This exam can be sat throughout the year, 7 days a week.
This study plan is based on 70 hours of study time over an 8 week period. The CII recommendation is 70 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.
Our student-led forums are a space for you to chat to other candidates about all things study and exam.
Click on the ‘BTS Forums’ in the menu on the left and check out the CF8 forum.
There is no avoiding a thorough study of the syllabus. There are 14 learning outcomes in the CF8 syllabus. The first 50 questions in your exam will be multiple choice, covering all of the 14 learning outcomes. This followed by a further 25 questions across five case studies, which also test application of knowledge from across the whole syllabus.
Start by working through the BTS study guide covering the full exam syllabus and guidance on the necessary exam question answering techniques.
Use the exam style questions in your study guide concentrating on the heaviest-weighted learning outcomes. Practise as many exam-standard questions as you can before the real thing. It is good practice to start attempting past paper exam questions when you are around two-thirds of the way through the study guide. Use them to review your weaker areas and target your study.
Once you have worked your way through the exam-style questions in the study guide, you can use Study Buddy App / Web to practise more exam questions ahead of your exam, ensuring you are exam ready.
Having an exam date booked can help to focus your study goals.
The CF8 exam lasts for two hours. The paper is split in two sections: Sections A and B.
Section A consists of 50 multiple choice questions.
Section B consists of 5 case studies, each followed by 5 multiple choice questions. Please note – these 25 questions test your knowledge across all 14 LOs.
If you do have a deferred success on this exam, have a look at your exam feedback to see where you dropped the most marks.
This CF8 study plan has been designed by the team at BTS. Our highly-qualified and experienced team sit the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Level 3, Level 4 and Level 6 exams annually. This helps to ensure that the materials we produce are as up to date and ‘exam style’ as possible for our customers.
The BTS resources provide a structured study path through the CF8 syllabus, covering both the technical knowledge and exam technique required to achieve a pass.
Below you will find an overview of the BTS recommended study plan with details of how the BTS materials can be used to support your learning. You don’t need to use every element, but we recommend starting by working through the BTS study guide. The Study Buddy app is designed to be used to practise exam-standard questions, little and often from the mid-way point in your study plan.
What is the aim of this guide?
As you read each chapter of the guide you will gradually work through the CF8 syllabus and practise the necessary exam question answering techniques, using:
You should aim to complete at least 2/3 of your wider study before attempting mock papers.
What is the aim of the app?
The BTS Study Buddy app replicates the CII exam standard as closely as possible.
Exam bookings are made directly with the CII.
Before booking an exam, candidates must purchase the unit from the CII website.
There is an option to purchase ‘assessment only’ which means just the exam sitting. This allows candidates to purchase study materials elsewhere, e.g. BTS.
Information and guidance on booking and sitting your exam can be found in our Exam FAQs:
