Examination Technique With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
How to Study & Revise
for your CII Exams
Len Wilkins FCII, Consultant
Insurance Institute of London Revision Lecture
Xchanging Building
IIL Revision Lectures are kindly sponsored by Xchanging
Chairman : Mr Richard King BSc (Hons) AMIMA ACIArb
Senior Consultant, Helix UK Limited
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Introduction
CII has introduced important changes to structure of obtaining CII qualifications
CII constantly reviews syllabus content
No comments on syllabus changes today
CII has now taken over responsibility for Lloyd’s Training Centre & their courses
Please contact CII Face-to-Face Training for ACII Revision Days on 0207 283 3117
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
New CII Designation System
Award in Insurance (FIT)
MSc in Insurance and Risk Management at Cass Business School
Chartered Status & Chartered Firm Titles
New CII Faculties – Underwriting, Claims, Broking, London Market
CITIP & Certificate in Contract Wording
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
I don’t want to do this –
don’t worry, nobody does
You’re not going to believe it, but studying can be fun
For those of you used to studying, some thoughts
For those of you who struggle, or are studying for the first time, some ideas !
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Firstly, why people fail !!
Research has show that students fail CII exams for three reasons
ONE - they did not PREPARE
TWO - they did not FINISH examination paper
THREE - they did not PRACTISE answering questions
You have been warned – so you need to study properly to avoid these traps
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
How to Study
Studying
Recalling
Reviewing
Revising
Although CII exams are not typical academic exams, exam techniques still vital – please attend “How to Pass Your CII Exams” here at Xchanging at 1.15pm on Monday 18th February
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Five Golden Rules to Studying
Rule One – organise yourself
Rule Two - activate your brain - find out what motivates it - if you’re bored, so is your brain !
Rule Three - you can’t revise until you’ve learned your subject - you should allow eight weeks to revise
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Rule Four - if your existing study methods don’t work, perhaps it’s time to find new ways of learning
and lastly, and perhaps most importantly,
Rule Five - promise yourself you will study NOW and not day before exams
Five Golden Rules to Studying
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Step One
Award
Certificate
Diploma
Advanced Diploma
Decide number of study subjects - no more than two at any one sitting, please
Establish how long it will take to study various subject levels
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Study Time & CII Credits Required
Cert CII Average 50 hours ( 40 credits)
Dip CII Average 96 hours (110 credits)
ACII Average 120 hours (290 credits)
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Step Two
Old posters or flipchart
Now make up study plan allowing for study and play time – then STICK TO IT !
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Step Three
Start with copy of syllabus. CII grades it, so see what's important and what extra reading is recommended
Exams set from syllabus, so make sure you know what is important and how much detail you need to know
Shame to study something CII doesn’t worry about or removed from syllabus two years ago
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Step Four
Look at previous exam guides for past two years (last four exam sessions)
Look at topics that have been used for compulsory questions, essay questions and short answer questions
Produce list, grid or ‘matrix’ of what comes up regularly and what never seems to be examined
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Obtain copy of CII Examination Guides - provide hints, tips and answering ‘styles’ – only official source of CII questions
£9.00 + VAT from CII website or CII e-mail for members (£10.00 + VAT for non-members)
www.cii.co.uk or customer.serv@cii.co.uk
CII Customer Services 0208 989 8464
Talk to others who have taken exam recently and pick their brains – now you know where to focus your mind !
Time to make plans
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
You need to plan your time
Work out when you are most responsive to new ideas - weekends, early mornings, late at night
How much time will you need ?
Fit studying around work, social life, holidays, study assignments, revision times
Time to make plans
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Do this and you will accept study time more easily, realise your aims are feasible and stand chance of keeping your sense of humour (and your partner’s support)
Once you’ve made this plan, KEEP TO IT !
Time to make plans
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Weekly Time Plan
Cert CII – Total Study 35 to 50 Hours
3 to 4 hours a week
Dip CII – Total Study 100 to 150 Hours
6 to 8 hours a week
ACII – Total Study 120 to 150 Hours
8 to 10 hours a week
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
How to Plan
Mid-September to Mid-December = 13 weeks
January to February = 8 weeks
Revision should begin on or near 1st March
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Step Five
Assess syllabus and course text-book to see what study time required. Don’t allow set time for each chapter. GRADE the subjects into degrees of difficulty :
HARD – much thought & concentration
DIFFICULT - some hard work
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Step Five
Now allocate your time over these subjects on 3:2:1 ratio
3 hours for hard
2 hours for difficult
1 hour for easy
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
It’s up to you
Try to get face-to-face tuition. If not, arrange own your study group at work
Continuous Assessment Assignments
Time to start studying. Scan-read book, ignore bits you don’t need. Take text that’s important to you and rephrase words into your own style. Summarise text passages
Get friend to ask you questions, check your answers and assist your revision
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Don’t just write notes
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
Use your imagination – even write your own short questions in margin
Use unrelated items – any form of thought association
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Don’t just write notes
Put important points on “flash” cards, posters or notes suitable for you - use acronyms, phrases, triggers
Tape main points of a passage and replay them - use gags, music, sing to the text
Could you forget principles of FSMA 2000 sung to ‘I will Survive’?
Play Insurance ‘Mastermind’ or ‘Scrabble’
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
MOVEMENT
EXAGGERATION
Use MNEMONICS (system for improving memory)
Making notes will give your brain something to retain when it gets DIFFICULT
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Anyone for Tennis ?
If you have partner in life, don’t forget about them
Are they supportive - ask them to test you
Get them to use flash cards
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Stupid, but it works !!
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)
Don’t get bored - give your brain variety
Work personal reward system
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Revision
Passive Revision - learning, reviewing notes, re-expressing facts, concepts and ideas
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 !
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Revision
Use continuous assessment facilities or correspondence courses, On-Line help such as CII ed, CD-RoM & Interactive, Key Facts Booklets, Distance Learning, CII Revision Days and CII Knowledge Services – again please contact CII Face-to-Face Training
Plan your revision - prepare timetable that includes work and leisure, then stick to it
Remember, you need somewhere quiet, free of distractions, equipped with study space
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Revise in attainable chunks - not whole syllabus all at once
Study for 40 minutes - revise and review for 40 minutes - 15 minute reward break - then repeat process
Lastly review key points you’ve learned for 5 minutes - technique will help put facts into your long-term memory – start all over again
The end is in sight, so keep going
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Just before you go to bed, review key points of all facts you’ve learned during session
LASTLY, don’t forget to set alarm clock for 30 minutes earlier than usual - revisit key facts from previous day
You will be amazed how many facts you remember !
The end is in sight, so keep going
How to Study
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Remember ……..
Practise writing answers - you will find out what you don’t know! Would you have passed your driving test without driving a car first ?
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
Remember, one day this could be
…………..YOU !!!!!
With grateful acknowledgement to The Chartered Insurance Institute Updated C Paine January 2008 *
Co-Authors of this Presentation
Chris Paine Dip CII
Independent Training Consultant & Advisor