How to Study Insurance Institute of London Revision

How to Study Insurance Institute of London Revision Lecture Xchanging Building 1. 15 pm, Monday 18 th January 2010 How to Study & Revise for your CII Exams Len Wilkins FCII, Consultant & Chris Paine Dip CII, Consultant Chairman : Alex Booth Partner, Elborne Mitchell - Solicitors IIL Revision Lectures are kindly sponsored by Xchanging With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 1

How to Study Health Warning Ø Imperative you obtain copy of new 2010 Cert/Dip/ACII Brochure Ø Modernisation of General Insurance (GI) syllabus ‘Changes at a Glance 2010 – 2011’ Ø Evolutionary not an immediate explosion Ø Many changes to some ‘old favourites’ Ø Please contact CII Face-to-Face Training for further information on 0207 283 3117 Ø After all, it’s only in Fenchurch Street Ø Please go and talk to the team there With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 2

How to Study Enhanced CII Exam Process Ø CII placing greater focus on testing practical application of knowledge levels Ø Certificate : fundamental level Ø Diploma : technical & supervisory Ø Advanced : sophisticated knowledge application Ø CII will achieve this by offering enhanced subjects, realignment of units, study pathways, modified completion criteria, streamlined content and improved learning & revision materials & other tools With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 3

How to Study Planning your CII Route Ø April 2010 will be last sitting for : Ø PO 1 Insurance Practice & Regulation Ø PO 4 Business Practice – Dip compulsory Ø Ø October 2010 will be last sitting for : P 10 Commercial Insurance Practice 745 Principles of Property Insurance 785 Principles of Reinsurance Ø More subjects will be removed after October 2011 sitting – 510, 770, 815 & CITIP With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 4

How to Study Planning your CII Route Ø Ø Ø 7 new subjects already introduced in 2009 April 2010 will be first sitting for : P 91 Aviation and Space Insurance P 97 Reinsurance 990 Insurance Corporate Management Ø Then in October 2010 : Ø P 90 Cargo and Goods in Transit Insurance Ø Plus 7 more new subjects from April 2011 With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 5

How to Study New CII General Designation System Ø CII introduced important changes to structure of obtaining CII qualifications Ø Award in Insurance (FIT) Ø Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII) Ø Diploma in Insurance (Dip CII) Ø Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) Ø Beyond that is CII Fellowship Ø CII constantly reviews syllabus content Ø Please check CII ‘Latest Editions’ With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 6

How to Study Further General Opportunities Ø MSc in Insurance and Risk Management at Cass Business School Ø Chartered Status & Chartered Firm Titles Ø New CII Faculties – Underwriting, Claims, Insurance Broking, London Market Ø CITIP (up to October 2011) Ø Certificate in Contract Wording Ø Diplomas in Life & Disability Underwriting and Life & Disability Claims Ø Lloyd’s & London Market Introductory Test (LLMIT) With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 7

How to Study CII is working for you Ø Ongoing CII intiatives include : Ø ‘Revison. Mate’ facility – free e-learning revision aid now part of many textbooks Ø New ‘How to Study’ courses at Fountain House & elsewhere – useful for those who have returned to study after long break Ø Improved access to past exam guides as an aid to help you structure & write answers Ø Access to copies of recommended reading textbooks With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 8

How to Study I don’t want to do this – don’t worry, nobody does Ø You’re not going to believe it, but studying can be fun Ø For those of you used to studying, some thoughts Ø For those of you who struggle, or are studying for the first time, some ideas ! With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 9

Firstly, why people fail !! How to Study Research has show that students fail CII exams for three reasons Ø ONE - they did not PREPARE Ø TWO - they did not FINISH examination paper Ø THREE - they did not PRACTISE answering questions You have been warned – so you need to study properly to avoid these traps With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 10

How to Study Ø We’re going to look at : Studying Recalling Reviewing Revising Although CII exams are not typical academic exams, exam techniques still vital – please attend ‘How to Pass Your CII Exams’ At Xchanging 1. 15 pm Monday 15 th February With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 11

Five Golden Rules to Studying How to Study Ø Rule One – organise yourself Ø Rule Two - activate your brain - find out what motivates it - if you’re bored, so is your brain ! Ø Rule Three - you can’t revise until you’ve learned your subject - you should allow 8 weeks to revise With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 12

Five Golden Rules to Studying How to Study Ø Rule Four - if your existing study methods don’t work, perhaps it’s time to find new ways of learning (we call this ‘learning styles’) and lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Ø Rule Five - promise yourself you will study NOW and NOT day before exams With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 13

How to Study Step One Ø Ø Ø Decide on correct examination route : Award Certificate Diploma Advanced Diploma Decide number of study subjects - no more than 2 at any one sitting, please Ø Establish how long it will take to study various subject levels With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 14

Study Time & CII Credits Required How to Study Ø Cert CII Average 50 hours ( 40 credits) Ø Dip CII Average 100 hours (110 credits) * Ø ACII Average 120 hours (290 credits) Ø * Dip CII increases to 120 credits in 2011 Ø CII has changed credit requirements Ø Please see CII website for full information With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 15

How to Study Step Two Ø Ø Ø Buy stationery supplies Pads, pens, highlighter pens Drawing pins or ‘Bluetack’ Sticky tape Tape recorder Old posters or flipchart Ø Now make up study plan allowing for study and play time – then STICK TO IT ! With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 16

How to Study Step Three Ø Start with copy of syllabus - CII identifies its learning outcomes, so please see what's important and what extra reading is recommended Ø Exams set from syllabus, so make sure you know what is important and how much detail you need to know Ø Shame to study something CII doesn’t worry about or removed from syllabus two years ago – please see Latest Text Editions With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 17

How to Study Step Three Ø Look at previous exam guides for past 2 years (last 4 exam sessions) Ø Look at topics that have been used for compulsory questions, essay questions and short answer questions Ø Produce list, grid or ‘matrix’ of what comes up regularly and what never seems to be examined With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 18

Exam Grid or Matrix How to Study Ø CII Examiners sent grid showing syllabus points and when topics were last examined Ø Great idea to do similar exercise, so obtain examination guides for last 4 sessions (we have prepared short example for 530) Ø £ 11. 00 from CII website or CII e-mail for members (£ 12. 00 for non-members) Ø www. cii. co. uk or customer. serv@cii. co. uk Ø CII Customer Services 0208 989 8464 With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 19

How to Study Time to make plans Ø You need to plan your time Ø Work out when you are most responsive to new ideas - weekends, early mornings, late at night Ø How much time will you need ? Ø Fit studying around work, social life, holidays, study assignments, revision times With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 20

How to Study Time to make plans Ø Do this and you will accept study time more easily, realise your aims are feasible and stand a chance of keeping your sense of humour (and your partner’s support) Ø Once you’ve made this plan, KEEP TO IT ! With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 21

Weekly Time Plan How to Study Ø Weekly Study Time for each Subject Level Ø Cert CII - 3 to 4 hours a week Ø Dip CII - 6 to 8 hours a week Ø ACII - 8 to 10 hours a week Ø In today’s society, this is a ‘big ask’ Ø You will have to make some sacrifices With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 22

How to Study How to Plan Ø Start studying early in November for April exam session (yes, immediately after October exams – sorry) Ø Mid-November to mid-February = 13 weeks Ø Revision should begin around 1 March Ø Gives you 8 weeks for revision Ø Maximum 2 exams per sitting (once again, this is sound CII advice) With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 23

How to Study Step Four Ø Assess syllabus and course textbook to see what study time required – try not to allow set time for each chapter Ø GRADE subjects into degrees of difficulty : Ø HARD – much thought & concentration Ø DIFFICULT - some hard work Ø EASY - needs revising, simple background reading With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 24

How to Study Step Five Ø Now allocate your time over these subjects on 3: 2: 1 ratio Ø 3 hours for hard Ø 2 hours for difficult Ø 1 hour for easy Ø Please allow sufficient time to complete and send in your Continuous Assessments (CA) & Final Assessment in good time – 10% of your marks if successful Ø Cut-off date for April 2010 exams is 12 th March and not more than 2 CA papers to tutor at any one time, please With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 25

