CKYCA vs CTMA: which ACAMS certification is right for you?
Both are 60-question associate exams at the same price. CKYCA covers onboarding, due diligence and customer risk rating. CTMA covers monitoring alerts, investigating them and escalating. Take the one that matches your current job. Many analysts take both.
CKYCA vs CTMA at a glance
| CKYCA | CTMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | CKYCA Certification Exam (Certified Know Your Customer Associate) | CTMA Certification Exam (Certified Transaction Monitoring Associate) |
| Questions | 60 multiple-choice questions (some unscored) | 60 multiple-choice questions (some unscored) |
| Time | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 72% of scored questions | 74% of scored questions |
| Format | Closed book, computer-based | Closed book, computer-based |
| Cost | US$1,045 package (same price for private and public sector); ACAMS membership required | US$1,045 package (same price for private and public sector); ACAMS membership required |
| Languages | Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese | Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese |
| Where | Pearson VUE (test center or online proctored) | Pearson VUE (test center or online proctored) |
| Level | Associate | Associate |
What each exam covers
CKYCA
- KYC foundations and regulatory expectations
- Customer identification and verification
- Beneficial ownership and legal entities
- Customer risk rating
- Enhanced due diligence and ongoing monitoring
CTMA
- Transaction monitoring foundations
- Red flags and typologies
- Alert investigation and disposition
- Escalation, SARs and documentation
- Monitoring systems, tuning and quality
Which should you take?
Both are 60-question associate exams at the same price. CKYCA covers onboarding, due diligence and customer risk rating. CTMA covers monitoring alerts, investigating them and escalating. Take the one that matches your current job. Many analysts take both.
Try both, free
Each free practice test takes about 10 minutes and shows your score by topic. No signup.
FAQ
What is the difference between CKYCA and CTMA?
Both are 60-question associate exams at the same price. CKYCA covers onboarding, due diligence and customer risk rating. CTMA covers monitoring alerts, investigating them and escalating. Take the one that matches your current job. Many analysts take both.
Which is harder, CKYCA or CTMA?
CKYCA: 60 multiple-choice questions (some unscored) in 90 minutes. CTMA: 60 multiple-choice questions (some unscored) in 90 minutes. The longer exam covers more ground, but the harder one is the one further from your daily work. Take both free practice tests to see where you stand.
Can I hold both CKYCA and CTMA?
Yes. ACAMS certifications are separate credentials and many professionals hold more than one. Each has its own exam and recertification.
How do I prepare for CKYCA and CTMA?
Start with the free practice test for each, then study by topic. All-Access ($147 a month) covers every ACAMS exam on one plan, so you can prepare for both without paying twice.
More comparisons
Exam details are summarized from ACAMS' published information as of October 2026. Confirm with ACAMS before you book. AMLExamPrep is not affiliated with ACAMS.