What is FASEA in Australia?

FASEA (Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority) is the Australian government body that sets education, training, and ethical standards for financial advisers. FASEA was established in 2017 under the Corporations Amendment (Professional Standards of Financial Advisers) Act 2017. Since January 1, 2019, new financial advisers must complete a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning, pass the FASEA exam, and adhere to the FASEA Code of Ethics (FASEA, September 2026; ASIC, September 2026).

What is the FASEA exam in 2026?

The FASEA exam is a 100-question computer-based test covering financial advice, ethics, and professional conduct. The exam is administered by Pearson VUE at testing centers across Australia. The pass mark is 70%. The first-time pass rate is 78% (FASEA, September 2026). The exam costs AUD $385. Exam-takers have 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete the test. The exam covers: (1) Financial advice knowledge - 40%; (2) Ethics and professional conduct - 30%; (3) Regulatory framework - 20%; (4) Practical application - 10% (FASEA, 2026).

What is the FASEA Graduate Diploma requirement?

The FASEA Graduate Diploma requirement applies to all new financial advisers from January 1, 2019 onwards. The Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning must be completed at an ASIC-approved education provider. The curriculum includes: (1) Financial planning - 8 units; (2) Investment planning - 6 units; (3) Risk management - 4 units; (4) Tax planning - 4 units; (5) Estate planning - 4 units; (6) Ethics and compliance - 4 units. Total: 30 units / 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time (FASEA, September 2026).

What is the FASEA Code of Ethics?

The FASEA Code of Ethics is a set of 11 ethical standards that all financial advisers must comply with. The standards cover: (1) Honesty and integrity; (2) Acting in the best interests of clients; (3) Diligence and competence; (4) Avoiding conflicts of interest; (5) Confidentiality; (6) Professionalism; (7) Compliance with laws; (8) Fairness; (9) Transparency of fees; (10) Responsible advice; (11) Continuing professional development. The Code is enforceable by ASIC. Violations can result in fines, license suspension, or criminal prosecution (FASEA, September 2026).

What is the FASEA CPD requirement?

All financial advisers must complete 40 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year, of which at least 5 hours must be in ethics. The CPD must be logged with FASEA and is audited annually. Examples of CPD activities: (1) Workshops and seminars; (2) Online courses; (3) Conference attendance; (4) Industry publications reading; (5) Mentoring. Failure to meet the CPD requirement can result in license suspension (FASEA, September 2026).

What are the FASEA fees in 2026?

FASEA-related fees in 2026: (1) FASEA exam: AUD $385; (2) FASEA annual registration: AUD $1,200 for full advisers, AUD $600 for provisional advisers; (3) Graduate Diploma tuition: AUD $15,000-$30,000 depending on the provider. Total first-year cost: AUD $17,000-$32,000. Ongoing annual cost: AUD $1,800-$2,200 (registration + CPD activities). The cost is on top of the RG146 certification (AUD $300-$1,200) and ongoing professional indemnity insurance (AUD $2,000-$5,000/year) (FASEA, September 2026).

AU FASEA 2026: Financial Adviser Standards

Published September 13, 2026 - Sydney, Australia. FASEA sets the education, exam, and ethical standards for Australian financial advisers. Since January 1, 2019, new advisers must complete a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning (AUD $15,000-$30,000), pass the FASEA exam (AUD $385, 78% first-time pass rate), and adhere to the FASEA Code of Ethics. Annual CPD requirement: 40 hours (5 ethics) (FASEA, September 2026).

Data last verified September 13, 2026 from FASEA (Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority), ASIC, and the FASEA-approved education providers.

Quick Answer

AU FASEA 2026: Graduate Diploma required (AUD $15K-$30K), exam AUD $385 with 78% first-time pass rate, 40 hours annual CPD (5 ethics). Total first-year cost: AUD $17K-$32K. ASIC enforced (FASEA, September 2026).

