This unit is assessed by coursework only over a 12 month enrolment, with assignments due by 3, 6 and 9 months.
The CII recommendation is 150 hours of study time, however this is only an indication of how long you will need. You may take more or less time than this depending on your prior knowledge and experience, and work/study/home commitments.
For many candidates, they may look at the 12 month study period and feel this is more than sufficient time to submit 3 assignments. In our experience, many candidates defer success on at least one assignment which requires a re-submission, and you also need to keep in mind that the time taken for the examiners to mark your assignment (a maximum of 63 calendar days) also forms part of this enrolment period.
It may come as a surprise to see that our study plan recommends that you submit your assignment 1 by week 3. However, our study plan provides you with sufficient time to get three submissions in per assignment. You may find that you do not need to re-submit any of your assignments, and we hope that is the case, however it is always best to be cautious and give yourself too much time, rather than not enough.
This unit is assessed over 3 written coursework assignments:
The pass mark for each assignment is 50%.
There are 100 marks available for each assignment.
The Syllabus for AF8 has just 1 learning outcome, but it is very broad and is broken into several syllabus points and sub sections.
You can find the AF8 Syllabus here!
Don’t let the 12 month time frame fool you into thinking AF8 is an ‘easy’ option – it’s not! You have to submit each assignment within a maximum timescale – Assignment 1 within 3 months of enrolment, Assignment 2 within 6 months and Assignment 3 within 9 months. AF8 is assessed on submission of 3 written coursework assignments, the first two must be a maximum 2,500 words and the third 3,000 words (with 10% leeway should you go over this word count).
Exemplars may be of practical benefit to students in assisting them to complete their assignments. Download the AF8 exemplars by clicking here: Assignment Exemplars
First, we recommend candidates work through a study guide. The CII AF8 Study Guide is a compulsory purchase in this unit. As a result, BTS have not designed their own version. BTS cannot comment on other providers materials, however we would suggest this is where candidates start their study plan.
The next step is to work your way through the introductory module of the BTS AF8 e-Learning module and to get familiar with your case study!
Our student-led forums are a space for you to chat to other candidates about all things study and exam related. However, please note with AF8 you cannot discuss your specific case studies. The CII does not permit any working with others in the researching, construction, writing,
editing or review of coursework or mixed assessment assignment answers at any time, even after they have been submitted and/or marked. Any conversation must be generic and not directly related to any of your case study assignments.
Click on the ‘BTS Forums’ in the menu on the left and check out the AF8 forum.
Assess the adequacy of your clients current finances to meet their immediate and longer-term objectives. Analyse any strengths and weaknesses in their current financial position. This assignment is about showing you know your clients. Our e-Learn module will show you how to start constructing your assignments and give you tips on areas to consider.
The CII guidelines are that Assignments will be marked by an assessor and the CII will notify you of your result by email within 63 calendar of submission.
BTS have found that many people who sit AF8 do not pass all three assignments on their first attempt. So, you will need to build in some contingency time in case a resubmission is required.
Don’t wait for your mark to come through for Assignment 1. Crack on with Assignment 2 to maximise your time allowance.
Evaluate a range of suitable and affordable options to improve your clients current financial arrangements. You also need to demonstrate why you have identified particular options Many find this a tricky assignment in terms of understanding what the CII are looking for.
In the BTS e-Learn module we break down the key terms of the CII’s brief to help you understand how you should tackle this assignment. We also look at questions you should be asking yourself, and areas you should be thinking about when constructing assignment two.
Use the exemplars looking at the examiner’s comments. The comments cover what the candidate did well, and also highlights areas for further improvement. This can help shape what to do or not to do in your own assignments.
Do bear in mind though that these examples are from previous tax years so some of the information in them may have changed since then. They are only designed to be used as guidance not for factual accuracy.
Recommend and justify how your clients should use their assets to generate a specific, sustainable, tax-efficient income throughout their retirement. You must get the whole recommendation process right, and demonstrate that you are able to provide a coherent strategy that will meet the client retirement income needs.
This assignment is the one where people often do not achieve a pass first time round. In the BTS e-Learn module we look at how to construct this assignment, what to consider to ensure you are fully analysing recommendations and providing justifications to support these. We also provide pointers as to where others have gone wrong with this assignment in the past to make sure you don’t!
Click on the plus sign to discover more helpful tips on where to focus your study time.
The following link will take you to the CII AF8 marking grid This grid will take each syllabus area and show you:
What is the aim of the e-Learning module?
The BTS AF8 e-Learning module is an online learning experience. It consists of:
Available to order from the BTS shop.
Assessment enrolments are made directly with the CII.
Before enrolling, candidates must purchase the unit from the CII website.
