Certified Treasury Professional Syllabus 2026 + Free PDF
The Certified Treasury Professional syllabus is the single most useful document you can hold in your hands before you sit IIBF's specialised treasury examination, because it tells you exactly what the dealing room, the markets and the regulators expect you to know. This guide from Ashish Jain's Learning Sessions walks through the full course blueprint module by module, shows you which areas the paper now leans on most heavily, and hands you a realistic study plan, practice questions and a free downloadable PDF so you can start preparing today rather than next week.
Offered by the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF), the Certified Treasury Professional programme is built for bankers who already work in, or want to break into, the treasury and dealing-room function. Get the syllabus map right first, and every hour of study afterwards compounds.
Key takeaways
- The Certified Treasury Professional syllabus spans treasury structure, money and G-Sec markets, forex, derivatives, valuation, risk, ALM and settlement.
- The paper is application- and case-driven, so numerical practice and concept clarity beat rote memorisation.
- Exchange-rate arithmetic, bond duration and risk metrics (VaR, MTM) are the highest-scoring, most-tested areas.
- Always confirm the exact pattern, marking and fees on the latest official IIBF notification before you register.
- Download the free syllabus PDF and map each module to a study week.
Download the full Treasury Management syllabus (PDF)
Get the complete, exam-ready Certified Treasury Professional syllabus in one file. Keep it open while you plan your study weeks.
Download Treasury Syllabus PDFWhat is the Certified Treasury Professional course?
The Certified Treasury Professional programme builds deep, practical expertise in how a modern integrated treasury actually runs. It covers money markets, foreign-exchange dealing, fixed-income securities and treasury risk management, and it ties all of this back to the way a bank manages its liquidity, interest-rate risk and currency risk on a daily basis.
It is designed for dealers, mid-office risk staff and back-office settlement teams, as well as asset-liability management (ALM) professionals and any banker who wants to understand the markets side of the balance sheet. The course moves from the structure and functions of a treasury, through the front, mid and back office, all the way to derivatives, valuation, regulatory capital and the technology and accounting that hold the operation together.
In short, it is a complete toolkit for the treasury and markets function, and one of the most job-relevant specialisations IIBF offers. If you want a broader grounding first, our Bank Treasury Management: A Complete IIBF Certification Guide is the ideal companion read.
Certified Treasury Professional exam pattern and eligibility
The Certified Treasury Professional examination is an objective, MCQ-based test delivered through IIBF's standard online mode. The questions are deliberately application- and case-study-oriented rather than simple definition recall, which means conceptual clarity and numerical fluency carry you far further than memorised lines.
Pricing a forward, computing a bond's duration or interpreting a Value-at-Risk number is exactly the kind of task the paper rewards. Because IIBF revises the structure from time to time, always confirm the current number of questions, the duration, the marking scheme, the negative-marking rule (if any), the passing marks and the fees from the latest released IIBF notification before you register. As a rule, this certification is open to working professionals and members of the institute; verify the precise eligibility against the official IIBF notification, since these conditions are periodically updated.
Tip: Treat the official notification as the final word on pattern, dates and fees. This guide intentionally avoids quoting exact figures that change exam to exam, so you never revise an outdated number.
Certified Treasury Professional syllabus 2026 (module-wise)
The Certified Treasury Professional syllabus is organised into thematic modules that move logically from fundamentals to instruments, and then on to risk and regulation. The table below groups the official Treasury Management topics by theme so you can see the whole blueprint at a glance and plan your weeks around it.
