Advisers warned October CII exams may change

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Advisers warned October CII exams may change

The Chartered Insurance Institute has written to more than 4,500 candidates set to sit exams in October warning their timetable may change to comply with coronavirus safety measures at test centres. 

The changes mean some candidates may not get a place at their preferred test centre next month, with the professional body promising an alternative sitting would be arranged free of charge before April next year. 

The CII said the extra measures were to ensure the safety of exam candidates, but the move follows a series of technical glitches this summer which plagued candidates sitting exams remotely amid the coronavirus crisis. 

The professional body told FTAdviser it had chosen to exclusively use test centres for exams in October after "carefully reflecting" on the experience of candidates sitting remotely invigilated exams in July. 

Gill White, chief customer officer of the CII, said: "For the safety of all our candidates, our exam centres have had to limit the number of people sitting assessments.

"Any candidate unable to book their preferred centre in October will be offered, free of charge, a sitting at a session that will be arranged before April 2021.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused by our actions, but our priority remains the health and safety of our candidates, staff and the consumers they serve."

In July and August FTAdviser reported how candidates attempting to sit exams with the CII were repeatedly falling foul of technical glitches, with some dubbing the process an "absolute disgrace". 

In response to the backlash the professional body confirmed it would be offering a free October re-sit to all candidates who failed the remote exams in July, regardless of whether they reported technical issues at the time. 

The CII told FTAdviser it would now be making changes to the remote invigilation process to improve the experience for candidates who take the option in the future.  

A spokesperson said: "Further changes will be made to the remote invigilation format to ensure this method of assessment is ready for greater use before it is offered to CII examination candidates again." 

rachel.mortimer@ft.com 

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