FAS / Treasury-Approved Bachelor + Financial Adviser Exam Pathway
The only pathway to becoming a licensed retail financial adviser in Australia post-2019. Cannot be bypassed — superseded RG146-only authorisations.
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Visit Official Site →Founded
2019 (FAS Authority); transferred to Treasury 2022
HQ
Canberra, ACT, Australia
Target Audience
New Australian financial advisers — must satisfy Treasury education requirements to be authorised under an Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL).
Key Features
- Three required pillars: (a) Approved bachelor's-or-higher degree in financial planning (or 'bridging' approved units for non-FP degrees), (b) Pass the Financial Adviser Exam (3.5 hours, set by Treasury, administered ACER), (c) Complete the Professional Year (1 year supervised + structured PY plan + Q3 standards exam)
- Approved degree providers include Kaplan Professional, Griffith, Macquarie, RMIT, UNE, Charles Sturt, Western Sydney, Deakin, Queensland UT
- All existing advisers in Aust must have met all three pillars by Jan 1, 2026 transitional cutoff (recently extended)
- Pass rate Financial Adviser Exam: ~75-80% (ACER 2024 data)
- Approximately 15,500 licensed financial advisers in Australia as of 2025 (ASIC Financial Adviser Register), down from ~28,000 in 2018
How to Get This Certification
Prerequisites
Senior secondary (year 12) for university entry; no pre-existing finance experience required.
Why Get Certified — ROI
Salary Impact
Year-1 licensed financial adviser AUD 75,000–AUD 100,000 base; senior advisers AUD 130,000–AUD 220,000 (Hays Australia 2024 Banking & Financial Services Salary Guide; FPA Australia 2024 Adviser Survey).
Career Benefits
- What makes this stand out
- The only pathway to becoming a licensed retail financial adviser in Australia post-2019. Cannot be bypassed — superseded RG146-only authorisations.
- Industry recognition
- Treasury / Corporations Act 2001 mandate; ASIC enforcement.
Who Should Get This Certification
Ideal for:
- New Australian financial advisers — must satisfy Treasury education requirements to be authorised under an Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL).
Consider alternatives if:
- Long pathway (3-4+ years total degree + PY)
- High total cost (AUD 12,000-35,000 even with FEE-HELP)
Pricing
Pricing varies.
Weaknesses
- Long pathway (3-4+ years total degree + PY)
- High total cost (AUD 12,000-35,000 even with FEE-HELP)
- Workforce-shrinking effect: 45%+ of advisers exited industry since standards introduction
Markets Served
Australia
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links.
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