How does it work
How does the framework work in practice?
In recognition of the enormous diversity within the general insurance market, the qualifications framework has been designed to be as flexible as possible, allowing candidates from across the industry to choose a route that satisfies their needs and preferences.
To provide a flavour of how the framework works in practice, there follows a few examples of how qualifications can be obtained for different types of roles within the industry. As can be seen, the requirements and aspirations of individuals from all sectors and at all levels can be accommodated.
Example 1 – Certificate in Insurance
Talib, a motor claims handler in a call centre, enters and passes three Certificate units: the compulsory paper ‘Insurance, legal and regulatory’ and the optional units ‘Insurance claims handling process’ and ‘Motor insurance products’. With each unit worth 15 credits, Talib passes the 40-credit threshold for completion of the Certificate.
(IF1) Insurance, legal and regulatory
15 credits |
(IF4) Insurance claims handling process
15 credits |
(IF5) Motor insurance products
15 credits |
| Certificate in Insurance (minimum 40 credits required) |
Talib is awarded a Certificate in Insurance upon completion and as a member of the CII he is invited to apply to use the designation ‘Cert CII’. The credits obtained for completing the Certificate will count towards study for higher level CII qualifications should he continue his studies.
Example 2 – Diploma in Insurance
Nicola, a 25 year old account handler in a commercial brokerage, enters and passes at Diploma level the compulsory units ‘Insurance practice and regulation’, ‘Business practice’ and ‘Insurance law’. She then passes the Advanced Diploma unit ‘Commercial property insurance underwriting’, and as she meets the entry requirements for the Advanced Diploma, she is able to select and pass another Advanced Diploma unit ‘Insurance broking’.
The compulsory units provide a total of 65 credits, with the Advanced Diploma units worth 30 credits each (total 60), amounting in total to 125 credits. Nicola passes the 110-credit threshold for Diploma, including the specified combination of credits.
(P01) Insurance practice and regulation
20 credits |
(P04) Business practice
20 credits |
(P05) Insurance law
25 credits |
(750) Commercial property insurance underwriting
30 credits |
(930) Insurance broking
30 credits |
| Diploma in Insurance (minimum 110 credits required) |
Nicola is awarded a Diploma in Insurance on completion and invited to apply for membership of the CII and use of the designation ‘Dip CII’. Her credits will count towards study for Advanced Diploma should Nicola continue her studies, including 60 credits at the Advanced Diploma level.
Example 3 – Advanced Diploma in Insurance
Sarah works for a Lloyd’s syndicate as a property underwriting assistant and has aspirations of becoming a property underwriter. To this end, she now wants to study for the Advanced Diploma.
She has already completed the Lloyd’s and London Market Introductory Test (LLMIT) and the Diploma in Insurance, passing the compulsory units ‘Insurance practice and regulation’, ‘Business practice’ and ‘Insurance law’, and the Advanced Diploma unit ‘Principles of property insurances’. LLMIT provides 15 credits, the Diploma compulsory units provide a total of 65 credits and the Advanced Diploma unit 30, amounting to 110 credits in all.
Lloyd’s and London Market Introductory Test (LLMIT)
15 credits |
(P01) Insurance practice and regulation
20 credits |
(P04) Business practice
20 credits |
(P05) Insurance law
25 credits |
(745) Principles of property insurances
30 credits |
Diploma in Insurance (minimum 110 credits required) |
In order to complete the Advanced Diploma, Sarah requires another 180 credits (with at least 150 of these to come from Advanced Diploma units). She enters and passes the compulsory Advanced Diploma unit ‘Risk, regulation and capital adequacy’ and then selects further Advanced Diploma units ‘Risk management’, ‘Commercial property insurance underwriting’, ‘Principles of reinsurance’, ‘Underwriting management’ and ‘London Market underwriting’. The first five of these are worth 30 credits each, with the last worth 40, giving a total of 190 and amounting to 300 credits in all. Sarah meets the 290-credit threshold for Advanced Diploma, including the specified combination of credits.
(510) Risk, regulation and capital adequacy
30 credits |
(655) Risk management
30 credits |
(750) Commercial property insurance underwriting
30 credits |
(785) Principles of reinsurance
30 credits |
(815) Underwriting management
30 credits |
(955) London Market underwriting
40 credits |
| Advanced Diploma in Insurance (minimum 290 credits required) |
Sarah is awarded an Advanced Diploma in Insurance on completion and as a member of the CII she is invited to apply to use the designation ‘ACII’. She can also apply for ‘Chartered Insurer’ status and has the option to continue her studies towards Fellowship if she wishes.
Example 4 – Fellowship (including the MSc in Insurance and Risk Management)
Lucy works as a regional underwriting manager within a large commercial insurer. She joined from university onto a Graduate Training Programme and, as part of her training, completed the Advanced Diploma in Insurance, attaining the designation ‘ACII’.
Upon completing five years’ work experience, she applied for and was awarded ‘Chartered Insurer’ status.
Lucy is keen to continue to advance her career. She sees ongoing structured professional development as essential to the fulfilment of her ambitions.
Three years after completing the Advanced Diploma, Lucy decides to enter for CII Fellowship. This involves her meeting a number of requirements related to advanced professional development:
| Continuing professional development (CPD) |
Submission of three years’ CPD records |
Business ethics programme (BEP) |
Completing a distance learning course providing a framework for the ethical and moral issues that she faces in the workplace |
Statement of personal achievement (SPA) |
The submission of a statement summarising the learning and development she has gained through the Fellowship programme and how her future prospects will be helped through her achievement |
Major achievement |
Undertaking one of the following: an insurance-related dissertation; a work-based project report; a further academic or professional qualification; or a portfolio of published works |
For her ‘major achievement’, Lucy decides to obtain an additional professional qualification: the CII/Cass Business School MSc in Insurance and Risk Management.
Through the MSc Lucy explores the growing relationship between insurance, risk management and financial services developing her technical understanding.
As a holder of the Advanced Diploma, Lucy can take a fast-track route to completion of the MSc via exemptions from four of the compulsory eight core modules. She must take four core modules, select five elective modules from a choice of fifteen, and complete a dissertation.
As a part-time student she completes this in eighteen months, rather than the two years it will typically take non-Advanced Diploma holders.
Lucy completes her MSc and fulfils all the Fellowship requirements. She is awarded the Fellowship on completion and, as a member of the CII, is invited to apply to use the designation ‘FCII’. She is also entitled to use the designation ‘MSc’.
