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Specialist · Updated October 2026

CGSS Certification Exam (Certified Global Sanctions Specialist): free practice test

ACAMS' sanctions certification for screening, sanctions compliance and trade-control professionals. The exam blueprint has three domains: sanctions frameworks and governance (20%), building a sanctions compliance program (50%), and detecting and investigating sanctions evasion (30%).

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About the CGSS exam

ACAMS' sanctions certification for screening, sanctions compliance and trade-control professionals. The exam blueprint has three domains: sanctions frameworks and governance (20%), building a sanctions compliance program (50%), and detecting and investigating sanctions evasion (30%).

What's on the exam

CGSS
Sanctions Basics and Types
7 key facts
Major Sanctions Regimes: UN, US, EU and UK
7 key facts
Licenses, Exemptions and Authorizations
7 key facts
Building a Sanctions Compliance Program
7 key facts
Screening, Alerts and Reporting
7 key facts
Trade, Maritime and Export Control Risks
7 key facts
Detecting and Investigating Sanctions Evasion
7 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the CGSS exam

  • Half the exam is about running a sanctions program: screening, alert handling, escalation, reporting and testing. Spend half your time there.
  • Know the differences between the UN, US (OFAC), EU and UK (OFSI) regimes, especially ownership and control rules.
  • Sanctions compliance is strict liability in the US: a violation can be penalized even without intent. Expect questions on this.
  • 100 questions in 175 minutes is about 1 minute 45 seconds each. Don't get stuck on one scenario.

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Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the first study-notes topic, flashcards and the AML Red Flags Cheat Sheet.

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What's in the full CGSS prep

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Key study notes

Each topic boiled down to the 5 to 7 facts that get tested, with the standard or rule behind them.

Mind maps

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Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. Which body adopts sanctions that all UN member states are legally obliged to implement?
Answer: The UN Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII bind every member state. Countries then implement them through national law, such as EU regulations or US executive orders.
2. Under OFAC's 50 Percent Rule, which entity is blocked?
Answer: An entity owned 50% or more, in total, by one or more blocked persons. OFAC treats entities owned 50% or more, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, by blocked persons as blocked, even if they aren't named on the SDN List.
3. How does the EU ownership test differ from OFAC's 50 Percent Rule?
Answer: The EU test uses more than 50% ownership and also considers control. The EU treats entities as subject to an asset freeze when a listed person owns more than 50% or controls them. Control is assessed case by case, which OFAC's ownership rule does not do.
4. Which agency administers and enforces financial sanctions in the United Kingdom?
Answer: The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury. OFSI, within HM Treasury, implements and enforces UK financial sanctions. Trade sanctions are handled separately (OTSI and the Department for Business and Trade).
5. Sanctions that target specific industries, for example by restricting new debt or equity for certain energy or banking companies rather than blocking all their assets, are called:
Answer: Sectoral sanctions. Sectoral sanctions, such as OFAC's Sectoral Sanctions Identifications (SSI) List, restrict particular types of dealings with companies in a sector instead of a full asset freeze.
6. Secondary sanctions are best described as:
Answer: Measures that penalize non-US persons for dealing with sanctioned targets, even without a US nexus. Primary sanctions apply to US persons and US-nexus transactions. Secondary sanctions threaten foreign persons (for example, with loss of access to the US financial system) for significant dealings with sanctioned targets.
7. OFAC's Framework for Compliance Commitments describes five essential components of a sanctions compliance program. Which is one of them?
Answer: Management commitment. The five components are management commitment, risk assessment, internal controls, testing and auditing, and training.
8. A US bank blocks a wire transfer involving an SDN. Within how long must it report the blocked property to OFAC?
Answer: 10 business days. Under 31 CFR 501.603, blocked property must be reported within 10 business days. Holders also file an annual report of all blocked property held as of 30 June, due by 30 September.
9. A screening system flags a customer whose name partly matches a listed person. What should the analyst do first?
Answer: Compare other identifiers, such as date of birth, nationality and address, to decide whether it's a true match. Most alerts are false positives. Analysts compare secondary identifiers to clear or confirm the match, document the decision, and escalate potential true matches.
10. Screening that uses algorithms to catch names spelled differently, transliterated or with typos is called:
Answer: Fuzzy matching. Fuzzy logic catches near matches (for example Mohammed, Muhammad, Mohamed). Setting the match threshold balances missed hits against false positives.
11. Under US sanctions law, civil liability for a sanctions violation:
Answer: Is strict liability: it can apply even without knowledge or intent. OFAC can impose civil penalties on a strict liability basis. Knowledge and intent affect whether the case is treated as egregious and the size of the penalty.
12. A shipment's paperwork shows a final destination in a neighboring country, but the goods are later re-exported to a sanctioned country. This evasion technique is called:
Answer: Transshipment. Transshipment through third countries hides the real end user or destination. Red flags include unusual routes, destinations with no demand for the goods and freight forwarders as consignees.
13. A vessel switches off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder near a sanctioned country's waters, then reappears days later. Why is this a sanctions red flag?
Answer: AIS gaps may hide ship-to-ship transfers or calls at sanctioned ports. Going dark, spoofing AIS positions, ship-to-ship transfers and frequent flag or name changes are common maritime evasion methods highlighted in US and UK advisories.
14. A bank's payment message removes the name of a sanctioned bank so the transfer won't be stopped by screening at a correspondent. This practice is known as:
Answer: Stripping. Stripping (or wire stripping) deletes or changes information in payment messages to avoid detection. It led to some of the largest sanctions penalties against global banks.
15. A sanctioned person transfers their 60% stake in a company to a relative, but keeps directing the business. What is the main sanctions concern?
Answer: The transfer may be an evasion attempt, and the person may still control the company. Ownership restructuring to fall below 50% is a known evasion method. OFAC warns that such transfers may be ineffective, and the EU and UK also look at control, not just ownership.

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Certification guide

ACAMS eligibility credits: how to reach 40 or 60: Before you can sit CAMS, CGSS, CAFS or CCAS, ACAMS needs to see 40 eligibility credits plus an active membership. Advanced certifications need 60 credits or an active CAMS. Credits come from your education, your anti-financial crime work experience and training. Here's how to count them.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in October 2026. ACAMS changes formats and fees, so confirm with ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists) before you book. AMLExamPrep is not affiliated with ACAMS or Pearson VUE.

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