First things first, congratulations on enrolling onto your CII qualification journey!!
IF1: Insurance Legal and Regulatory is the initial exam in the Certificate in Insurance, serving as the foundation for your CII studies.
Getting started can seem daunting, you’re probably already a little lost in terminology but that’s normal, we’ve all been there, and it does get easier.
Treat IF1 as your gateway into the world of insurance. It’s the first building block in the CII qualification journey, and while it might seem dense at first, it lays the groundwork for everything that follows.
As you work your way through the textbook, things will start clicking into place and you’ll probably have plenty of “ahh ok, makes sense now” moments as you realise a lot of what’s in the textbook are things you’re familiar with from your role but just explained in a more formal context. You’ll also get the “why?” behind a lot of the tasks you complete as you understand the legal and regulatory guidance that governs the insurance industry and therefore dictates why businesses do things the way they do – it’s really not just for the fun of it!
You’ll explore topics like:
• The purpose and function of insurance
• Key principles such as utmost good faith, insurable interest, and indemnity
• Risk management and the role of reinsurance
• The structure of the UK insurance market
• Claims handling and customer service
• Legal and regulatory frameworks
It’s not just theory, it’s the basis of how the industry is regulated and how it operates.
IF1 is a multiple-choice exam consisting of 100 questions. You’ll have 2 hours to complete the exam remotely or in a CII test centre and achieve the pass mark of 70%.
The average pass rate for learners completing IF1 is currently 75%, so 1 in 4 candidates defer success on their first attempt.
Many candidates assume IF1 will be easy because it’s the first module, but it can be deceptively tricky. The terminology is new, the textbook is detailed, and the questions can be worded in ways that test your interpretation. Not forgetting this is your first experience of sitting a CII exam and doing anything for the first time adds a bit of stress and pressure!
Legal terminology isn’t always intuitive. Words like co-insurance, indemnity, or solvency can be hard to grasp without context and don’t even get us started on the latin phrases like Uberrimae fidei or void ab initio. The textbook is comprehensive, but it can feel heavy-going without support or simplified explanations.
We’re not trying to scare you off – promise! You need to know what you’re dealing with so here’s what some of our candidates have to say about their experience of IF1:
“I underestimated how confusing the wording of the questions can be.”
“It felt like the questions were worded to try and trip me up.”
“The questions in the exam were definitely tougher compared to what I’d practised with on RevisonMate.”
We get that the first module is tough but just break the big tasks into smaller, manageable steps and you’ve got yourself a much less daunting experience.
First up, dive straight in! This may sound daunting but the best way to get started is to just get started. Read the book all the way through once before doing anything else. Don’t expect to understand it straight away and don’t fixate on this needing to be the case. A first read-through will give you a chance to familiarise yourself with the key terminology and concepts.
It is a nearly 300-page textbook though so if you’re not normally one for reading try other methods. The CII unfortunately don’t have an audio version but apps like NaturalReader allow you to upload the PDF textbook and will then read it aloud to you – great for listening while you’re commuting or out for a walk!
Give our Study Guide a try as an alternative to the CII’s textbook. It offers a more interactive learning experience, packed with:
• Engaging activities
• Knowledge checks
• Links to further learning
• Mock tests to bring the content to life
After your initial read of the textbook, take a mock test. This may seem too early, but it helps you quickly see what you’ve learned and which topics need more focus. Our Study Buddy app includes practise exam-style questions which can be used as a full mock test or learning outcome by learning outcome. You can use it on the go at any point during your revision to test your knowledge but at this stage we suggest using the web version to sit a full mock test as it simulates more of the real-life exam feel.
Now it’s time to revisit each chapter…
As we said earlier, the easiest way to tackle your IF1 revision is to break it down into manageable chunks and give yourself realistic deadlines.
The best way to do this is to create a study plan. Review how many chapters are in the book, which chapters relate to which learning outcomes and the areas you need to give your focus to following your mock test. It’s not as simple as just allocating yourself 1 chapter a week to study though, some chapters are much longer than others, some will have a lot more questions in the exam than others and some you may already be pretty comfortable with from your first read and mock.
Essentially what we’re saying here is use your time wisely and don’t waste it on a smaller chapter that you’re already comfortable with and only has a couple of questions in the exam!
And (thank us later) we’ve even created an IF1 study plan for you that breaks down how long we think you should spend on each learning outcome so use this as a base and add time in for regular mock tests of each chapter using the Study Buddy app.
Now that you have your study plan in place, it’s just a case of working through it – simple, right?
• Plan your time in advance and stick to it, no excuses!
• Ensure you’re in the right environment to study, no distractions!
• Keep yourself motivated and committed, no stress!
Read each chapter through fully this time, highlight key areas, research anything you’re unsure of or want to find out more about – YouTube is a great source of quick videos to break down some of the complex topics and the CII even have their own channel, use extra resources like attending workshops and/or webinars to hear the topics brought to life by experts and discuss how they apply themselves to the world of insurance with other professionals.
Remember to test yourself at the end of each chapter or learning outcome.
Now it’s just repeat process, chapter by chapter until you get to the end and you’re ready to sit your exam.
We’ll leave you with some final hints and tips…good luck!!
• Know the syllabus inside out, you’ll do this naturally as you complete regular mock tests and go back and forth in the textbook to recap key areas.
• Understand how regulations apply in practice, use the case laws and examples to reinforce your understanding.
• Use the study text actively, highlight, annotate, and test yourself on definitions and concepts.
• Practice past exam questions to get familiar with the question style.
• Manage your time carefully and allocate your revision time based on the marks available for each learning outcome.
• Revise with a study buddy or group so you can talk through tricky topics and deepen your understanding.
“Spend time understanding the content as opposed to just reading through it, take breaks to reset and prior to revising, understand what kind of learner you are to best utilise your time.”
“Definitely use revision/flash cards, in particular for the terminology elements of the modules.”
“I use the pomodoro technique which is very useful when faced with an uphill study battle.”
“I recommend starting revision early, breaking down the material into smaller chunks and making sure you review it regularly.”
“Make a plan and spend enough time on it. Cramming won’t work with the amount of content there is here.”
“After reading a chapter, summarising it in your own words helps show how much you understand.”
“Make use of all of the available practice questions, tests and other resources.”
Watch this short video to see our top tips for planning, preparing for and passing your IF1 exam remotely…
We also recommend checking out the CII’s assessment guide which gives you everything you possibly need to know and prepare for ahead of sitting your exam remotely or in a test centre, including how to book it and when you’ll receive your results.
Finally, remember, no one learns insurance regulation overnight, so don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not alone – we’re here to support you!”
Good luck!
View Our IF1 Study Support, including:
• Study Guides
• e-Learning modules
• Online Workshops, and
• Study Buddy
• Free Samples of IF1 Study Materials are also available
Chat with other IF1 candidates in the dedicated BTS IF1 online forum room to help keep up to date, find out any new information and gain help and advise from others.
For more information on IF1 view the CII info and resources for the IF1 Exam
