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Online Self-Study
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OVERVIEW
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE DETAILS
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
The Securities Operations Foundation Qualification (SOFQ) is an introductory level programme intended for anyone entering a career in the securities operations area of the financial markets.
The syllabus has been specifically designed to provide the essential information necessary for candidates to develop a thorough understanding of both the debt and equity markets and, in particular, securities operations concepts.
Test your knowledge
Unsure if this is the right course for you? Take a short sample exam.
Sample Module
Course Outcomes
By completing this course you will be able to:
Who should study the programme?
This qualification is directly relevant to people entering the world of securities operations and personnel currently working within this field who wish to gain a broader view of the subject.
Although not a formal prerequisite, the SOFQ provides useful background study for those wishing to study the ICMA Operations Certificate Programme (OCP) and our advanced level operations training courses.
Candidates should have basic quantitative skills but no prior study or work experience is required.
The names of successful candidates will be included in our list of certificate holders.
Online courses start on the 1st of each month – please note that payment must be received BEFORE access to these courses are provided.
Programme Recognition
This course has been approved as Certified by CPD®.
ICMA recommends that 24 learning hours can be associated with this course, based on attended/undertaken hours of study required to successfully complete the learning outcomes.
Course Trainers
David Rosenthal
Gail Rolland
Mike Simmons
Hasse Brandt
The syllabus has been specifically designed to provide the essential information necessary for candidates to develop a thorough understanding of both the debt and equity markets and, in particular, securities operations concepts.
Test your knowledge
Unsure if this is the right course for you? Take a short sample exam.
Sample Module
Course Outcomes
By completing this course you will be able to:
- Identify the similarities and differences between equities and bonds
- Demonstrate an understanding of how equities and bonds are brought to the marketplace
- Identify and understand the roles of the major securities market participants
- Recognise the primary components of the securities trade life-cycle
- Demonstrate how Operations manages the securities through its various activities
- Identify fundamentals of trade management, including repo and securities lending & borrowing transactions
- Recognise and identify corporate actions
Who should study the programme?
This qualification is directly relevant to people entering the world of securities operations and personnel currently working within this field who wish to gain a broader view of the subject.
Although not a formal prerequisite, the SOFQ provides useful background study for those wishing to study the ICMA Operations Certificate Programme (OCP) and our advanced level operations training courses.
Candidates should have basic quantitative skills but no prior study or work experience is required.
The names of successful candidates will be included in our list of certificate holders.
Online courses start on the 1st of each month – please note that payment must be received BEFORE access to these courses are provided.
Programme Recognition
This course has been approved as Certified by CPD®.
ICMA recommends that 24 learning hours can be associated with this course, based on attended/undertaken hours of study required to successfully complete the learning outcomes.
Course Trainers
David Rosenthal
Gail Rolland
Mike Simmons
Hasse Brandt
The course syllabus is divided into the following key topic areas:
An Introduction to International Securities
• Key players
• Debt and Equities
• The Primary Market: How Deals are Brought to the Market
• The Secondary Markets
The Pre-trade environment
• Pre-Trade Function
• Role of Client Onboarding
• Understanding KYC
• Master Agreements
• Static Data Collection
Trade Execution and Immediate Post-trade
• Trading Paradigms: Flow and Proprietary Trading
• Trade Execution Systems
• Trade Capture and Confirmation
• Role of Middle Office
Trade Clearing and Settlement
• Role of Custodians
• Central Securities Depositories
• Payment Systems
• Trade Cash Values
• Central and Bilateral Clearing Systems
• Updating Books & Position Reconciliation
• STP
Position Management
• Trading & Settled Positions
• Funding Positions
• Covering Shorts
• Basics of Repo and Securities Lending & Borrowing
• P/L calculation
Regulatory reporting
• Regulatory Reporting Requirements
• Role of Operations
Asset Servicing
• Managing Securities
• Corporate Actions
Assessment
The exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions of which candidates must answer a minimum of 30 questions correctly, with a score of 45 or more earning a distinction.
If you’re taking the classroom-based course, review sessions will be held prior to the exam to help candidates prepare for the assessment and assist with course content.
If you’re taking the online or livestreamed course you have six months in which to study the material, book and complete an online, fully invigilated exam. The exam is hosted on our online learning platform and invigilated by a live proctor via the camera and microphone on your computer. This allows you to choose a time and place of your convenience to take the exam, while guaranteeing secure exam conditions.
Prior to the exam, you will need to login with the proctor to check that your chosen exam equipment and space is adequate for the exam - you will receive further guidance when you register for the course.
An Introduction to International Securities
• Key players
• Debt and Equities
• The Primary Market: How Deals are Brought to the Market
• The Secondary Markets
The Pre-trade environment
• Pre-Trade Function
• Role of Client Onboarding
• Understanding KYC
• Master Agreements
• Static Data Collection
Trade Execution and Immediate Post-trade
• Trading Paradigms: Flow and Proprietary Trading
• Trade Execution Systems
• Trade Capture and Confirmation
• Role of Middle Office
Trade Clearing and Settlement
• Role of Custodians
• Central Securities Depositories
• Payment Systems
• Trade Cash Values
• Central and Bilateral Clearing Systems
• Updating Books & Position Reconciliation
• STP
Position Management
• Trading & Settled Positions
• Funding Positions
• Covering Shorts
• Basics of Repo and Securities Lending & Borrowing
• P/L calculation
Regulatory reporting
• Regulatory Reporting Requirements
• Role of Operations
Asset Servicing
• Managing Securities
• Corporate Actions
Assessment
The exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions of which candidates must answer a minimum of 30 questions correctly, with a score of 45 or more earning a distinction.
If you’re taking the classroom-based course, review sessions will be held prior to the exam to help candidates prepare for the assessment and assist with course content.
If you’re taking the online or livestreamed course you have six months in which to study the material, book and complete an online, fully invigilated exam. The exam is hosted on our online learning platform and invigilated by a live proctor via the camera and microphone on your computer. This allows you to choose a time and place of your convenience to take the exam, while guaranteeing secure exam conditions.
Prior to the exam, you will need to login with the proctor to check that your chosen exam equipment and space is adequate for the exam - you will receive further guidance when you register for the course.
Online Course
Delegates who sign up to online courses will have access for 6 months to enable them to take advantage of the additional online resources, discussion boards and other functions of our new digital learning platform.
Online courses start at the beginning of each month – please note that payment must be received BEFORE access to these courses are provided.
| Start: 1 February |
Start: 1 March |
Online course fees
Self-study online course fees:
- ICMA Members: EUR 1,150 + VAT (if applicable)
- Non-members: EUR 1,650 + VAT (if applicable)
Costs include full access to the online campus, associated learning materials and the examination fee.
Please note that:
- Payment for online courses must be received before the start of the course.
- All payments must be made in Euro.
- Invoices for single registrations are subject to an additional Euro 50 to cover administration costs*. No administration fee applies for invoices covering two or more registrations.
As an indicative guide, we would recommend a total of 24 study hours is required to go through the material. Please note this is an approximate guide only.
Contact
Should you have any queries, please contact education@icmagroup.org.
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