary sacrifice available.
These are not exhaustive lists, and some of these points may be relevant to more than one subject. For example, a client’s ethical preferences are likely to apply to their pension planning as well as investments.
For further revision in this area, we would suggest you look at as many past CII exam guides and our past analyses for more exam technique practice on fact-finding-style questions.
Grab the resources you need!
If you’re studying for your CII R06 exam, and you’re wanting to feel more confident on exam day, grab our free taster analysis to try out one of Brand Financial Training’s resources for yourself. Click the link to download the R06 case study analysis taster now!
