Most CF6 revision materials cover the syllabus. What they often miss is the specific way the exam applies it — the precise calculation method tested, the exact figure used, the jurisdiction-specific rule that appears as a standalone question. After sitting the CF6 exam in May 2025, several things stood out as gaps between what standard study materials teach and what the real paper tests.
This article covers those gaps. If you are sitting CF6 in the coming months, these are the areas worth double-checking in your revision notes — not because they are obscure, but because the exam is more specific than most materials suggest.
1. ERC Calculations Appeared Multiple Times — and Both Methods Were Tested
Early repayment charge questions are a fixture of the CF6 exam, but what this sitting made clear is that the exam does not simply ask you to calculate one method — it presents both the percentage-of-balance method and the months'-interest method, and requires you to identify which is greater and therefore applicable.
Some practice sites present ERC questions with only one method. That is not how the real exam works. In the sitting reviewed here, candidates were given an outstanding balance, an interest rate, a number of months remaining on the fixed deal, and a percentage charge — and had to work through both calculations before selecting the correct answer.
| Method | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| % of outstanding balance | 2% × £180,000 | £3,600 |
| 3 months' interest at 4.5% | £180,000 × 4.5% ÷ 12 × 3 | £2,025 |
| ERC (greater of the two) | £3,600 | |
The trap option in the exam was typically either the months'-interest figure (the lower amount, which candidates who stopped after calculating only one method might select) or a percentage-of-balance using the wrong rate. Speed matters here — know the method cold before you walk in.
Revision note
Always calculate both ERC methods. The ERC is the greater of the two. Never assume one will be higher — in some questions the months'-interest figure exceeds the percentage figure, particularly when rates are high and the fixed period is long.
2. Self-Employed Affordability Uses a 3-Year Average Net Profit
This is one of the areas where revision materials most commonly contain errors. Several widely-used CF6 study guides state that lenders use a 2-year average of net profit for self-employed applicants. The exam does not use this figure. The standard tested in the CF6 exam is a 3-year average of net profit for sole traders, or 3 years of salary plus dividends for director-shareholders.
If your current revision notes say 2 years, update them now. The question in this sitting was unambiguous — it was a straightforward knowledge question asking which period is used for self-employed income assessment, and the correct answer was 3 years.
Some lenders in practice do use 2 years, and some accept the most recent year in certain circumstances. The CF6 exam is testing the standard lender approach — which is 3 years. This is consistent with the CII study text.
Key fact — self-employed income
Standard lender approach: 3-year average net profit for sole traders / partnerships. For director-shareholders with a significant stake (typically 25%+): 3 years of salary plus dividends. Using 2 years or the most recent year alone is a non-standard approach and is not what the CF6 exam tests.
3. Credit Card Affordability: 5% of the Outstanding Balance Per Month
A number of older CF6 practice question banks still use 3% of the outstanding credit card balance as the monthly affordability commitment. This figure is out of date. The current standard — and the figure tested in the 2025 exam — is 5% of the outstanding balance per month.
This matters in affordability calculation questions where you are given a borrower's income, a mortgage payment, and a list of other financial commitments including a credit card balance. If you apply 3% rather than 5%, your affordability assessment will be incorrect and you will select the wrong answer.
Before sitting CF6, check every practice resource you are using and confirm it uses 5%. This is not a minor technicality — it can be the difference between selecting the correct answer and the adjacent wrong one.
4. Planning Permission for Garden Fences — Tested Under Property Knowledge
This question caught a number of candidates off guard because it sits at the boundary of what most people think of as "mortgage exam material." There was a question in this sitting testing whether planning permission is required for garden fences — specifically whether a homeowner needs to apply for planning permission before erecting a fence.
The answer draws on permitted development rights. Under current planning regulations in England:
- Fences up to 2 metres in height at the rear of a property generally do not require planning permission under permitted development rights.
- Fences adjoining a highway (including the front garden boundary) are limited to 1 metre in height without permission.
- These rules do not apply in conservation areas or to listed buildings, where additional restrictions apply.
The CF6 exam tests this under LO3 (valuation and property factors) because surveyors and advisers need working knowledge of what constitutes a potential planning issue when assessing a property. It is the kind of question that rewards candidates who read widely rather than restricting their revision to mortgage products and regulation.
5. Valuation Types Were Well Represented — Know the Lender Trap
Valuation questions appeared throughout the exam, covering the differences between the three RICS levels of inspection: the basic mortgage valuation, the RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report and the RICS Level 3 Building Survey. Knowing when each is appropriate is necessary but not sufficient — the exam also tests the purpose of the basic valuation, and this is where many candidates make an error.
