How to Get CAS After CeMAP — What to Expect and How Long It Takes
CAS (Competent Adviser Status) is the milestone between passing your qualification and advising independently. Here is exactly what it involves, how long it takes, and how to move through it faster.
Most CeMAP guides stop at “pass your exam, find a job” and skip the part everyone actually asks us about: the gap between qualified and advising independently. In our experience, CAS is where more people stall than at any other stage — not because it is difficult, but because nobody explains what it involves or how to move through it quickly.
The short answer
To get CAS after CeMAP, you join an authorised firm as a trainee, shadow cases, build your own under supervision, and have 5–8 cases reviewed and signed off by your compliance team. Once your firm is satisfied you can advise without oversight, they grant you CAS. The timeline is typically 3–12 months.
What is CAS and why do you need it?
Competent Adviser Status (CAS) is a firm’s internal confirmation that an adviser has demonstrated the knowledge and advice quality needed to operate without supervision. It is not a qualification, it is not issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and it is not transferable between firms. Your employer grants it — and they can revoke it too.
You need CAS because the FCA’s Training and Competence (T&C) sourcebook requires authorised firms to ensure all advisers are competent before they give unsupervised advice. Without CAS you can observe, assist, and shadow — but you cannot give regulated mortgage advice in your own name or be responsible for a client’s mortgage decision. That changes the moment your firm grants CAS.
CeMAP gives you the underpinning knowledge; CAS confirms you can apply it reliably under supervision. You need both — and they come in that order.
How CAS works under FCA rules
The FCA’s Training and Competence sourcebook (TC) requires authorised firms to ensure advisers are competent before they give unsupervised advice — but it does not specify a minimum number of cases or a fixed timeline. Firms set their own standards and must be able to defend them if the FCA asks.
This means two firms can have very different CAS thresholds and both be fully compliant. A busy DA brokerage might sign off on CAS after 5 solid cases; a large network might require 10 with additional compliance assessments in between. The upside is flexibility; the downside is that there is no universal checklist — you have to understand your employer’s specific standard and work towards it deliberately.
Which employer type gets you to CAS faster?
This is the question we get most often from newly qualified advisers. The structure of your firm affects how quickly you get client exposure — and exposure is everything for CAS.
| Employer type | How CAS typically works | Speed to CAS | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directly Authorised (DA) brokerage | Internal T&C process. Cases reviewed by in-house compliance or senior adviser. Firm sets its own threshold. | Faster — 3–6 months at a busy DA firm | Advisers who want quick volume and direct mentorship |
| Network Appointed Representative (AR) | Network sets the CAS criteria and reviews cases centrally. More standardised process, more documentation required. | Moderate — typically 4–9 months | Advisers who want to be self-employed from the start |
| Bank or building society | Large structured training academies. Formal competency assessments. Higher case volumes available. | Variable — can be 3–12 months depending on product type and volume | Advisers who want a salaried environment with guaranteed client flow |
| Estate agent referral model | Often an AR of a larger network. Case volumes depend entirely on property sales pipeline. | Slower — case flow is unpredictable; 6–12 months common | Advisers who want local flexibility |
In our experience, advisers who achieve CAS fastest are those in busy DA brokerages where they are given real client files from week one. If your priority is getting to CAS quickly, prioritise case volume over brand name when choosing your first employer.
The 5 steps to achieving CAS
Here is the practical path from CeMAP to CAS, based on what we see across thousands of students.
Find a role that explicitly supports T&C-supervised progression. Ask in interviews how many advisers they have taken through CAS and how long it typically takes — the answer tells you everything about their commitment to trainee development.
Most firms require a period of observation before you handle cases yourself. Use this time actively — attend every client meeting you can, read every file, and ask your mentor to explain their recommendations.
Start advising on real cases under your supervisor’s oversight. Every case needs a complete advice record: fact-find, research, recommendation with rationale, and compliant documentation. Quality matters here far more than speed.
Your compliance team or senior adviser reviews each case. They are checking: Was the advice suitable? Is the documentation watertight? Does the recommendation hold up under scrutiny? Expect some cases to be returned for corrections — this is normal and expected.
Once your case portfolio meets the firm’s threshold, many firms carry out a final competency assessment — sometimes a file review, sometimes a structured interview, sometimes both. Pass this, and your CAS is granted in writing. Keep a copy. It is evidence of your professional development.
How many cases do you need for CAS?
There is no fixed industry minimum. The most common threshold we see is 5–8 reviewed and approved cases in both mortgages and protection. Some DA firms sign off on fewer if case quality is consistently high; large networks often require more with additional compliance assessments.
A case passes review if the advice is suitable, the documentation is complete and compliant, and the recommendation can be defended. A case does not need to result in a completed mortgage application — sometimes the right advice is “do nothing for now” and that, well-documented, counts too.
On your first week, have a direct conversation with your supervisor: “What does the path to CAS look like here, how many cases do I need, and what is the process for getting them reviewed?” Firms that have a clear, structured answer are the ones that will actually support your progression. Vague answers at this stage predict slow progression later.
CeMAP is the standard mortgage adviser qualification.
Before you get to CAS, you need to pass CeMAP. Our structured course has helped thousands of students qualify — and go on to successful advising careers.
