IIBF AML/KYC Syllabus: All 4 Topic Areas
Two named parts on the exam paper, but four real topic areas underneath. Here's the full breakdown.
IIBF's own syllabus document names exactly two topics for this exam: Anti-Money Laundering, and Know Your Customer. That's the official scope, in two headings.
This page groups the concepts a working compliance officer actually needs under those two headings, plus two more, Regulatory Framework and Practical Compliance, that PrepClever compiled rather than IIBF. Together they cover 21 topic areas across 4 groups, the fullest breakdown of this syllabus published anywhere.
This is a single, standalone certificate exam, not the AML/KYC chapter that sits inside JAIIB or CAIIB. For the full disambiguation between the two, see AML and KYC Concepts Explained.
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At a Glance: Questions, Marks & Duration
One undivided paper. No topic-wise split of questions or marks is published by IIBF.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Questions | 120 MCQs |
| Marks | 100 |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Paper structure | One undivided paper, both AML and KYC together |
Two Official Topics, IIBF's Own Words
IIBF's Rules & Syllabus PDF lists the syllabus under exactly two headings: "(i) Anti Money Laundering" and "(ii) Know Your Customer - Introduction and overview." Everything below expands on those two headings, and adds two further groups PrepClever compiled beyond them.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML): 7 Topic Areas
IIBF's first named heading, expanded into 7 topic areas:
- check_circleIntroduction to money laundering and its stages: placement, layering, integration
- check_circleThe Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and its key provisions
- check_circleFATF (Financial Action Task Force) recommendations and international standards
- check_circleRole and reporting obligations to FIU-IND (Financial Intelligence Unit India)
- check_circleSuspicious Transaction Reports (STR) and Cash Transaction Reports (CTR)
- check_circleFinancing of terrorism and its treatment alongside money laundering
- check_circleInternal AML policies, staff training and record-keeping obligations at banks
Know Your Customer (KYC): 6 Topic Areas
IIBF's second named heading, expanded into 6 topic areas:
- check_circleCustomer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
- check_circleCustomer identification procedure and acceptable documents (officially valid documents)
- check_circleRisk categorisation of customers: low, medium, high risk
- check_circlePolitically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and enhanced scrutiny
- check_circlePeriodic updation of KYC and ongoing customer monitoring
- check_circleSimplified KYC norms for specific customer categories
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Beyond IIBF's Syllabus Text: What Else This Exam Can Cover
The two groups below, Regulatory Framework and Practical Compliance, are PrepClever's own grouping. They are not IIBF's category names. We compiled them because IIBF's own Rules & Syllabus document states that questions may be asked on current developments, even where those topics may not have been specifically included in the syllabus, and because RBI's KYC Master Direction, the actual regulation IIBF's KYC topic is built on, has moved on since the syllabus document's underlying text was last substantively written. Treat these two groups as our coverage, not as IIBF's own syllabus headings.
Regulatory Framework (Our Coverage, Beyond the Named Syllabus): 4 Topic Areas
Not an IIBF syllabus heading; PrepClever's own compilation:
- check_circleRBI's Master Direction on KYC
- check_circlePMLA rules and reporting obligations
- check_circleCentral KYC Records Registry (CKYCR)
- check_circleVideo-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP)
Practical Compliance (Our Coverage, Beyond the Named Syllabus): 4 Topic Areas
Not an IIBF syllabus heading; PrepClever's own compilation:
- check_circleTransaction monitoring and red flags
- check_circleRecord retention requirements
- check_circleCorrespondent banking due diligence
- check_circlePenalties for non-compliance
Syllabus Reflects IIBF's Currently Published Scheme
Topic weightage and coverage can shift between exam cycles without much notice, and IIBF reserves the right to vary the syllabus at any time, by its own stated policy. Confirm the current scheme directly with IIBF before relying on any single topic's presence or absence.
A Few Terms Worth Knowing Before You Start
Short definitions to orient you before the full syllabus. For the deeper version of these concepts, see AML and KYC Concepts Explained.
- PMLA
- The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, India's core anti-money-laundering law and the legal basis for STR/CTR reporting.
- FATF
- Financial Action Task Force, the global body that sets international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
- CDD / EDD
- Customer Due Diligence and Enhanced Due Diligence, the standard and heightened checks banks run on a customer's identity and risk profile.
- STR
- Suspicious Transaction Report, filed by a bank with FIU-IND when a transaction looks like it may involve money laundering.
- CTR
- Cash Transaction Report, filed for cash transactions above a prescribed threshold, regardless of suspicion.
- CKYCR
- Central KYC Records Registry, the centralised repository that lets a customer's KYC record be reused across institutions.
- V-CIP
- Video-based Customer Identification Process, a video-call method of completing KYC remotely without an in-person visit.
Common Questions
What does the AML/KYC syllabus officially cover?expand_more
IIBF's own Rules & Syllabus document names exactly two topics: "(i) Anti Money Laundering" and "(ii) Know Your Customer - Introduction and overview." This page expands both into topic areas, and adds two further groups PrepClever compiled beyond them.
Is this the same as the KYC/AML chapter in JAIIB?expand_more
No. This is a separate, standalone certificate exam. JAIIB has its own AML/KYC-related chapter inside a different paper, with its own syllabus, fee and pattern. Don't mix the two up when you're checking dates, fees or eligibility.
Why does this page list more than two topic areas if IIBF only names two?expand_more
IIBF's own document says questions may be asked on current developments even where those topics may not have been specifically included in the syllabus, and the regulation behind KYC has moved since the syllabus text was last substantively written. We grouped that additional ground into two labelled sections, Regulatory Framework and Practical Compliance, and say clearly that they are our own compilation, not IIBF's category names.
How many topic areas are there?expand_more
21, across 4 groups: AML (7), KYC (6), Regulatory Framework (4) and Practical Compliance (4).
Where can I get the official syllabus PDF?expand_more
IIBF publishes it as the Rules & Syllabus PDF for this certificate exam, available on IIBF's own website.
Does the syllabus change often?expand_more
IIBF can revise topic weightage or coverage between cycles without much notice, and reserves the right to vary the syllabus at any time. If a specific topic's presence matters to your prep, confirm the current scheme directly with IIBF.
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