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Application process and fees

Follow these steps to ensure your application meets the requirements and to avoid having to re-apply.

Step 1 - Check your eligibility

Step 2 - Get your supporting documentation certified

Step 3 - Make your application on-line

Step 4 - CII verifies your supporting evidence and confirms next steps

Step 5 - Claim your prior learning award offer (payment)

 

Step 1 - Check your eligibility

Check whether we have recently reviewed your qualification by entering your qualification details into the exemptions search.

Step 2 - Get your supporting documentation certified

Please don't send us original documents unless we specifically request them.

Instead, we accept scanned copies of the originals. These scanned copies must be certified as true representations of the originals.

Who can certify my documents?

  • Current CII or Personal Finance Society members - ensure their membership is still current at  www.ciigroup.org/membersearch
  • Solicitors or notaries - ensure you send us the searchable link to their credentials, or there is no searchable register, please enclose a letter from their regulating body confirming their status as a solicitor or notary
  • Representatives of the awarding organisation

How should I get my documentation certified and send in my application?

A: Certified by a current CII/PFS member, solicitor or notary

  1. Make a copy of the original documents
  2. Show the original to the certifier
  3. Ask the certifier to confirm that the copies are true representations of the originals - by writing on each page of the copies: "I have inspected the original document and confirm this is a true representation", followed by their name (clock capitals) and signature. In addition, CII/PFS members should add their PIN number; solicitors and notaries should add their employer name, work address, email address, telephone number and details of the searchable register confirming their solicitor or notary status. If there is no searchable register, please enclose a letter from their regulating body confirming their status as a solicitor or notary
  4. Scan the certified copies, ensuring the certifier's details are clearly legible. PDF is the preferred file format. Other acceptable file formats are jpeg and png. Please don't send us HEIC files
  5. Ensure the filename is in the English alphabet, doesn't contain spaces, wildcards (eg* ? #) or special characters. The total file size must not exceed 20MB
  6. Upload the certified scanned documents into the application form.

 - Here is an example of correctly certified documentation.

B: Certified by a representative of the awarding organisation

  1. Ask a representative of the awarding organisation to email you a copy of your completion certificate and results transcript
  2. Their email must confirm the name of the qualification within the body of the message and their contact details must appear within the email signature.
  3. Ensure each attachment's file name is in the English alphabet, doesn't contain spaces, wildcards (eg* ? #) or special characters. The total file size must not exceed 20MB
  4. Upload the email with its attachment(s) into the application form

It is your responsibility to ensure that these details are legible and that your application is complete.

C: Digital qualification certificates and results transcripts

  1. Some awarding organisations provide digital certificates and results transcripts containing links to verification software.
  2. Others only provide external links (you don't see the documents). If your documentation contains:
  1. Digital documents containing links to verification software: please upload the pdf documents within the CII application form. Do not provide a printed or scanned copy because CII will need to use the embedded links to verify authenticity.
  2. Web / email links to an external website: where you don’t see the document itself, you would need to ask a CII/PFS member, solicitor, notary or representative of the awarding organisation to certify your documents, as outlined above.

Which certified documents must I upload into the application form?

  1. Qualification completion certificate (eg graduation certificate)
  2. Results transcript confirming your exam passes
  3. Official document confirming your change of name, eg marriage certificate or deed poll (where appropriate)

Please refer to the RPL Documentation FAQs for further details if required.

If you are experiencing difficulty getting your documentation certified because you rarely meet CII or Personal Finance Society members, please refer to the certifying supporting documentation page

Step 3 - Make your application on-line

  • Log in to "MYCII" with your PIN number. If you don't already have a CII account click here
  • Complete the Check Your Eligibility search (Step 1, above) then select Apply
  • Select the exemptions (or sets of non unit-specific credits) that contribute to your desired qualification(s).

Step 4 - CII verifies your supporting evidence and confirms next steps

  • If we have recently determined a prior learning award for your qualification – we will confirm your eligibility decision by email (normally within 15 working days). We will send you two emails: one to confirm the award offer and another with confirmation of the fee.
  • If we have not recently determined a prior learning award for your qualification - we will identify whether we require additional qualification material (e.g. syllabus, specimen exams). If so, we will email you to request this material.

Step 5 - Claim your prior learning award offer (payment)

If your application is successful, claim your award by paying the fee. The payment options are:

  1. Telephone the contact centre to pay by card
  2. Bank transfer
  3. Corporate account.

Once you have paid the fee, your CII learning record will be updated. You can obtain your updated learning statement by visiting our learning statement request page.

Pricing from 4 July 2022

Our current pricing approach is based on the type of non-CII qualification that you have completed:

  • RPL Path 1: Prior learning awards for business, law and maths degrees will be charged at 50% of the standard Enrolment* price of the CII unit(s). The same applies for other qualifications whose learning outcomes and modules have a different structure to CII qualifications. These qualifications partially meet the learning outcomes across multiple CII units.
  • RPL Path 2: Prior learning awards for CII affiliated institutes' qualifications and other license to practice-related qualifications will be charged at 20% of the standard Enrolment* price of the CII unit(s). Examples include (UK) FCA Appropriate Qualifications that are constructed around the same set of regulatory standards as the CII Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning and other qualifications whose learning outcomes and modules have the same structure as CII qualifications.

 *The Enrolment price is the base price for purchasing CII qualification units.

Click here for examples.

To apply 

Before you apply, please read the scheme rules, the example of correctly certified evidence and the case studies. These are the Useful Links on the exemptions search page. Then enter your qualification details in the Exemptions Search to start your application.