What is the hardest chapter in M9?

Most candidates find Chapter 9 (ILP Computations) and Chapter 17 (Wills & Trusts) the hardest. Chapter 9 involves complex math, while Chapter 17 involves dense legal memorization.

Is M9 harder than RES 5?

They are difficult in different ways. RES 5 is harder because of "Ambiguous Ethics" questions (Part II). M9 is harder because of "Volume" (17 Chapters) and "Calculations."

Can I skip the calculation chapters?

We strongly advise against it. Calculation questions make up a significant portion (approx 15-20%) of the exam. Skipping them removes your safety buffer for the rest of the paper.

How many hours do I need to study to pass M9?

For a complete beginner, we recommend 30-40 hours of study time. However, if you use a focused simulator to drill specific weak chapters (instead of reading the whole textbook), you can often cut this time down to 15-20 hours.

Is the M9 exam getting harder in 2026?

The content volume remains similar, but the style of questions is shifting. SCI is moving away from direct memory recall (e.g., "What is X?") toward scenario-based application questions (e.g., "Given Client A's situation, how does Clause Y apply?"), which requires a deeper understanding of the concepts.

Is the CMFAS M9 Exam Difficult? (The "Killer" Chapters Revealed)

There is a common misconception in the industry that M9 (Life Insurance) is an "easy" exam because it deals with basic insurance concepts.

Then, candidates open the textbook and realize it has 17 Chapters and 300+ pages of dense legal and mathematical theory.

While official pass rates are not published, the M9 exam is widely considered a "High Volume" hurdle. The difficulty doesn't come from complex logic (like M9A Derivatives); it comes from the sheer amount of disparate facts you need to retain.

If you are wondering if you can "wing it," the answer is no. Here is a breakdown of the difficulty and the specific chapters that trip everyone up.

✨ TL;DR: Why M9 is Harder Than It Looks

The Volume: 17 Chapters is massive compared to other CMFAS modules.
The Math: Premium and ILP calculations require memorizing formulas.
The Law: "Law of Agency" and "Trusts" are dense and confusing.
The Trap: It is easy to score 60% (Common Knowledge), but hard to hit 70% (Technical Details).

The "Killer" Chapters (Where Marks are Lost)

The M9 exam format is 100 questions. To pass, you need 70 correct.

Most candidates easily clear the "Product Knowledge" chapters (Term Life, Whole Life). The failures happen in these three specific zones:

1. The "Math" Zone (Chapters 2 & 9)

Chapter 2 (Premiums): You need to calculate Gross vs. Net Premium using mortality tables. One wrong decimal place means a wrong answer.
Chapter 9 (ILP Computations): This is the most feared chapter. You will be asked to calculate Forward/Backward Pricing, Bid-Offer Spread, and Net Asset Value (NAV). (See actual examples of M9 Math Questions here).
The Trap: The questions often give you irrelevant data (distractors) to see if you know exactly which numbers to plug into the formula.

2. The "Law" Zone (Chapters 14, 15, 17)

Insurance is a legal contract. The exam tests this heavily.

Chapter 15 (Law of Agency): Can you distinguish between Actual Authority and Apparent Authority in a case study?
Chapter 17 (Wills & Trusts): You must memorize the difference between Section 49L (Revocable Nomination) and Section 49M (Trust Nomination). If you mix them up, you will fail 3-5 questions instantly.

📉 Failing "Law" but passing "Product"?

Our AI Weakness Engine detects exactly which chapters are dragging your score down. If you are weak in Chapter 15, we force you to drill it until you pass.

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ExamPrep.sg M9 Targeted Chapter Drill Menu

Stop wasting time on chapters you already know. Use our platform to drill only the "Killer" chapters like Law and Calculations.

The "Memory" Trap (17 Chapters)

The hardest part of M9 is retention.

You might study Chapter 1 (Risk) on Monday. By the time you reach Chapter 17 (Trusts) on Friday, you have forgotten the definition of "Peril" vs "Hazard" from Chapter 1.

The 2026 Reality:

The exam has shifted away from "What is X?" questions to "Scenario-based" questions.

Old Question: "What is the penalty for X?"
New Question: "Client A does X, Agent B does Y. Based on the Law of Agency, who is liable?"

This requires active application, not just reading.

Conclusion: Hard, but Predictable

Is M9 difficult? Yes, due to volume.

Is it impossible? No, because it is predictable.

The formulas for Premium Calculation do not change. The laws for Trusts do not change. Unlike the stock market, these are fixed rules.

If you use a simulator to practice the math and law questions repeatedly, they become free marks. If you rely on reading the textbook once or using outdated static notes, they become "Killer" questions.

Don't let the 17 chapters overwhelm you.

Start practicing with our focused chapter drills today. Once you are ready to commit, secure your M9 exam date immediately to give yourself a firm deadline.