Key facts for the Certificate in Insurance

Notes:

1. A maximum of 30 credits obtained from financial planning qualifications (CII or comparable awarded by another educational body) can count towards the Certificate. Please note: this rule is currently under review - any changes will be publicised in 2013.
2. Certificate candidates can satisfy the compulsory unit requirement by holding either IF1 the Award in London Market Insurance (units LM1 and LM2).
3. Continuing Professional Development and Code of Ethics requirements apply.

Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements to study for the Certificate

Completion requirements

To achieve the Certificate in Insurance you must accumulate a minimum of 40 credits. Candidates are required to take (IF1) Insurance, legal and regulatory - worth 15 credits  - or the Award in London Market Insurance: (LM1) London market insurance essentials and (LM2) London market insurance principles and practices - worth 25 credits in total. 

What does this qualification involve?

There is no prescribed order in which units must be taken, but it is strongly recommended that you sit the required compulsory units first since these provide foundation knowledge upon which the others build.

This flexible approach allows you to develop a course programme that suits your particular needs and requirements. You can tailor learning to your current role and/or develop areas which are new to you or where you need to gain in-depth knowledge.

Note: The notes below on 'Flexible learning options' detail the ability to use credits from CII financial planning units for insurance qualifications. Particularly relevant may be the Diploma in Financial Planning unit (J07) Supervision in a regulated environment which can be used towards completion of the Certificate. This covers key aspects of supervision, leadership and coaching, and provides 20 Diploma level credits on completion.

Notes: The recommended minimum study hours are shown in the table above (this will vary according to your experience and ability). The nominal pass marks are also shown. However, the actual pass marks may vary slightly from one session to another to ensure that the pass standard remains constant. You may sit as many exams as desired at a single sitting.

Flexible learning options

The overall CII insurance qualifications framework is extremely flexible, allowing you to select units from qualifications other than the one for which you are studying.

Therefore, if you are working towards the Certificate in Insurance you are able to select units from the entire insurance qualifications framework. If you sit or have sat CII financial planning exams (for example, the Financial Planning Certificate, Certificate in Financial Planning, Diploma in Financial Planning, Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, Advanced Financial Planning Certificate, or comparable exams from other professional and educational bodies), you will also receive credits that can count towards completion of the general insurance qualifications.

When studying for the certificate you are allowed to claim up to 30 credits from financial planning units. (Please note: this rule is currently under review - any changes will be publicised in 2013.)

Your past qualifications can count

If you hold a degree or a professional qualification in a relevant subject, for example accounting, business or law, you could receive credits that count towards completion of a CII qualification through our recognition of prior learning scheme.

Important note: To be awarded a CII qualification, you must obtain, by CII examination, dissertation or coursework assessment, a pass in a unit from the qualification that you are looking to complete, and meet the qualification completion requirements. These rules apply irrespective of how many credits your existing qualifications might provide through recognition of prior learning.

Obtain your learning statement online

A CII personalised learning statement provides a record of the exams and resultant credits you hold which can be used towards completing CII qualifications. Importantly,  your statement sets out what you personally need to do to complete a qualification you are, or may be considering working towards, such as the Certificate in Insurance. 

Entering for an online exam

We recommend booking at least six weeks in advance to give the best chance of getting your preferred exam date and venue.

Whilst there is no prescribed order in which units must be taken, it is strongly recommended that you sit the compulsory unit (IF1) Insurance, legal and regulatory first, since this provides foundation knowledge upon which the others build.

Paper-based exams

Outside the UK, Certificate-level exams are available to sit as paper-based exams held in April and October each year. This is offered at over 100 exam centres worldwide.

Applications for examination entry can be accepted up to seven working days before the day of the examination you wish to sit or typically up to three months in advance.

Changes to examination entry or cancellation of examination entry can be accepted if received, at least 21 days before the date of the exam for which you have entered.

• Cancellations received at least 21 days before - 50% refund
• Changes to entry received at least 21 days before - £41.00 administration fee required

Absence from an exam due to illness - written application, with medical evidence, may be made for either a 50% refund of the original entry fee or for your entry to be transferred. Application is to be received within two months of the date of the original exam.

When you pass exams through the CII, the credits will automatically appear on your learning account, including for exams that you may have passed under discontinued CII qualification routes. You may also be able to receive credits for relevant qualifications you have passed through other awarding bodies - to do this you should submit an application for recognition of prior learning.

By claiming credits for qualifications you've attained outside the CII framework, you'll avoid duplicating learning already undertaken, in turn reducing the amount of study and obtaining your CII qualification more quickly. 

If you wish to claim credits to recognise non CII qualifications held, please see the accreditation section of this website, where you can read full guidance on the rules and requirements and download an application form.

Important note: To be awarded a CII qualification, you must obtain, by CII examination, dissertation or coursework assessment, a pass in a unit from the qualification that you are looking to complete, and meet the qualification completion requirements. These rules apply irrespective of how many credits your existing qualifications might provide through recognition of prior learning.

Find out more about applying for recognition of prior learning »

Candidates completing the Certificate in Insurance may wish to consider the Diploma in Insurance.

The Diploma in Insurance is a technical and supervisory qualification for insurance staff working across all sectors of the industry. It has been developed to provide a firm grounding in insurance practice and to build more advanced technical knowledge.

Importantly, successful Certificate candidates possess at least 30 of the 120 credits required in order to complete this. In the development of the Diploma, care has been taken to provide coverage of the full range of insurance topics, ranging from the fundamentals of insurance practice and legislation through to personal lines product families, classes of commercial insurance and specialisms such as risk management and marine.

