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CII exams

CII Financial Planning Exams

 Certificate in
 Financial
Administration

 Certificate in Financial  Planning
(70 credits)

 Certificate in
Mortgage Advice
    CF1 – UK financial services, regulation and ethics
(15 credits)
 FA1 – Life office
administration
(10 credits)
CF2 – Investment and risk
(20 credits)
 
 ER1 Equity release
(15 credits)
 CF6 - Mortgage  advice
(20 credits)

 OR

  CF3 – Financial protection
(10 credits)
HR1- Home Reversion Plans
(5 credits)
  
FA2 – Pensions administration
(10 credits)		  CF4 – Retirement planning
(10 credits)		 CF8 – Long term care insurance
(15 credits)		  
 
 CF5 – Integrated financial planning
(15 credits)
  
 
    
    Diploma in Financial Planning
To complete the Diploma a minimum of 140 credits must be accumulated. At least 80 credits must be at Diploma level or above, a maximum of
30 Advanced Diploma credits are allowed. The remaining 60 must come from any of the CII exams offered within the CII qualifications framework at Certificate and Diploma level or comparable offered by other awarding bodies.
 J01 – Personal tax
(20 credits)		  J02 – Trusts
(20 credits)		  J03 – The tax and legal aspects of business
(20 credits)		  J04 – Pension funding options
(20 credits)
 J05 – Pension income options
(20 credits)		  J06 – Investment principles, markets and environment
(20 credits)		  J07 – Supervision in a regulated environment
(20 credits)		  J08 - Financial Planning Practice (30 credits)
    
    Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning
Obtaining 290 credits. A minimum of 120 credits must come from Advanced Diploma units and a further 40 must be at Diploma level or above.
AF1 – Personal tax and trust planning
(30 credits)		 AF2 – Business Financial Planning
(30 credits)		 AF3 – Pension Planning
(30 credits)		 AF4 – Investment Planning
(30 credits)
    AF5 – Financial Planning Process (compulsory)
(30 credits)
Note ISO 22222 obtained with a UKAS accredited certification body provides advisers with an exemption to AF5.  Standards International were the first such awarding body in the UK and more recently the CII have obtained awarding body status.

  Certificate Level Courses (CertPFS)

    • Units CF1 and FA1 or FA2 required for completion of the Certificate in Financial Administration.
    • Units CF1 and CF6 required for completion of the Certificate in Mortgage Advice. Holders of qualification are able to use designation “Cert CII (MP)”.
    • Units CF1 to CF5 (inclusive) required for completion of the Certificate in Financial Planning. Holders of qualification are able to use designation “CertPFS”.
    • Units CF1, CF6 and ER1 required for completion of the Certificate in Equity Release. Holders of the qualification are able to use designation “Certs CII (MP and ER)”. From September 2007, CF7 was discontinued and a new qualification ER1 was introduced combining CF7 and HR1 syllabus areas. HR1 continues for a period as a top up qualification.
    • Units CF1 to CF5 (inclusive) and CF8 required for completion of Certificate in Financial Planning and Long Term Care Insurance.

 Diploma in Financial Planning (DipPFS)

    • There are no compulsory units to the Diploma in Financial Planning.
    • Certificate credits awarded for commonly held financial planning qualifications include:
      • Financial Planning Certificate (1994 scheme – including unit FP3)-50 credits
      • Financial Planning Certificate (pre-1994 scheme – excluding unit FP3)-32 credits
    • Holders of the Diploma in Financial Planning will be able to apply to use the designation “DipPFS”.
 Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning (APFS) & Chartered Financial Planner
  • This qualification will enable students to achieve the designation “APFS” and apply for the Chartered Financial Planner title.
  • The requirements to complete the Advanced Diploma include:
Holding a minimum of the Certificate in Financial Planning qualification (or equivalent)
Obtaining 290 credits. A minimum of 120 credits must come from Advanced Diploma units and a further 40 must be at Diploma level or above. Each Advanced Diploma unit is worth 30 credits and each Diploma unit worth 20 credits.
Candidates therefore need to pass 4 units from the Advanced Diploma menu of subjects including AF5 Financial Planning Process which is compulsory.
The balance of credits can come from a combination of credits at Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning units.