R06 | Exam Debrief | September Sitting
Reflecting on the September 2021 R06 Exam Paper The results from the September R06 sitting were released this morning, a little over five weeks after the exam sitting. While many of our candidates are cracking open the champagne in celebration of a pass, the team at BTS are not resting on our laurels. Reflecting on […]
What are the options to achieve a Level 4 Financial Services Qualification?
Since the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) back in 2012 the minimum requirement for giving advice to retail clients is to have a RQF level 4 qualification. There are a variety of examining bodies offering this qualification, ranging from probably the most well-known Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) through to other bodies such as the Chartered Institute […]
How to Pass the CII R04 | Why does this Exam have the Lowest Pass Rate?
The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) R04 Pensions and Retirement Planning unit now has the lowest countrywide pass rate. Why? More importantly, how do you increase your chances to pass the CII R04 exam? The CII pensions unit had a countrywide pass rate of 61% in the 2020 calendar exam year. This is a unit that […]
How to Pass the CII R03 | Where do I start with Wordy Questions?
Any R03 student will tell you, the exam questions can be so lengthy it can be difficult to know which information to include in your calculations. Not good when you have the added time pressure of this 1 hour exam! Continuing BTS’ series of exam-based articles for Professional Paraplanner Magazine, BTS Director Jeff Scholes answers the question: […]
Remote CII Exams | What can you do when it all goes wrong?
Here at BTS, we pride ourselves in making sure that we know what the candidate experience is going to be like when they sit their Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning exams, so that we can answer any practical questions they may have. On a Saturday afternoon in late August, BTS director Jeff Scholes sat the CII R03 […]
How to Pass the CII R04 | Acing the Exam with the lowest National Pass Rate
Why is the R04 exam difficult to pass? The main reason that the CII R04 exam is so difficult to pass is the sheer volume of pension information candidates must learn, understand and be able to apply. Whoever coined the phrase ‘pension simplification’ needs a good kicking. We think HMRC must be having a good […]
BTS Director wins CII Layborn Prize, for the best result in the Pensions and Retirement Planning unit R04
When the CII contacted BTS Director, Luiza Todd, with the news that she had been awarded the Layborn Prize for the best result in the Pensions and Retirement Planning unit R04, we were all thrilled. Luiza is our pensions expert and R04 is her absolute favourite subject to coach and write study materials for (Luiza […]
How to Pass the CII R04 | Demystifying the Annual Allowance and Lifetime Allowance
Despite HMRC attempts to keep things simple, it’s a well-known issue that pensions are anything but. The theory is, if we can make pensions easier to understand then more clients will contribute towards their retirement planning, easing the financial burden on the state. In our view, the government still have a long way to go […]
How to pass the CII R06 Financial Planning Practice Exam
The April R06 exam results came out on Friday 28th May. BTS could see many successful candidates posting both their R06 and level 4 Diploma certificates on social media sites such as LinkedIn. But what about those candidates that ‘deferred their success’ this time around? It’s never nice to fail an exam, so how do […]
How to Pass the CII R02: Is the R02 Exam Getting more Difficult?
The CII R02 Investment Principles and Risk exam has never been an easy R0 to pass, but is it getting more difficult? This is a question that many recent R02 candidates ask. Even those who pass the CII R02 come out of the exam saying, “That was tough!”. R02 has never been an easy exam […]