CSC1 Practice Exam Questions with Answers Canadian Securities Course Exam 1 Certification

Treasury bills (T-bills) are short-term fixed-income securities issued by the Government of Canada with maturities of one year or less, including terms as short as six months or less. They do not pay interest in the conventional sense. Instead, they are sold at a discount to their facevalue, and investors receive the full face value upon maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the face value represents the investor's earnings.

A. Guaranteed bonds: These are long-term securities that pay periodic interest (coupons) and do not fit the short-term, non-interest-paying description of T-bills.

B. Commercial paper: Issued by corporations, not governments, and used to finance short-term liabilities.

D. Term deposits: These are bank products, not government securities, and typically pay interest over their term.

When a dealer member fills a client’s order for an unlisted security from its own inventory, the dealer is acting as aprincipal.

A (Alternative trading system)refers to electronic platforms for trading securities.

B (Clearing agent)involves post-trade settlement activities.

C (Over-the-counter agent)is incorrect since the dealer is transacting directly.

References:Volume 1, Chapter 9 ("Principal and Agency Transactions")?.

Dividends are taxed at a preferential rate in Canada due to thedividend tax credit, which reduces the effective tax rate on dividend income. This is intended to prevent double taxation because corporations have already paid taxes on their profits before distributing dividends to shareholders.

B. Dividends from preferred shares are ineligible for the dividend tax credit: This is incorrect; dividends from both common and preferred shares are eligible for the dividend tax credit.

C. Stock dividends are treated differently than regular cash dividends for tax purposes: Stock dividends are generally taxed similarly to cash dividends.

D. Reinvested dividends are non-taxable to the shareholders: Reinvested dividends are taxable in the year they are earned, even if reinvested.

A stock split reduces the price per share, making the shares more affordable to smaller or retail investors. This does not increase the market capitalization or shareholder value but makes trading easier by improving liquidity and accessibility.

References:

Volume 1, Chapter 8:Equity Securities, section on "Stock Splits and Consolidations," describes the purpose and benefits of stock splits for investors, particularly in terms of affordability and liquidity?.

TheEnergy sectoris one of the highest-weighted sectors in theS&P/TSX Composite Indexbased on market capitalization. This reflects Canada's resource-rich economy, where energy companies, including oil, gas, and related services, make up a significant portion of the market.

Other options:

Health care: A relatively small portion of the index.

Utilities: Have a smaller weight compared to energy.

Information technology: While growing, it has not surpassed energy in weight within the Canadian market.

References:

Volume 1, Chapter 8:Equity Securities, section on "Canadian Market Indexes" outlines the composition and sectoral weightings of the S&P/TSX Composite Index?.

The FTSE Canada Universe Bond Index is acapitalization-weighted index, meaning that the weights of its components are based on their market value. It includes bonds from various issuers (both government and corporate) with terms to maturity of at least one year.

A. US dollar bonds from Canadian issuers are included: Only bonds denominated in Canadian dollars are included.

B. Only bonds with a term to maturity of 30 days or more are eligible for inclusion: Bonds must have a minimum term to maturity of one year, not 30 days.

D. Only government bonds are included: The index includes both government and corporate bonds.

As the fiscal agent for the federal government, the Bank of Canada provides advice on debt management and issuance strategies, including assessments of capital markets. This role involves managing federal government debt and ensuring efficient market functioning.

References:

Volume 1, Chapter 5:Economic Policyunder "The Role of the Bank of Canada" details the Bank’s fiscal agent role in managing government debt (CSC Volume 1, Chapter 5)?.

A foreign pay bond is a type of bond that allows the investor to choose the currency in which to receive interest payments, usually between the currency of the issuer's country and a foreign currency. This feature provides flexibility for investors who may want to manage currency risk or take advantage of fluctuations in exchange rates.

Review of Other Options:

A. Eurobonds:

Eurobonds are international bonds issued in a currency other than the currency of the country where they are issued. However, they do not provide the investor with a choice of interest payments in different currencies.

C. Subordinated Debentures:

These are unsecured bonds that rank below other debts in terms of repayment priority in case of liquidation. They do not involve currency options for interest payments.

D. Floating-Rate Securities:

These bonds have variable interest rates that adjust periodically based on a benchmark interest rate, such as LIBOR or prime rate, but they do not allow investors to choose the currency of interest payments.

Why B is Correct:

Foreign pay bonds are explicitly designed to offer investors a choice of interest payments in two currencies, making them unique among fixed-income securities. This feature provides added flexibility for investors dealing with foreign exchange considerations.

References:

Canadian Securities Course (CSC), Volume 1, Chapter 6: Fixed-Income Securities – Features and Types. Detailed explanation of foreign pay bonds and their distinguishing features?.

Discussion of bond types and their characteristics, including Eurobonds and floating-rate securities, in Chapter 6?.

An option is "in-the-money" when it has intrinsic value:

For aput option, it is in-the-money when the underlying asset’s price isbelowthe strike price, allowing the holder to sell the asset at a higher price (strike price).

Incorrect options clarify the following:

A call option is in-the-money when the underlying asset’s price isabovethe strike price.

