The CII J07 September 2025 Exam in Review

Here, we are looking at the J07 exam – Supervision in a regulated environment – that was sat in the last exam sitting, September 2025. 

This article is correct as at 20 November 2025.

You can find the exam guide here.*

Question 1

As is becoming the norm, the J07 exam began with questions about the role of the manager. This time, it was a straightforward question asking candidates to list the skills required to carry out the role of a senior manager in a large advisory firm.

Question 2

The second question focused on talent management programmes. The study text clearly outlined what a talent management programme is, as well as the activities that individuals participating in a talent management programme are likely to undertake. Examples of these activities were also provided hence candidates who had revised the details in this section of the study text would have scored highly.

Question 3

As always, the J07 exam included a question on leadership and/or behavioral models. This time, Herzberg’s hygiene and motivation factors were tested. The study text provided the acronym RAGWAR to help candidates remember the six motivators for job satisfaction, which appears to have been effective, as the examiner noted that candidates scored well on this question.

Question 4

As remote working becomes increasingly common, it was unsurprising that the question asking candidates to list the advantages and disadvantages of working remotely was answered well by most.

Question 5

Here we saw a short and reasonably straightforward question on the subject of ‘fit and proper’ persons. This is a key concept used by the FCA and was answered well by candidates.

Question 6

Employment status and rights have been tested in previous J07 exams, and we hope candidates were alert to this and had revised the topic thoroughly to secure the significant number of marks available for this question.

Question 7

Personal development is also an area of the syllabus frequently tested. The question asked for details of the number of hours of CPD required for financial advisers, which was answered very well by most candidates, but some struggled with the in-depth knowledge of the FCA guidelines on this subject.

Question 8

Here, the GROW coaching model was tested. We hope the acronym helped candidates identify Goal, Reality, Options, and Will as the four stages of the model. However, as is often the case with J07, it is important not only to list points but also to explain them or provide examples. While candidates were generally able to list the stages of the model, it appears that some struggled to describe the detail behind certain stages.

Question 9

This question covered two key areas of the advice process. The second part was generally well answered, with most candidates able to outline the four key stages of the financial advice process. However, the first part required knowledge of the mandatory requirements under the FCA’s COBS rules, and many candidates confused this with the advice process itself. Those who recognised the distinction and referred to areas such as disclosure, know your customer, and cancellation rights scored well.

Question 10

Next, the supervisory process was tested. This question focused on observing customer appointments and the steps required to make those observations effective. Examiner feedback indicated that this question was not answered particularly well, with many candidates missing marks in both parts of the question. It appears that, although the topic was generally understood, a number of key points were simply overlooked in candidates’ responses.

Question 11

The topic of the competency-based approach to staff development was examined, requiring candidates to explain the purpose of adopting this approach and to outline the three stages of a competency-based approach that a manager would typically complete. This was a detailed question on a less well-known area of the syllabus, highlighting the importance of studying all sections of the study text thoroughly.

Question 12

The appraisal process was tested in this question, focusing on the benefits for the individual. This question also asked about the benefits of performance management for a business. We hope that candidates were able to draw on both their own experiences and their revision to answer the question in detail.

Question 13

This question tested knowledge of balanced scorecards and exception reports which have been tested before in J07, so this continues to be a key part of the syllabus. Balanced scorecard refers to a method firms are using to measure both individual and corporate performance and using exception reports is a system that cuts data volume by focusing only on data that falls outside of acceptable standards.

Question 14

This question focused on unfair dismissal, requiring candidates to list six examples of what would be classed as automatically unfair dismissal, and to state two steps Louis could take to challenge his dismissal. It was pleasing to see that many candidates answered this question well, particularly as this is an area that few are likely to have direct experience of in the workplace.

Question 15

The last question examined the candidate’s knowledge of the Equality Act 2010. In reference to the types of discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 has been tested previously and future candidates should ensure they understand, not just the types of discrimination detailed within the Act, but also how it protects individuals from unfair treatment on the basis of protected characteristics such as age, disability etc.

Overall, the exam was typical of J07. While there was limited need for application of knowledge, a broad cross-section of the study text was tested, and candidates needed to recall information from across the syllabus to achieve a pass.

Comparison with the February 2025 Exam Paper

Let’s look at what was tested in the previous exam, held in February 2025, which can be found here.*

The topics covered were:

• Certification Regime and competent employees
• Responsibility map and conduct rules for senior managers
• Myers-Briggs Indicator model
• Four organisational barriers to change.
• Key features of active listening.
• Employment contracts and statement of employment particulars.
• Competency-based interviewing.
• Kolb’s learning cycle
• Counselling sessions
• Observation aids
• FCA Consumer Duty cross-cutting rules
• Management information
• BS 8453 (British standard for managing compliance and risk management)
• Management intervention for underperformance
• Disciplinary process set out in the ACAS Code of Practice

J07 questions are drawn from across the entire study text, and this breadth can make revision challenging. Many candidates struggle not because the content itself is difficult, but because of the volume of information that must be recalled in the exam. While it is observed that the same subjects do not usually appear in consecutive exams, relying on this pattern to exclude parts of the study text for revision is a higher-risk strategy. Nonetheless, understanding such trends may help candidates prioritise their revision if they are struggling to retain the large quantity of information.

Using proven memory techniques can also help make revision more effective. Please refer to this article for more details.

Grab the resources you need!

Studying for the CII J07 exam? Download our free mock paper taster to experience the style and quality of Brand Financial Training’s resources – and see how effective practice can boost your confidence for exam day.

* The CII has updated their retention policy and now only provides the last two exam papers. Older papers referenced in this article may no longer be available on the CII website.