CII R0 Diploma · R06
CII R06 Exam Guide — Financial Planning Practice (2025/26)
R06 is the capstone of the CII R0 Diploma — a 3-hour written paper based on two client case studies released 14 days before the exam. Unlike R01–R05, success in R06 depends on structure, application and time management, not memorisation. The CII rewards concise bullet-point answers that directly address the client's objectives, supported by clear justification. You cannot pass R06 without practising under timed written conditions.
Format
Written case-study exam — two case studies released 2 weeks before the sitting
Duration
3 hours
Pass mark
55% (CII discretionary)
Study hours
60–80 hours of case-study work
R06 syllabus breakdown
| Syllabus area | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fact-find analysis | foundational | Identifying client objectives, attitudes to risk and shortfalls. |
| Tax planning application | core | Income tax, CGT, IHT planning across the case-study clients. |
| Pension planning application | core | AA, LSA, drawdown and death benefit nominations in context. |
| Investment recommendations | core | Asset allocation, wrappers, risk profiling and suitability. |
| Protection planning | core | Cover gaps, life, CIC, IP and trust arrangements. |
| Written answer technique | critical | Bullet points, justification, time-per-mark allocation. |
Recommended R06 study plan
- 1
Week 1–4
Refresh R01–R05 content. Practise past CII case studies under timed conditions.
- 2
Week 5–6
Build a personal "answer template library" for common question stems (factors, advantages, recommendations).
- 3
Pre-release
Cover R02–R05 weak areas. Practise full 3-hour past papers.
- 4
14 days before
Case studies released. Build a fact-find map for each client and a list of likely questions.
- 5
7 days before
Write timed practice answers for every plausible question. Review against examiner reports.
- 6
Final 48 hrs
Refine answer plans. Confirm tax/pension figures. Rest the day before.
R06 exam tips
- Use bullet points — never write in long paragraphs. The CII marks against bullet-style markschemes.
- Allocate exactly 1.2 minutes per mark. A 25-mark question = 30 minutes, no more.
- Always link your answer back to the client's stated objective.
- Justify every recommendation — an unjustified bullet scores zero.
Common R06 mistakes
- Writing essays instead of bullet points — examiners will not award marks for prose.
- Repeating the question instead of answering it.
- Generic advice that is not tied to the specific client in the case study.
- Running out of time on the second case study because of poor pacing on the first.
Key topics covered in R06
Related R06 topics across the R0 syllabus
CII R0 modules overlap heavily. Use these cross-links to follow a topic from one paper into the next — exactly how the CII tests them in practice.
Tax planning toolkit (R03)
Refresh income tax, CGT and IHT calculations — they appear in every R06 case study.
Pension and LSA planning (R04)
R06 always tests R04 pension contributions, drawdown and death-benefit choices.
Investment suitability (R02)
Use R02 risk-profiling and asset-allocation logic to justify R06 investment recommendations.
Protection shortfalls (R05)
Most R06 fact-finds contain protection gaps that require R05-style cover recommendations.
Ethics and Consumer Duty (R01)
R06 markschemes reward answers that explicitly address suitability and fair value.
R06 exam FAQs
When are R06 case studies released?
The CII releases the two R06 case-study fact-finds exactly 14 days before the exam sitting. You should plan your final two weeks around them.
What is the pass mark for R06?
R06 has a discretionary pass mark set by the CII for each sitting, typically around 55%. The CII also publishes a detailed examiner report after every sitting.
Can I take R06 before R01–R05?
No — R06 is a synoptic paper. The CII strongly recommends sitting it last because it tests the application of all R01–R05 content.