TheKnow Your Client (KYC) rulerequires registrants to gather detailed personal and financial information from clients before providing investment advice or making recommendations. This ensures that investment recommendations align with the client’s financial goals, risk tolerance, and circumstances.

This obligation is critical for ensuring suitability in investment products and maintaining regulatory compliance.

Suitability rule (A)refers to matching investments to a client's needs but comes after gathering KYC information.

Gatekeeper obligations (C)focus on preventing illegal activities like money laundering.

Fiduciary duty (D)applies to acting in the best interest of the client but is broader in scope.

References:Volume 1, Chapter 3 ("Know Your Client Rule")?.

Stock index performance is best measured usingpercentage changesrather than absolute values like point changes, relative values, or share price changes. This is because percentage changes provide a normalized measure of performance, allowing for meaningful comparisons over time or between different indexes, regardless of their starting levels or the specific units in which the index is expressed.

Comparative Analysis: Percentage changes allow investors to compare the performance of indexes with vastly different base values or compositions. For example, a 100-point movement on a low-value index might be significant, while the same point movement on a high-value index might be trivial.

Normalized Returns: They normalize the performance, enabling easier tracking of relative gains or losses over time.

International Relevance: With global markets often using indexes based on different currencies or methodologies, percentage changes standardize comparisons across markets.

A. Relative value changes: This term lacks a precise definition in the context of performance measurement and is not commonly used in evaluating index performance.

B. Point changes: While point changes are informative for intraday movements or headlines, they lack context without knowing the index's value. For example, a 50-point drop could represent 0.5% or 5%, depending on the index level.

C. Share price changes: This is specific to individual securities and does not apply to indexes, which aggregate multiple stocks.

Why Percentage Changes?Incorrect Options:Reference from the CSC® Study Material:The Canadian Securities Course explains the role of indexes in tracking market performance and highlights the importance of percentage changes for measuring and interpreting their performance. This is because percentage changes provide consistency and relevance when comparing different periods or indexes with varying base values (CSC Volume 1, Chapter 8, "Stock Indexes and Averages")?.

Key Concepts Related to Index Performance:

Market indexes represent a basket of securities designed to reflect the overall performance of a specific market or sector.

Percentage changes effectively capture market sentiment and performance trends.

Common Canadian market indexes such as the S&P/TSX Composite Index and international indexes like the S&P 500 often report movements in both points and percentages, with the latter providing a more accurate representation of market dynamics??.

This understanding is fundamental for financial professionals analyzing market trends, investment performance, and conducting portfolio management.

References:

CSC Volume 1, Chapter 8, "Equity Securities: Common and Preferred Shares – Stock Indexes and Averages"?.

CSC Volume 1, Chapter 7, "Fixed-Income Securities: Pricing and Trading – Bond Indexes" for comparative index concepts?.

Theright of rescissionallows a purchaser to cancel their purchase if the prospectus contains amisrepresentation. This statutory right protects investors by ensuring that they are not bound by transactions based on incorrect or misleading information. Under Canadian securities law, the right of rescission is an important safeguard to maintain market integrity and investor confidence.

This right is distinct from theright of action for damages, which allows investors to sue for compensation, and theright of withdrawal, which permits cancellation within a limited time after agreeing to the purchase, typically two business days.

References:

Volume 1, Chapter 3:The Canadian Regulatory Environment, section on "Rights of Purchasers" describes the statutory rights related to prospectuses and their misrepresentations?.

The inflation rate is calculated using the formula:

Inflation Rate=CPIcurrent?CPIpreviousCPIprevious×100\text{Inflation Rate} = \frac{\text{CPI}_{\text{current}} - \text{CPI}_{\text{previous}}}{\text{CPI}_{\text{previous}}} \times 100Inflation Rate=CPIprevious?CPIcurrent??CPIprevious??×100

Substitute the given values:

Inflation Rate=125.9?123.0123.0×100=2.9123.0×100?2.36%\text{Inflation Rate} = \frac{125.9 - 123.0}{123.0} \times 100 = \frac{2.9}{123.0} \times 100 \approx 2.36\%Inflation Rate=123.0125.9?123.0?×100=123.02.9?×100?2.36%

B. 2.30%: This is close but results from rounding errors or miscalculation.

C. 0.98%andD. 1.02%: These values are far below the correct inflation rate calculated using the formula.

A market order executes immediately at the best availableask pricefor a purchase transaction. In this case, the bid/ask initially was $10.25/$10.75. However, before execution, the ask price updated to $10.70, meaning Anwar will pay $10.70 per share.

B. $10.75: This was the previous ask price but is no longer valid after the update.

C. $10.29: This value is not relevant to the current bid/ask spread.

D. $10.20: This represents the updated bid price, which applies to sell orders, not buy orders.

TheMontreal Exchange (MX)is the sole Canadian exchange that lists and trades all financial and equity futures and options. It is a derivatives exchange specializing in these products and is part of the TMX Group.

A. ICE NGX Canada: This platform focuses on energy products like natural gas and electricity, not equity futures or options.