| Module | Topic | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| A | Introduction to Treasury | Role, evolution and functions of an integrated treasury in a bank. |
| A | Treasury Organisation & Structure | Front, mid and back office, with segregation of duties and controls. |
| A | Domestic Money Market | Call/notice money, TREPS, T-Bills, CDs, CPs and short-term liquidity. |
| B | Capital & Debt (G-Sec) Market | Government securities, bond yields, auctions and the SLR investment book. |
| B | Foreign Exchange Markets | Spot, forward and swap quotations, cross rates and FEDAI conventions. |
| B | Exchange-Rate Arithmetic | Premium/discount, interest-rate parity and forward-rate computation. |
| C | Treasury Products & Instruments | Bonds, equities, money-market and forex instruments in the treasury book. |
| C | Derivatives: Futures, Options & Swaps | Interest-rate and currency derivatives for hedging and trading. |
| C | Bond & Securities Valuation | Yield, duration, modified duration, convexity and price sensitivity. |
| D | Treasury Risk Management | Market, liquidity, credit and operational risk, with VaR, MTM and limits. |
| D | Asset-Liability Management (ALM) | Gap analysis, duration gap and the ALCO's role in steering the balance sheet. |
| D | Regulation & Capital (Basel) | RBI prudential norms, market-risk capital charge and the Basel framework. |
| E | Treasury Settlement & Clearing | CCIL, NDS-OM, RTGS, SWIFT, Nostro reconciliation and settlement risk. |
| E | Treasury Accounting & Technology | Valuation accounting, P&L, MIS and the role of treasury systems. |
This table groups the official Treasury Management topics by theme; the IIBF courseware itself is delivered as a single integrated syllabus. Always cross-check the exact module ordering and unit list against the official PDF before you finalise your study plan, as per the latest released IIBF schedule.
Recently emphasised topics you must not miss
Treasury regulation and market infrastructure move quickly, and the paper increasingly tests the latest position rather than older circulars. Pay particular attention to the areas below, and always cross-check the exact current figures against the latest RBI, FIMMDA or FEDAI source before you treat any number as final.
- Policy rates and the liquidity framework: the RBI repo rate, the LAF corridor and tools such as the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) and Variable Rate Repo/Reverse Repo drive money-market rates directly. Revise the current stance and corridor from the latest RBI monetary policy statement.
- Market infrastructure and platforms: trading and settlement have evolved with TREPS, NDS-OM, the FX-Retail platform and the Retail Direct scheme that widens retail access to G-Secs. Study how these clear and settle through CCIL.
- Derivatives and hedging norms: the RBI has refreshed its directions on rupee interest-rate derivatives and foreign-exchange derivatives, including who may hedge and which products are permitted. Always study the latest position.
We keep our Treasury Management notes and tests synced with these developments, so the concepts you revise stay current. For the instrument detail behind these markets, see our breakdown of money market instruments for the IIBF Treasury Management exam.
How to prepare for the Certified Treasury Professional exam
Because the paper is application-driven, a structured, module-by-module plan beats random reading every time. Here is a sequence that works well for busy bankers preparing alongside a full-time job.
- Build the base (weeks 1-2): lock in the role of treasury and the front-mid-back office segregation. This conceptual spine reappears throughout the paper and earns easy marks.
- Master the markets (weeks 3-5): the money market, G-Sec and forex modules are the scoring heart of the syllabus. Drill exchange-rate arithmetic, forward premiums and bond-yield sums until they become automatic.
- Cover instruments and valuation (weeks 6-7): understand how futures, options and swaps hedge interest-rate and currency risk, and practise duration and price-sensitivity calculations by hand.
- Finish with risk and regulation (weeks 8-9): VaR, ALM, Basel and settlement carry direct, factual marks on limits, capital charges and market infrastructure.
- Revise and test (final weeks): alternate full-length Treasury mock tests with one-liner revision and matching games so accuracy and speed climb together.
For the foreign-exchange leg specifically, our Money Market Instruments & Forex Treasury 2026 exam guide is a focused, high-yield revision resource.
Treasury front, mid and back office at a glance
Segregation of duties is one of the most heavily tested governance themes on the paper, and a clean mental model of the three desks answers a surprising number of questions. Use the comparison below to fix the distinction before exam day.
| Desk | Primary role | Why it stays independent |
|---|---|---|
| Front office | The dealing room takes positions, quotes prices and executes forex, money-market and securities deals. | Dealers must never confirm or settle their own trades. |
| Mid office | Independent risk control monitors limits, VaR and MTM and enforces policy compliance. | Reports outside the dealing room to keep risk honest. |
| Back office | Settlement and confirmation desk handles documentation, reconciliation and accounting. | Independent settlement prevents unauthorised dealing. |
Quick Certified Treasury Professional one-liners
Use these rapid-fire points to lock in the high-yield treasury concepts in the final days before the exam.
Test yourself: practice questions
Try these hard, application-based questions, then open each answer to check your reasoning. This mirrors the style of the live paper.
Q1. A bank's mid office reports that the trading book's one-day 99% VaR has breached its sanctioned limit after a sharp move in bond yields. What is the most appropriate immediate response?