The basic mortgage valuation is carried out for the lender, not the borrower. Its purpose is to establish that the property is adequate security for the loan. It is not a survey, it does not reveal defects in detail, and the borrower should not rely on it when deciding whether to purchase. This point is explicitly tested and is a very common exam trap — candidates who understand what a valuation involves but are not clear on whose behalf it is carried out will select the wrong answer.
Common exam trap
The basic valuation is for the lender's benefit, not the buyer's. The buyer needs their own survey (Level 2 or Level 3) if they want to understand the condition of the property. This distinction is tested directly.
The RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report is appropriate for conventional properties in reasonable condition — a relatively modern, standard-construction house with no obvious defects. The RICS Level 3 Building Survey (formerly the full structural survey) is appropriate for older properties, non-standard construction, significant alterations, or properties where the buyer has concerns about condition. Knowing the trigger conditions for Level 3 over Level 2 is tested.
6. The Scottish House-Buying Process — Specifically Tested
A meaningful minority of CF6 questions specifically address the Scottish house-buying process, and candidates who have only revised the England and Wales process will find these questions difficult. Several questions in this sitting required knowledge of Scottish-specific terminology and procedure.
The key differences to know for CF6:
- Missives are the formal written offer and acceptance letters exchanged between solicitors. The process of agreeing missives replaces the exchange of contracts used in England and Wales.
- The contract becomes binding at the conclusion of missives — not at exchange (which is an England and Wales concept). Until missives are concluded, either party can withdraw without penalty.
- Offers in Scotland are typically conditional — the buyer's solicitor submits an offer subject to conditions (title, searches, etc.), and these conditions are addressed in subsequent letters (the "qualified acceptance" and ensuing correspondence) until all conditions are satisfied and the missives are concluded.
- In Scotland there is no equivalent of the English "gazumping" once missives are concluded — the contract is legally binding at that point.
- LBTT (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) applies in Scotland instead of SDLT. Know that separate rates apply.
The questions in this sitting were not searching for subtle nuance — they were testing whether candidates knew the basic structure (missives, conclusion of missives as the binding point) versus the England and Wales process (exchange of contracts). If you know this clearly, these questions are straightforward marks.
7. SDLT Calculations — Multiple Banded Questions Including First-Time Buyer Relief
SDLT calculation questions were among the most time-consuming in the exam. They require candidates to apply the banded structure correctly — working through each band in turn — and to know the different rules that apply to standard purchasers, first-time buyers and additional property purchasers.
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £250,000 | 0% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £425,000 | 0% |
| £425,001 – £625,000 | 5% |
| No first-time buyer relief where purchase price exceeds £625,000 — standard rates apply in full | |
The additional property surcharge adds 5 percentage points to each band. This means a second property purchased for £400,000 incurs 5% on the full amount (0% + 5% surcharge = 5% rate), not just 5% above the threshold.
In the exam, the most common errors in SDLT calculations are: applying first-time buyer relief to a purchase above £625,000 (no relief applies — revert to standard rates); forgetting to apply the surcharge to all bands (not just the top band) for additional properties; and mis-identifying the zero-rate band for standard versus first-time buyers.
Practise at least five or six full SDLT calculations before the exam, covering each of the three buyer categories. The arithmetic is not complicated, but the banding structure requires methodical working and is easy to rush under exam conditions.
Putting It Together
The CF6 exam is broader than many candidates expect. It rewards candidates who know the standard rules precisely — not approximately — and who are comfortable with the specific calculation methodologies rather than a general understanding of the concepts involved. The seven areas above are all drawn from a single 2025 sitting, but they reflect the exam's consistent focus on applied, specific knowledge rather than general familiarity.
The other consistent theme is jurisdiction. The Scottish process, LBTT versus SDLT, and the planning rules all require knowing which jurisdiction the question is asking about — do not assume all questions are set in England.
Practise what came up on the real paper
Path2Adviser CF6 mock questions are written to the same level of specificity as the real exam — both ERC calculation methods, 3-year self-employed income, current SDLT bands, Scottish missives and all 15 learning outcomes.
Start practising — from £17.99/monthInformation in this article reflects the authors' observations from a May 2025 CF6 sitting. Tax thresholds and regulatory rules are subject to change — always verify current figures before the exam. The CF6 pass mark is set by the CII following each sitting and is not fixed.