AFAR1 Mock Paper 1 — Accumulation Foundations
A gentle AFAR1 starter: State Pension basics, DB vs DC, auto-enrolment, personal pensions and tax relief. 20 standalone questions plus two case studies on a new employee and a first-time SIPP saver.
- Questions
- 30
- Minutes
- 45
- Pass (70%)
- 21/30
Sit it timed
The timer starts when you press the button. You can still finish after it runs out — it is there to mimic exam pressure, not to lock you out.
Free preview: the first 5 of 30 questions, with a timer to match. Unlock the full paper
Answer options are shuffled on every attempt. Your progress is saved as you go, so a refresh won't lose it.
About AFAR1 Mock Paper 1
This is mock paper 1 of 3 for AFAR1, the Retirement planning — Unit 1 unit of CeMAP. The 3 papers in this unit run easier → harder so you can build up to exam standard rather than being thrown in at the deep end. This one sits in the easier tier: the wording is clean and the wrong answers are less subtle than the ones the examiner writes, so it is the right place to find out what you actually know.
Every question carries a written explanation, so a wrong answer tells you which rule you have misread instead of just costing you a mark. Questions are original, written against the 2025/26 five-unit CeMAP syllabus, and cover the material the way the examiner tests it — precise recall where recall is tested, and judgement where the paper wants judgement.
Format, timing and pass mark
AFAR1 Mock Paper 1 follows the live AFAR1 format: 20 standalone questions + 2 case studies × 5 linked questions, in 45 minutes — about 90 seconds a question. Pass mark 21/30 (70%), as in the real assessment. There is no negative marking, so answer everything. 2 case studies carry linked questions: read each scenario once, carefully, before answering any part of it.
What this paper tests
The 30 questions in AFAR1 Mock Paper 1 break down across 10 topic areas:
- Auto-enrolment6 questions
- Tax relief5 questions
- Personal pensions & SIPPs4 questions
- State Pension4 questions
- LSA & LSDBA3 questions
- Annual allowance2 questions
- DB vs DC2 questions
- MPAA2 questions
- Carry forward1 question
- Tapered AA1 question
Try two questions from AFAR1 Mock Paper 1
These come from the free preview of this paper. Answer them, then reveal the explanation.
State Pension
For the 2026/27 tax year, what is the full weekly rate of the new State Pension (before any deferral enhancement)?
- A£203.85
- B£221.20
- C£268.50
- D£241.30
Reveal the answer
D is correct. The full new State Pension for 2026/27 is £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year). Older figures from earlier tax years are a common distractor — always use the current year's rate in an exam.
State Pension
To receive the full new State Pension, a person normally needs:
- A35 qualifying years on their National Insurance record
- B30 qualifying years on their National Insurance record
- C40 qualifying years on their National Insurance record
- DTo have been in paid employment for 35 consecutive years
Reveal the answer
A is correct. The full new State Pension requires 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits. Fewer years produce a proportionally reduced pension. The years need not be consecutive.
Scored under 70%? Revise these next
A near miss is almost always a calculation you cannot do under time pressure, a definition you half-know, or a rule you have never read in the examiner's words. Start with the topic areas above where you dropped marks, then:
- →Drill the calculations on the CeMAP formula sheet — LTV, income multiples, SDLT, APRC, ERCs and rental cover, each worked through.
- →Nail the terminology in the CeMAP glossary — a surprising share of wrong answers are a term you nearly knew.
- →Re-read the syllabus coverage on the AFAR1 exam guide, then sit the next paper in the ramp.
The other AFAR1 mock papers
3 timed mocks for this unit, running easier → harder. Sitting the whole ramp is what moves a borderline score to a comfortable pass.