How to Study Suggestion Ø Try to get face-to-face tuition - if not, try to arrange your own study group at work (‘peer or group pressure’) Ø Time to start studying – scan read book, ignore bits you don’t need - take text you consider important and rephrase into your own style (‘judges notes’) Ø Summarise or highlight text passages Ø Please try to practise writing essays under exam conditions – when was the last time you put pen to paper for so long ? With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 26

How to Study Don’t just write notes Ø Don’t just write notes - use colours, pictures, boxes, rhymes - anything to help your memory and give your brain something tangible to hold on to Ø Use your imagination – even write your own short questions in margin Ø Use unrelated items – any form of thought association With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 27

How to Study Don’t just write notes Ø Put important points on ‘flash’ cards, posters or notes suitable for you - use acronyms, phrases, triggers Ø Tape main points of a passage and replay them - use gags, music, sing to the text Ø Play Insurance ‘Mastermind’ or ‘Trivial Pursuit’ Ø Hopefully before you contemplate revision, you will have read through textbook at least twice, if not more for certain sections With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 28

How to Study Notes give your brain something to retain when it gets DIFFICULT Ø Ø Ø MOVEMENT EXAGGERATION Make them INTERESTING Make them FUNNY Use MNEMONICS (system for improving memory) With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 29

How to Study Anyone for Tennis ? Ø If you have partner in life, don’t forget about them Ø Are they supportive - ask them to test you Ø Get them to use flash cards With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 30

How to Study Stupid, but it works !! Ø Before you start, say out loud : ‘I am going to pass this exam; in fact, I am going to get a distinction’ (Okay, you might have to stretch truth there) Ø Don’t get bored - give your brain variety Ø Work personal reward system With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 31

Now to Revision How to Study Ø Passive Revision - learning, reviewing notes, re-expressing facts, concepts and ideas Ø Active Revision - answer questions, memory ‘joggers’ - words, rhymes, tapes, flash cards or notes for key points and legal cases - put them round house - mind maps to link things together and above all practise under exam conditions ! Ø Create associations in your mind With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 32

How to Study Revision Ø Use continuous assessment facilities, correspondence or on-line courses Ø Study texts with on-line support Ø ed. LEARN, CD-Ro. Ms & Interactive Learning Ø Key Facts Booklets, Distance Learning, CII Revision Days & Workshops, Evening Classes and CII Knowledge Services Ø Examination guides, case study workbooks Ø Please contact CII Face-to-Face Training or your HR Department for help With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 33

How to Study Revision Ø Plan your revision Ø Prepare timetable that includes work and leisure, then stick to it Ø Remember, you need somewhere quiet, free of distractions, equipped with study space With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 34

How to Study The end is in sight, so keep going Ø Revise in attainable chunks - not whole syllabus all at once Ø Study for 40 minutes - revise and review for 40 minutes - 15 minute reward break - then repeat process Ø Lastly review key points you’ve learned for 5 minutes - technique will help put facts into your long-term memory – start all over again With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 35

How to Study The end is in sight, so keep going Ø Just before you go to bed, review key points of all facts you’ve learned during session Ø LASTLY, don’t forget to set alarm clock for 30 minutes earlier than usual - revisit key facts from previous day Ø You will be amazed how many facts you remember ! With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 36

Attitude How to Study Ø Think POSITIVELY Ø KNOW your subject (and be able to write long tracts about it – another mention, so it is very important) Ø Be CONFIDENT Ø You are aiming for a DISTINCTION ! With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 37

How to Study Remember ……. . Ø Practise writing answers - you will find out what you don’t know! Would you have passed your driving test without driving a car first ? Ø Thousands of people pass CII exams every year and every year CII appoints hundreds of new ACII’s, Dip CII’s and Cert CII’s Ø Remember, one day this could be …………. . YOU !!!!! With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 38

How to Study Co-Authors of this Presentation Len Wilkins FCII SICAT Training Consultancy Telephone 01451 821063 Mobile 07970 668849 E-Mail Len. Wilkins@sicat. co. uk Chris Paine Dip CII Independent Training Consultant & Advisor Telephone 01923 775049 Mobile 07770 671840 E-Mail painefamily@supanet. com With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2010 39