An authorised financial advisor must either be grandfathered (ie had years of experience verified by the regulator) or have a QFA diploma (a bit tougher than a few exams, believe me..). They also need to build up CPD hours every year to keep their knowledge current.
OP, have you thought about approaching an existing broker/adviser and seeing if you could work part time on a split commission basis only (i.e use his agencies & back office support in return for a portion of your commission). You could possibly do this part time until you get a feel for the job.