How long does the CAS period take?
The honest answer is: 3 months at a minimum, up to 12 months for most newly qualified advisers, and sometimes longer. The biggest driver is how quickly your employer gives you real client exposure — not how long you have been employed.
We see advisers achieve CAS in as little as 3–4 months at busy DA brokerages where they are handed live cases within weeks of joining. At the other end, advisers in quieter environments often spend 9–12 months waiting for enough cases to complete their portfolio. The difference is almost always the employer, not the adviser.
Getting CAS is not about how hard you study. It is about finding a firm that has client volume, a structured training path, and a supervisor who is actually invested in your progression. Jay Lee, uAcademy
If you are approaching 6 months into a trainee role without a case portfolio started, address this directly with your supervisor. At uAcademy, we find that advisers who advocate for themselves clearly and early almost always resolve this faster than those who wait for the situation to improve on its own.
What if you can’t get CAS quickly?
This is more common than people admit. The most frequent cause is not having enough client-facing time — either the firm does not have enough volume, or supervisors are too busy to review cases promptly. If you are stuck, you have three practical options:
- Have the conversation directly. Tell your supervisor explicitly that you need a CAS timeline and ask what is blocking it. Many trainee advisers assume this is implied — it rarely is. A direct conversation often unblocks things within weeks.
- Move employer. There is no shame in recognising that your current firm cannot support your CAS progression. The mortgage market is competitive; firms that actively support trainee development are actively recruiting.
- Join a network training academy. Some networks offer structured CAS programmes where you work as an AR under a dedicated mentor, with the explicit goal of achieving CAS within 6 months. These are designed specifically for newly qualified advisers who want a supported route to independence.
We see advisers spend 18 months in a role without achieving CAS because they assumed the situation would improve. It rarely does without action. If your firm is not giving you case exposure after 4–6 months, that is the signal to act — not to wait another 4–6 months.
What changes when you get CAS?
Quite a lot. You move from “supervised practice” to “independent adviser” in your firm’s T&C records, can give regulated mortgage advice in your own name, and most firms increase your remuneration — either a higher salary, a higher commission split, or both.
CAS also opens the door to working as an Appointed Representative under a network in your own right. This is the route most self-employed mortgage advisers follow: build your case history, get CAS, then set up your own AR arrangement and start building your own client book.
Salary progression follows CAS closely. In our experience: trainee advisers start on £18,000–£25,000; once CAS is achieved, employed advisers typically move to £28,000–£38,000; those who go self-employed after CAS can reach £45,000–£65,000+ within two to three years if they work their pipeline actively.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need CAS to give mortgage advice?
Yes. Under the FCA’s Training and Competence rules, you must be assessed as competent before advising clients without supervision. In practice, firms use CAS as the internal designation that confirms you have met their competence standard. Without it, you can observe, assist, and shadow — but you cannot give regulated mortgage advice in your own name.
How many cases do I need to achieve CAS?
Most firms require 5–8 reviewed and approved cases in both mortgages and protection, though there is no industry-wide minimum. Some smaller DA firms sign off on fewer; larger networks may require more. What matters is that each case meets the firm’s quality standard — good advice record, compliant documentation, and a robust recommendation you can defend.
How long does the CAS period typically take?
Typically 3–12 months. Advisers with high case volume at a busy brokerage may achieve CAS in 3–4 months. Those in quieter environments, or those starting with no related experience, often take 6–12 months. The key driver is how quickly you are given real client exposure — not how long you have worked in the firm.
Can I get CAS as a self-employed adviser?
Not independently — you need to be supervised by an authorised firm to build your CAS cases. The most common route for self-employed advisers is to join a network as an Appointed Representative (AR) under a mentor programme. Some networks offer structured CAS programmes specifically for newly qualified advisers who want to be self-employed from day one.
What happens if my employer won’t give me client exposure for CAS?
This is the most common CAS bottleneck we see. If your firm is not giving you client-facing time, you have two practical options: have a direct conversation with your supervisor about your CAS timeline and what is blocking it, or move to a firm that actively supports trainee advisers. Some advisers spend 18 months in a firm without progressing because they did not advocate for themselves early enough.
Is CAS the same as FCA authorisation?
No — these are different things. FCA authorisation applies to the firm, not to individual advisers. CAS is an internal firm designation that confirms an individual adviser has met their employer’s competence threshold under the FCA’s Training and Competence sourcebook. You can achieve CAS and still be working under a firm’s FCA permission (as an AR). Full FCA direct authorisation as an individual requires setting up your own firm.
Jay Lee
Jay is the founder of uAcademy and a CeMAP-qualified mortgage professional with over 10 years of industry experience.
He writes about mortgage career paths, exam preparation, and the financial services industry from a practitioner’s perspective.
Ready to take the first step?
CeMAP is the qualification that opens the door to a mortgage career. Join thousands of students who have qualified with uAcademy and gone on to achieve CAS.
uAcademy provides CeMAP training materials and mock exams. The CeMAP qualification is awarded by The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), part of Walbrook Institute London. To sit official exams, students must register separately with LIBF and pay the associated registration fee.
Last Updated: April 2026