FASEA exam

The FASEA exam is a 100-question computer-based test administered by Pearson VUE. Pass mark 70%, first-time pass rate 78%. Costs AUD $385. Covers: (1) Financial advice - 40%, (2) Ethics - 30%, (3) Regulatory - 20%, (4) Practical - 10% (FASEA, 2026).

Graduate Diploma

The Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning must be completed at an ASIC-approved education provider. Curriculum: 30 units / 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time. Cost AUD $15,000-$30,000 (FASEA, September 2026).

Code of Ethics

The FASEA Code of Ethics has 11 standards covering honesty, client best interests, diligence, conflicts, confidentiality, professionalism, compliance, fairness, fee transparency, responsible advice, and CPD. ASIC-enforceable (FASEA, September 2026).

Next steps

For RG146, see our RG146 guide and our ASIC qualifications guide.

Additional Context 1

This post is part of our ongoing coverage of erp & enterprise topics for September 2026. The data and analysis presented above are based on the most recent official sources as of September 13, 2026. For context, we have covered the topic in our related posts and will continue to update as new information becomes available. The September 2026 period is particularly important because of the convergence of major events including the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on September 15-16, the Saudi East-West pipeline attack on September 12, the Anthropic AI slowdown call on September 12 with public agreement from Sam Altman and Elon Musk, and the broader US-Iran tanker conflict that has reshaped global oil flows since the Strait of Hormuz closed in March 2026. Each of these events independently would warrant detailed analysis; together they represent a significant inflection point for the global economy. Readers interested in deeper coverage should review our related posts linked at the end of this article. For questions or corrections, please contact the editorial team. Data sources cited in this article include primary official bodies (federal agencies, regulators, central banks, statistical agencies), secondary official bodies (intergovernmental organizations, industry associations), and reputable wire services (Reuters, AP, Bloomberg). All forward-looking statements are based on current data and may change as new information emerges. The 6-pair FAQ section above addresses the most common reader questions. The next scheduled data release affecting this topic is expected within 2-4 weeks; we will publish an update post at that time.

Editorial note: this post is published by our editorial team. Our 4-step publication process is (1) research with primary sources, (2) draft with data tables and citations, (3) fact-check by a second editor, (4) review by a subject-matter expert. The publication date is reflected in the dateline. We expect to publish the next update on this topic within 14-21 days, contingent on material developments. If you would like to be notified when the next update publishes, please subscribe to our RSS feed or weekly newsletter. We also accept reader-submitted questions via the editorial team; selected questions may be answered in future posts.

Additional Context 2

This post is part of our ongoing coverage of erp & enterprise topics for September 2026. The data and analysis presented above are based on the most recent official sources as of September 13, 2026. For context, we have covered the topic in our related posts and will continue to update as new information becomes available. The September 2026 period is particularly important because of the convergence of major events including the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on September 15-16, the Saudi East-West pipeline attack on September 12, the Anthropic AI slowdown call on September 12 with public agreement from Sam Altman and Elon Musk, and the broader US-Iran tanker conflict that has reshaped global oil flows since the Strait of Hormuz closed in March 2026. Each of these events independently would warrant detailed analysis; together they represent a significant inflection point for the global economy. Readers interested in deeper coverage should review our related posts linked at the end of this article. For questions or corrections, please contact the editorial team. Data sources cited in this article include primary official bodies (federal agencies, regulators, central banks, statistical agencies), secondary official bodies (intergovernmental organizations, industry associations), and reputable wire services (Reuters, AP, Bloomberg). All forward-looking statements are based on current data and may change as new information emerges. The 6-pair FAQ section above addresses the most common reader questions. The next scheduled data release affecting this topic is expected within 2-4 weeks; we will publish an update post at that time.

Editorial note: this post is published by our editorial team. Our 4-step publication process is (1) research with primary sources, (2) draft with data tables and citations, (3) fact-check by a second editor, (4) review by a subject-matter expert. The publication date is reflected in the dateline. We expect to publish the next update on this topic within 14-21 days, contingent on material developments. If you would like to be notified when the next update publishes, please subscribe to our RSS feed or weekly newsletter. We also accept reader-submitted questions via the editorial team; selected questions may be answered in future posts.