Show answer
Escalate to risk management and require the front office to reduce the position back within the limit. The mid office is the independent risk-control function; a breach is escalated and the exposure is cut, never accommodated by simply raising the limit.
Q2. INR/USD spot is 83.00 and the 3-month forward is quoted at 83.60. What does this imply?
Show answer
The dollar is at a forward premium to the rupee, because the dollar buys more rupees forward (83.60 is greater than 83.00). Under covered interest parity this reflects higher INR interest rates relative to USD.
Q3. A treasury holds a long position in a 10-year G-Sec and expects interest rates to rise. What is the most appropriate hedge?
Show answer
Pay fixed in an interest-rate swap or sell bond futures. A long bond loses value when rates rise, and paying fixed (or selling futures) gains when rates rise, offsetting the loss. Receiving fixed would only add to it.
Q4. A bank wants to deploy surplus overnight funds with minimal risk. Which money-market avenue fits best?
Show answer
The TREPS (tri-party repo) market or the RBI reverse-repo window. Overnight surplus belongs in collateralised, very short-tenor instruments with low credit and market risk, not in long-dated bonds, equity futures or currency forwards.
Common mistakes treasury candidates make
Most candidates who fall short do so for avoidable reasons rather than a lack of effort. Watch for these traps as you prepare.
- Skipping the arithmetic. Exchange-rate and bond-yield sums are pure marks; treating them as optional is the single most expensive mistake.
- Memorising stale figures. Policy rates and derivative norms change. Revise concepts and confirm current numbers against RBI, FIMMDA and FEDAI sources instead of trusting old notes.
- Confusing the three desks. Mixing up front, mid and back office roles costs easy governance marks. Keep the segregation model crisp.
- Reading instead of practising. The paper is application-led, so untimed reading without mock tests leaves you slow and inaccurate on exam day.
- Ignoring settlement and accounting. CCIL, NDS-OM, RTGS, SWIFT and MTM accounting carry direct factual marks that many candidates under-prepare.
Free Certified Treasury Professional resources on Learning Sessions
A syllabus is only the start; you clear this exam by practising. The full Learning Sessions toolkit is built around this exact syllabus.
- Chapter-wise Treasury mock tests with timed, exam-pattern MCQs and instant explanations.
- Chapter one-liners for fast, last-mile revision (a sample set is above).
- Matching games that make treasury terms, instruments and risk metrics stick.
- Detailed module notes and study-material PDFs you can revise offline.
- Browse every Treasury Management guide and update in one place, and explore the full Treasury Management course hub or the dedicated Treasury Management subject page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Certified Treasury Professional course worth it?
Yes, for anyone working in or moving towards a dealing room, mid office, back office or ALM team. The certification builds directly job-relevant skills and signals genuine treasury expertise to employers. It is one of the most practical IIBF specialisations for the markets side of banking.
What background helps for the Treasury Management exam?
Comfort with basic numeracy and percentages helps, since the paper involves exchange-rate arithmetic, bond yields and duration. Beyond that, conceptual clarity on money markets, forex and risk management matters far more than any prior finance degree. Consistent practice closes most gaps.
Where can I download the Treasury syllabus PDF?
You can download the complete Certified Treasury Professional syllabus PDF from the button near the top of this guide. It lists every module and topic in the official IIBF order so you can plan your study weeks precisely.
How is the Certified Treasury Professional exam scored?
The exam is objective and MCQ-based with application and case-study questions. The exact number of questions, duration, marking scheme and passing marks are set by IIBF and revised from time to time, so always confirm them on the latest official IIBF notification before you register.
How long does it take to prepare?
A focused candidate studying alongside work can usually be exam-ready in roughly eight to ten weeks using a module-by-module plan. The markets and risk modules need the most time; build in regular mock tests so your speed and accuracy improve together.
How do I keep up with updated topics?
Follow RBI monetary-policy statements and Master Directions on derivatives, along with FEDAI and FIMMDA circulars. Pair them with our regularly updated Treasury notes and mock tests, and verify current rates and platforms against the official IIBF and RBI sources before the exam.
Start your treasury preparation today
A clear syllabus is half the battle won. Download the Treasury Management syllabus PDF, map each module to a study week, revise with one-liners and matching games, and back it all with timed mock tests. With a structured plan and steady practice on exchange-rate arithmetic, bond valuation and risk metrics, the Certified Treasury Professional certification is well within your reach. For the official position on the course, you can also consult the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance.
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