The Diploma is modular in structure, with candidates able to select units of study according to their preference and career requirements.

Each unit has a credit value and the accumulation of at least 120 credits at the stipulated levels leads to the award of the Diploma and entitles CII members to use the designation 'Dip CII (Continuing Professional Development requirements apply).

Successful candidates also have credits that count towards study for the Advanced Diploma in Insurance. Full details on the Diploma in Insurance are available online at Diploma in Insurance or from Customer Service.

There are two significant changes happening in 2013/14 that have an effect on CII Certificate in Insurance exam candidates.

These changes are regulatory issues which will have a significant impact on CII customers, the way you conduct your business and therefore the content of our syllabuses, study material and exams for certain exam units:

• changes to the regulator of the UK financial services industry (now the FCA); and
• the new Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012

What do these changes mean for CII customers?

Some CII units examine on aspects of the regulator (formerly FSA) and/or issues affected by the Consumer Insurance Act. To ensure that we're examining on current issues and regulation, syllabuses and study material for these units are being updated to reflect the upcoming changes.

Please note - details on changes affecting Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Insurance units can be found in the relevant section(s).

Further background on these changes can be found lower down.

When will these updates be made?

Are there units that will be impacted more than others by the updates brought about by changes to the regulatory regime and The Consumer Insurance Act?

Yes, the following units have more content that will be affected:

How significant will the updates be?
Changes to the regulatory regime and the Consumer Insurance Act will result in some changes to the legislative position that is being examined:

In the case of the regulatory regime, this will largely consist of updating references to the FSA, and its roles and responsibilities, to the new regulatory bodies.

In the case of the Consumer Insurance Act, updates will be made to ensure that, where relevant, the provisions of the new Act are covered. The relevance will vary considerably across different units (with the units most affected listed above).

Are there any changes to the current testing periods that will affect the life of existing study texts?

There are changes to the testing periods for the following units:

• IF1-8/FIT/LM1-2
  The end of the current testing period (and therefore the expiry date of the current edition of the study text) has been extended from 31 December 2012 to 31 August 2013.
• IF9
  The end of the current testing period (and therefore the expiry date of the current edition of the study text) has been brought forward from 31 December 2013 to 31 August 2013.

What happens if the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 does not come into effect in April 2013?
We will communicate to candidates what we plan to do if the dates slip considerably. The general rule for Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Insurance units is that exams are based on the English legislative position six months before the date of the exams.

Background - Financial Services Authority 

What's changed?
Fundamental changes to the regulatory regime have been introduced this year as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) was disbanded.

A new regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is now responsible for policing the behaviour and conduct of all firms, with a focus on ensuring consumers are protected and markets work well. It is also responsible for the solvency and stability of smaller firms such as IFAs.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is now responsible for the solvency and financial stability of the larger institutions (banks, insurance companies, etc.) whose failure could trigger a financial crisis.

Within the Bank of England also sits the Financial Policy Committee (FPC), responsible for scanning for emerging risks to the financial system.

When did this happen?
The new regime came into place on 01 April 2013.  

Background - Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012

What does the Act propose?
The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 will replace the current duty on consumers to volunteer information before taking out insurance, with a duty on consumers to take reasonable care to answer insurers' questions fully and accurately. 

The Bill distinguishes between mistakes which are 'reasonable'; 'careless'; or 'deliberate' or 'reckless'. For deliberate or reckless misrepresentations, the insurer may refuse the claim.

When will the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 come into effect?
The final date is yet to be confirmed, however it is expected to come into effect in April 2013.

Go back to read about how changes will affect CII customers

Insurance buyers have never been more demanding. Good service is the new minimum. Excellent service is required by anyone wanting to distinguish their offer from the competition.

There's even a regulatory imperative - good service standards are integral to Treating Customers Fairly (TCF).

The latest CII exam unit '(IF9) Customer service in insurance' provides a new way for customer facing staff to meet these challenges.

Who is it for?

• New starters to the industry
• Customer facing staff or those looking to move into these roles
• Sales support and claims settlement staff within intermediaries and providers
• Companies looking to evidence TCF

What does it offer?

The unit can be studied on its own as a standalone course, or as part of studies towards the Certificate in Insurance.

It will help build an understanding of the skills required, including:

• Fulfilling customer requirements
• Maintaining and building client relationship
• The importance of keeping accurate and confidential records
• Managing workload and time to meet business requirements
• The main regulatory and legal requirements

The full syllabus can be viewed within the syllabus section.

Successful completion awards 15 Certificate-level credits in the CII qualifications framework.

CII members passing this unit as part of their route towards completion of the Certificate in Insurance can use the designation 'Cert CII (Customer Service)'.

What does it involve?

A 90 minute 'online' (multiple choice questions) exam.

The available study text covers the course syllabus in concise sections, backed up by RevisionMate, a free online study support tool. This can be purchased through the unit shop page by selecting IF9 under 'Certificate in Insurance units'.

Visit the IF9 shop page »

Due to the extent of syllabus overlap, certain combinations of units will result in only one award of credits.

Where two comparable units are held, the higher of the two credit figures will be added to your CII Learning Account. However, should you wish, you may still choose to sit an 'overlapping' unit in order to enhance your knowledge. Units affected are shown below.

There are a number of other limitations to gaining credits for London market qualifications. View full details on recognition in the CII framework for London market qualifications, including the Lloyd's LLMIT