B. Canadian Securities Exchange: This exchange supports small-cap stocks but does not deal with derivatives.

D. Toronto Stock Exchange: This exchange lists equities and some other securities but does not specialize in trading futures or options.

In a general partnership, all partners share the responsibility of managing the business and are personally liable for its debts. This contrasts with a limited partnership, where limited partners have liability restricted to their investment.

Option A:Describes a limited partnership.

Option B:General partnerships do not issue equity to raise funds.

Option C:General partnerships are not distinct legal entities; liability is shared.

Investment advisors (IAs) are required to record the names and addresses of all individuals who have requested and received a preliminary prospectus. This ensures compliance with securities regulations and provides a record for follow-ups and potential disclosures related to the offering.

A. The IA must ensure a proxy is mailed: Proxy voting is related to shareholder meetings, not the prospectus distribution.

B. The IA must provide a greensheet: A greensheet is used internally by investment firms, not distributed to clients.

C. The IA must make a tombstone advertisement: Tombstone advertisements are created by the issuer, not the IA.

Retained earningsrepresent the portion of a company’s annual profit that is retained and not paid out as dividends. It is used to reinvest in the business or pay down debt.

B. Comprehensive incomeincludes all changes in equity except those from owner contributions or distributions.

C. Share capitalrefers to funds raised by issuing shares.

D. Gross profitis revenue minus the cost of goods sold, not the portion retained.

References:Volume 1, Chapter 11 ("Corporations and Their Financial Statements")?.

The primary responsibility for gatekeeping in the securities industry resides with CIRO (Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization) dealer members and their employees. This gatekeeping role includes adhering to regulations, implementing Know Your Client (KYC) and Know Your Product (KYP) rules, and ensuring compliance with ethical standards and client-focused reforms.

Dealer members and their employees must ensure that the products and services offered are suitable for their clients and that any potential conflicts of interest are managed appropriately.

Study Document References:

Volume 1, Chapter 3:The Gatekeeper Role in Securities Regulation, focusing on the responsibilities of CIRO dealer members??.

Discount brokers fall under the category ofretail firms. Retail firms cater to individual investors and often provide services such as executing trades at reduced commission rates, but they typically do not offer financial advice or portfolio management. Discount brokers provide online platforms for self-directed investors.

A. Institutional firms: These firms serve large-scale investors such as pension funds or mutual funds, not individual investors.

C. Integrated firms: These firms operate in both retail and institutional markets, but discount brokers are specifically associated with retail services.

D. Boutique firms: These firms specialize in niche markets or services, such as wealth management or specific industry securities, rather than general retail brokerage.

When a security price increases in a long margin position, the equity in the margin account increases. The investor gains additional buying power and may withdraw excess margin, which represents the difference between the current equity and the margin requirement.

Option A:Incorrect; the investor would incur gains, not losses.

Option B:Incorrect; interest is charged on borrowed amounts, not excess margin.

Option C:Incorrect; additional funds are not required when equity rises.

True inflation is defined as a general and sustained increase in the prices of goods and services throughout an economy over time.

A (Jump in call prices)andD (one-time price increase due to tax)are isolated events and not inflation.

B (Sustained decrease in prices)describes deflation, not inflation.

References:Volume 1, Chapter 4 ("The Impact of Inflation")?.

Listing on a public exchange provides companies with access to a broader pool of potential investors. This increased visibility enhances the ability to raise capital through the issuance of shares or bonds. Although there are additional costs associated with being publicly listed (such as listing fees and compliance costs), the benefits of access to new sources of funding and improved liquidity for shares often outweigh these concerns.

A. Management will benefit from the public disclosure of changes in the company: Public disclosure does not directly benefit management but is a requirement for transparency.

C. Listing the company will require restrictions on stock options issued for internal use: While stock option plans may be regulated, this is not a primary consideration for listing.

D. The valuation of securities for estate tax purposes and estate tax planning will be easier: While public listing improves transparency, estate tax considerations are not a primary driver of listing decisions.

The settlement date for Government of Canada bonds follows theT+1 rule, meaning settlement occursone business day after the transaction date. This rule ensures efficient clearing and settlement processes in the government bond market.

B. Same day the transaction takes place: While this applies to some instruments in rare cases (e.g., cash transactions), it is not the standard for Government of Canada bonds.

C. Two business days after the transaction (T+2): This applies to equity trades and corporate bonds but not government bonds.

D. Three business days after the transaction (T+3): This is an outdated settlement timeline.

The shares held by institutional investors, along with other shares available for trading by the public, are referred to as thepublic float shares. These are the issued shares of a company that are actively traded in the market, excluding restricted shares held by insiders or strategic investors.

Other options:

Issued shares: Includes all shares a company has issued, including restricted shares.

Outstanding shares: Includes all shares held by all shareholders, including restricted shares and shares not available for trading.

Market capitalization shares: Not a term used to describe shares; market capitalization is a measure of a company's total value based on its stock price and outstanding shares.

References:

Volume 1, Chapter 8:Equity Securities, section on "Public Float and Market Capitalization" explains the concept of public float shares?.