SOCPA Fellowship Regulations Content: The 6 Topics and Their Weights

Information last checked: 31 October 2026. Exam details and topics can change, so check the Fellowship exam page on the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA) website and the Fellowship exam topics document before you start studying.

The regulations subject tests legal text. Most questions ask for the rule in one specific article, or for a period, a percentage or the competent authority. It is the only Fellowship subject that covers dozens of laws in two hours, so the topic weights tell you where to begin.

Exam format at a glance

Format data comes from the SOCPA document on changes to the Fellowship exam structure and the exam page. All questions for this subject on our site are multiple choice, as in the real exam.

The six topics and their weights

SOCPA publishes a minimum and a maximum share of exam questions for each topic. The question counts below are the split we use in our 50-question practice tests, taken from the middle of each range:

Topics 4 and 6 alone are 28 questions in our tests, and topic 5 adds 12, so these three make 40 of the 50. Topics 1, 2 and 3 together are 10.

Topic 1: Introduction to the study of law (about 2 questions)

The concept of law, the features of a legal rule (general, abstract, binding), mandatory and supplementary rules, public and private law, and the sources, scope and branches of law. It includes how laws are issued in Saudi Arabia: by royal decree, which is also how they are amended.

Topic 2: Financial transactions (about 5 questions)

The rules of the Civil Transactions Law: ownership, legal capacity, sale, lease, suretyship and civil partnership. Questions are mostly short cases on the age of majority, validity of a contract, the duties of seller, buyer, lessor and tenant, and the surety's rights.

Topic 3: Principles of commercial law (about 3 questions)

Commercial acts, the merchant and his duties, the general theory of commercial contracts, and three laws: the Commercial Courts Law, the Commercial Books Law and the Commercial Register Law. Expect record-keeping periods, registration duties and penalties.

Topic 4: Commercial laws (about 19 questions)

The biggest and most varied topic. Its questions spread across many laws:

• Bankruptcy Law: preventive settlement, financial restructuring, liquidation and the small-debtor procedure.
• Companies Law (issued in 1443 AH): company forms, incorporation, management, the auditor, dissolution and liquidation. It is the heaviest part of this topic.
• Commercial Papers Law: bills of exchange, promissory notes and cheques.
• Commercial contracts: commission agency, commercial agencies, commercial pledge and brokerage.
• Finance Companies Control Law and Finance Lease Law.
• Law of Security Rights in Movable Assets: creating, registering and enforcing security.
• Cooperative Insurance Companies Control Law and Banking Control Law.
• Investment Law: the new Investment Law that replaced the foreign investment law named in the topics document.
• Capital Market Law and its regulations: insider dealing, disclosure and the Capital Market Authority's powers.
• Competition Law, E-Commerce Law and Commercial Franchise Law.

Topic 5: Laws related to the profession (about 12 questions)

Its official range is wide (14–32%) because it brings together unrelated laws:

• Anti-Money Laundering Law and Counter-Terrorism and its Financing Law: reporting suspicious transactions, due diligence, record keeping and penalties.
• Arbitration Law: the arbitration agreement, the tribunal, the award and setting it aside.
• Labour Law: the employment contract, probation, working hours, termination and end-of-service award.
• Social Insurance Law (the new law issued in 1445 AH): contributions, pensions and occupational hazards.
• Anti-Concealment Law: its definition and penalties.
• Estates, inheritance and wills under the Personal Status Law: the order of settling an estate, the one-third limit on wills and heirs' shares.
• Fundraising and waqf: the Waqf Nazara Regulation and the Fundraising Law.

Note on fundraising. The topics document names the "Regulation of Fundraising for Charitable Purposes". It has been replaced by the "Fundraising Law" issued by Council of Ministers decision no. 116 of 1446 AH, which applies 180 days after its publication. Study the new law, not the old regulation. That is what our questions are built on.

Topic 6: Accounting and auditing profession law (about 9 questions)

Few laws, many questions. It covers the Accounting and Auditing Profession Law and the organisation of SOCPA: licensing conditions, the auditor's duties, violations and disciplinary penalties, and SOCPA's powers. It also covers the auditor's legal position under the Companies Law and the Banking Control Law: appointment, removal, independence, liability and what is prohibited. The law was issued by Royal Decree No. (M/59) dated 27/7/1442 AH and replaced the older law.

The laws our questions are built on

The laws in force with their latest amendments: the Companies Law of 1443 AH, the Civil Transactions Law of 1444 AH, the Accounting and Auditing Profession Law (M/59), the new Social Insurance Law and the new Fundraising Law. Each of our questions cites the article it relies on. Repealed laws are not used for our questions, and the study plan guide warns you about them.

What the questions look like

In September 2025 SOCPA published practice questions for its professional exams that include the regulations subject. The questions in our practice tests for this subject come in three types:

• A rule in one article: which authority is competent, how long a period is, what the percentage is.
• A short case: facts about a company, an employee or a debtor, and you give the legal ruling.
• Which statement is correct: four options where some contradict one provision in a small detail such as a number or a period.

Start here

• Free practice test: 10 free questions covering the six topics, no sign-up. You see your score and your weakest topics.
• Study plan: topics in order of weight, and the traps from laws that changed.
• Registration guide: conditions, fees and dates.

This is an independent exam preparation website with no connection to SOCPA, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority or any government body.