The SOFQ exam is the official International Capital Market Association (ICMA) exam behind the Securities Operations Foundation Qualification certification, validating the skills measured by the ICMA Securities Operations Foundation Qualification (SOFQ) credential. It sits at the Foundation / Entry-level level of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) certification program.

The SOFQ exam contains 50 questions to be completed within 120 minutes. Before exam day, divide the available time by the question count to work out a comfortable per-question pace, and mark any item that eats into it so you can return later instead of getting stuck. Timed sessions in the Lead2PassExam test engines make that pacing automatic — run at least two full-length mock exams under the clock so time pressure never becomes the reason you drop points.

The passing score for the SOFQ exam is 60% (30/50), and the official registration fee is GBP 995 (ICMA members), GBP 1,400 (non-members) + VAT. Retakes are not discounted — every new attempt means paying the full fee again — so it pays to measure yourself before you book. Work through the 50 practice questions on Lead2PassExam, sit a timed practice test, and schedule your exam only when your scores are consistently comfortable. That simple habit is the cheapest exam strategy there is.

No formal prerequisites; suitable for those entering securities operations Requirements can change when International Capital Market Association (ICMA) revises its certification program, so confirm the current eligibility rules on the official exam page before you register.

You can book the ICMA Securities Operations Foundation Qualification (SOFQ) exam through the official registration channels below:

• ICMA SOFQ Registration

International Capital Market Association (ICMA) recommends the following training resources for the ICMA Securities Operations Foundation Qualification (SOFQ) exam:

• Official SOFQ Online Course & Study Materials

Official courses build the foundation; the 50 practice questions from Lead2PassExam then show you how that knowledge is examined, so the two work best together.

Yes. Lead2PassExam provides a free SOFQ PDF demo so you can review the question style and answer quality before purchasing. Every purchase also includes 365 days of free updates — if ICMA revises the exam during that period, the updated material reaches you at no cost. Once the free-update year ends, you can extend your update service at a 50% discount.

Every ICMA Securities Operations Foundation Qualification (SOFQ) purchase on Lead2PassExam is covered by a 100% money-back guarantee with clear conditions: if you take the corresponding exam within 60 days of your purchase and do not pass, you can claim a full refund by submitting a scanned copy of your exam enrollment slip and your official score report as a PDF within two days of the exam date; claims are processed within seven days of submission. The guarantee does not apply to exams taken within three days of purchase, to material that was downloaded but never used in an exam attempt, or to free products and expired orders, and the candidate name must match the payer name. If you would rather not take a refund, you can instead exchange your purchase for two free exam preparation products of equal value and keep the update service on your original product.

Delivery is instant: your download is sent to your email within one minute of payment, with no limit on how many computers you may install the material on. If nothing arrives within two hours, check your spam folder and contact customer service for help.

The ICMA Securities Operations Foundation Qualification (SOFQ) exam blueprint is organized into 6 domains. The first three are:

• Introduction to International Securities — 15% of the exam
• Clearing & Settlement — 25% of the exam
• Regulatory & Operational Risk — 10% of the exam

For the complete domain-by-domain breakdown, scroll up to the full exam topics outline above and use it to plan how you distribute your study time.