This exam can be sat throughout the year, 7 days a week.
This study plan is based on 80 hours of study time over a 12-week period. The CII recommendation is 80 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 M85 forum.
There is no avoiding a thorough study of the syllabus. M85 focuses on the practical handling of insurance claims, from first notification through to settlement. It develops an understanding of the rules, procedures and professional responsibilities that govern claims handling, including managing customer interactions, setting claims reserves, and ensuring reinsurance and other recoveries are identified and pursued.
The unit also explores third party and liability claims, explaining the legal principles that underpin them and how claims may be investigated, negotiated, and, where necessary, prepared for court proceedings. In addition, it considers how to respond when a customer is dissatisfied with a claim outcome, covering complaint handling requirements and dispute resolution techniques to support a fair, compliant and professional claims service.
Having an exam date booked can help to focus your study goals.
Practise as many exam-standard questions as you can before the real thing. It is good practice to start attempting mock 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.
Make sure to use questions that match the standard of the exam, like those in the BTS Study Buddy app.
You may take more or less time than this depending on your prior knowledge and experience, and work/study/home commitments.
The M85 exam has 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQ). The pass mark is 65% so you need to get 33 correct answers to pass.
Some learning outcomes have more questions than others. Spend your study time wisely by targeting the heaviest weighted ones.
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. For example, scoring less than 50% on LO2 or LO3 is less of a concern than scoring less than 50% on LO1or LO4 as these are where the bulk of the questions are.
This M85 study plan has been designed by the team at BTS. Our team of highly qualified and experienced professionals take the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Level 3, Level 4, and Level 6 exams each year. This ensures that the materials we create are always current and closely aligned with the latest exam formats for our customers.
The BTS resources provide a structured study path through the M85 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 M85 syllabus and practise the necessary exam question answering techniques, using:
What is the aim of a workshop?
If this is your first Diploma level module, we recommend you attend our ‘Introduction to your Diploma in Insurance’ workshop so you know what to expect from Diploma level exams and can gain some useful hints and tips on approaching your study.
For the M85 module, you will work with an experienced BTS Associate over a series of 4 2-hour technical workshops to consolidate your understanding of all subject areas for the module including the key subject areas with specific focus on those learning outcomes with the heaviest weighting of questions in the exam:
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. There are four volumes of M85 questions available for purchase – each giving you 50 questions to practice on.
Exam bookings are made directly with the CII.
Before booking an exam, candidates must purchase the unit from the CII website.
Information and guidance on booking and sitting your exam can be found in our Exam FAQs:
