Get

Started
Your Guide to the Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)

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Contents
Why Choose The Insurance Institute?
Accreditation – How It Works
Our Qualifications
The Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
Key Information
What You’ll Study
How to Apply
Where Next?
Contact Us

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Today is the start of something new. A day
to take control of your career, improve your
prospects and drive your potential.

We’re here to help you do it all.

Why choose The Insurance Institute?

We provide membership, training and
education programmes for the Irish
insurance market. Our programmes
are developed with industry experts,
using a flexible, personalised approach,
that ensures your learning is directly
applicable to your career and business
needs.
Delivered using online lectures and
blended learning methods, we help you
balance your home and work life with
study. By providing you with on-the-go
supports, your content is accessible
whenever and wherever suits you.
It’s more than just three letters – we
give you membership to the largest
community of insurance professionals in
the country at both a local and national
level. Thus, giving you access to endless
opportunities to build your contacts and
expand your network.

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Accreditation – How It Works
The Insurance Institute provides
professional qualifications recognised
at Levels 7 and 8 on the National
Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and
works in partnership with IT Sligo, our
accreditation partner, to do so.
Our Certificate in Insurance Product
Advice (APA) and Certificate in Insurance
Practice (CIP) programmes are
accredited by IT Sligo as Level 7 Special
Purpose Awards, our Higher Diploma
in Insurance Management (MDI) and
our BA (Hons) Insurance Practitioner
Apprenticeship are Level 8 Major Awards
on the Framework.
What does this mean? It is these ECTS credits that enable
Programmes on the NFQ are classified by the qualifications to be nationally and
level and it is this level that gives you and internationally recognised, allowing you
others an easy way to see the standard greater flexibility in how you can leverage
of the programme learnings. these academic achievements at home
Moving up through the levels requires and around the world.
more advanced learning from you as a
student and might involve stricter entry
requirements.
The awards offered at each level can also
vary, depending on the amount of study
and student input required for each one.
This is measured by European Credit
Transfer System (ECTS) credits.
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Our Qualifications
Gaining a professional qualification is one of the best moves you can make.
We have a programme to suit each stage of your career path and to help you develop the skills you will need to move forward.

Career Level Entry Intermediate Experienced Advanced Executive

NFQ Level 7 7 8

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INSU DI
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IFI

CTO
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Qualifications

CERT
CTO

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INSU DI
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Certificate in Certificate in Higher Diploma Associate of the Certified Insurance

Insurance Product Insurance Practice in Insurance Chartered Insurance Director
Advice Management Institute

Fellow of the Chartered

Insurance Institute PREVIOUS NEX T
Getting Started
Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
So you have decided on an
insurance career. Now it is
time to start your qualification
journey. The first step, develop
the core skills you need at
this level and give yourself a
confidence boost that you can
only get from acquiring new
knowledge.
Who is this for?
This programme will give you a basic
understanding of the Irish insurance market.
Perfect for you if you are new to the industry. It
teaches you what you need to know at this early
stage of your career—focussing on insurance
processes and regulation’s impact on your
customers, as well as allowing you to choose
product modules in an area of your choice.
Completing this course will also help you
meet The Central Bank of Ireland’s Minimum
Competency Code requirements (MCC). These
are a necessary part of your job if you are in a
customer-facing role.
Entry and Technical Requirements
To apply for the APA programme, you must be
at least 18 years of age. If you are not a college
graduate, a Level 5 award or equivalent is
required, including a pass in Maths and English/
Irish.
As we deliver all of our programmes in English,
you must have a high level of proficiency.
Level 7
To engage with online tutorials and take part in
online examinations, you are required to have
access to a strong internet connection as well
as a PC or laptop with a functioning camera,
microphone, working speakers and 4 GB of RAM.
Course delivery
We work hard to make our products and services
the best they can be. So our programmes and
delivery methods are constantly evaluated to
ensure we offer you the best experience possible
for your learning style.
The APA will give you the basic knowledge and
confidence you need to start your career and is
delivered via live online classes and self-directed
learning using a combination of:
— Quitch, a mobile app that improves retention
and boosts exam performance.
— Online study supports (such as Micro-learning
activities, learning plans, past papers,
guideline answers, and mock exams)
— Printed textbook to help better visualise the
material
— Live and on-demand lectures with industry PREVIOUS NEX T
experts
Getting Started Level 7
Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
Assessment Professional Recognition
The APA module assessment is an end-of- Once you have completed your first three
Key Information semester exam that can be sat in January, May, modules, we will offer you the Accredited
or September each year. Product Adviser professional designation. This
QUALIFICATION designation relates to your first chosen product
The exam is 2 hours long, is multiple choice and
Certificate in Insurance Product Advice
features 100 questions. You are allowed 2 hours category. You can add to this over time through
Awarding body: IT Sligo
NFQ: Level 7 Special Purpose Award to complete it in an online setting. further study.
ECTS: 15 — Pass mark: 40% When you accept this, you will be able to use
the letters ‘APA’ after your name, along with the
DESIGNATION
product-specific title. Here is an example of how
APA (Accredited Product Adviser) On completion of the programme you can expect
Awarding body: The Insurance Institute
this works. For instance, for the Personal General
to: Insurance (CIP-03) product module, your
MODULES — Understand the core concepts of general designation would be – APA (Personal General
Three (Two core, One elective) insurance in the product area of your choice Insurance).
— Describe how regulation impacts the advice Upon completing all three modules, you can
DURATION
you give to your customers consider what we refer to as an APA+. Sitting
12 week semester
— Actively apply your knowledge in your day-to- additional APA modules will not only widen your
EXAM DATES day work product knowledge but will give you different
January, May and September — Use your new skills in future studies APA product designations to demonstrate your
(iii.ie/keydates)
throughout your career commitment to your career. You can find out
FEES more about this later in this guide or on the
€330 per module + membership fee website iii.ie/APA
(iii.ie/fees)

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 Level 7
To begin with, you will need to complete these TWO core modules:

THE NATURE OF INSURANCE (CIP-01) COMPLIANCE AND ADVICE (CIP-02)

Topics Topics
— T he Irish insurance market —W  hy and how we regulate
—R  isk and risk management — Impact of regulation

What You’ll Study

— Insurable risks and their insurance solutions — Agency and relationship management
—U  nderwriting: the people and processes — Impact of The Central Bank Consumer Protection Code
— T he insurance contract and policy — Insurance documentation
— T he legal environment — Other legal requirements
To apply for the APA —D  uties and responsibilities in the claims process — Ethics and competency

programme, you —C  alculating the claim payment: who should pay and how much? — Dispute resolution

must be at least 18 Once you have completed your core modules, you can then choose ONE product module *:
years of age and
PERSONAL GENERAL COMMERCIAL GENERAL HEALTH INSURANCE AND
meet the academic INSURANCE (CIP-03) INSURANCE (CIP-04) ASSOCIATED INSURANCES (CIP-05)

entry requirements. Topics Topics Topics

— Knowing the consumer and suitability
— Motor insurances
— Household insurances – definitions,
insurable values and information
gathering
— Household insurances
— Travel and protection insurances
— Private health insurance
— The claims process
— Knowing the client and suitability
— Commercial motor insurances
— Commercial property insurances –
insurable values and presentation
of information
— Commercial property insurances – policy
cover
— Other property related insurances
— Commercial liability insurances
— The claims process
— Healthcare provision
—C  hallenges into the future of health
insurance
— P rivate health insurance (community
rated)
—R  isk-rated health insurance
— K nowing the consumer and suitability
—H  ealth insurance claims and
administration
A second product module can be
taken as a stand-alone APA award
following the completion of your
first APA and will count towards
your CIP qualification further
down the line. We refer to this as
our APA+, and you can find more
information on the website
iii.ie/APA

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Getting Started Level 7
Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
How to apply Continuing Professional Development
You must be a current member of the Institute After accepting your designation, you will need to
to apply for this course (iii.ie/membership). complete Continuing Professional Development
Applications can be made online through the (CPD) to maintain it. As this may be your first
member area and semester start dates can be designation, be sure that we have many ways
found at iii.ie/keydates. you can do this and support available to help you
Exams take place each January, May and better understand your requirements. You can
September. learn more about what you need to do and how
we can help you online at iii.ie/CPD.
We always recommend that students,
particularly new students, only sit one module at
a time. Some students do take two per semester. If you are not new to the industry and at the
time of sitting your exam, you are subject to CPD
requirements under MCC 2017; each exam that
Exemptions or Recognition of Prior Learning
you successfully complete equates to 8 hours
If you completed any of our exams in the past 10
CPD.
years, or if you have earned other insurance or
business qualifications, you could be entitled to
exemptions from some of our modules.
Have a look at our Exemptions Checker at
iii.ie/exemptions-checker to see what options
are available to you. For full details on how to
apply for an exemption, as well as our terms and
conditions, visit iii.ie/exemptions or give us a
call on 01 645 6670 to chat through the process.
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Where Next?
After completing your APA exam, you will
be a little more confident in your abilities
and are now compliant. This means
that you can work unsupervised in the
insurance industry in the product area in
which you’ve qualified.
You do not have to stop there though.
The insurance sector is very complex.
Many products and services overlap and
it does you no harm to broaden your
knowledge across the board. Especially
at this early stage.
There is a wide range of other
programmes you can now start to
consider which will enhance your
credentials and broaden your career
options.
To find out more about our APA+ or CIP
programmes and the benefits to your
career, please visit the website
iii.ie/qualifications.
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We’re Here For You
As a valued member of The
Insurance Institute, you should know
that we are always here for you to
provide you with any support and
advice you might need.
In addition to a wide range of study
aids, we also provide additional
services, both on and offline, to
help you get the most out of your
membership with us.
You are not alone
Our member services team are here to
assist with any questions or concerns you
might have. From membership queries
to exam day arrangements and beyond,
they are here to get you the answers you
need and to provide you with an in-depth
understanding of the products and services
we offer. (iii.ie/membership)
They are contactable by phone
(01 645 6670) or email
(memberservices@iii.ie) and, in many
circumstances, can come back to you the
same day with a resolution.
Support when you need it most
It is challenging balancing study with work
and home life. So we offer a range of study
supports to suit all learning styles, to help
you plan your time, test your knowledge
and get exam day ready.
You can access them on multiple devices
and they include:
— Videos to help you get started
— Textbooks, key points and learning
plans
— Guides to success
— Gamification tools*
— Mock exams and sample papers
— Online lectures and Webinars
— Microlearning
— E-Books and audio recordings
*The Quitch app is currently used on all APA modules.
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For more
information,
visit iii.ie/APA
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