how to pass diploma and acii examinations

1. How to Pass Diploma and ACII Examinations Len Wilkins FCII Consultant, Wellington plc & Chris Paine Dip CII Independent Training Consultant & Advisor

3. For those of you who have cracked exams, hearty congratulations, but for mere mortals, here are some thoughts Exam technique is frequently the difference between passing and failing Every exam requires special techniques multi-choice, short answers, essay answers

4. Even well-prepared candidates can get things wrong by misreading questions or running out of time Contrary to popular belief, the CII really does want you to pass first time !

5. So far it�s been studying Objectives - not too many � maximum 2 exams per sitting Study, Study, Study Take course textbook apart and rewrite it Complete all assignments especially Continuous Assessments

6. Have you covered all main topics in syllabus ? Look at past exam papers - check style Organise yourself - time for fun & time to study 8 weeks before exam it�s revise, revise, revise - but you can only revise what you�ve already learned So far it�s been studying

7. CII Examiners are sent a grid showing syllabus points and when topics were last examined Carrying out same exercise is a great idea, so get examination guides for the last four examination sessions � 6.00 (+ VAT) from CII website : www.cii.co.uk or by e-mail to publishing@cii.co.uk Hint

8. Use techniques that work for you Passive Revision - learning, reviewing notes, re-expressing facts, concepts and ideas Active Revision - answer questions, use memory �joggers� - words, rhymes, tapes, flash cards for key points and legal cases, mind maps to link things together Above all practise under exam conditions ! Revision

9. Monitor your revision, make a timetable by topic and syllabus and keep to it Use CBT or On-Line help if available Remember, you need somewhere quiet, free of distractions and equipped with storage space Revision

10. Think POSITIVELY Be CONFIDENT Remember that you are going to get a DISTINCTION ! Attitude

11. Certificate, Diploma or ACII, they�re all different � it�s a game of time versus marks If you�ve 3 hours or 180 minutes to gain 200 marks, that�s just 4 minutes for each 5 marks (after checking etc�) CII Pass Mark normally 110 marks (55%) Know Your Examinations

12. Diploma Compulsory (PO1 or 2, PO3, PO4) 20 short answer questions in 3 hours or 8 minutes a question (with checking time) 10 marks per question Diploma Branch (P10, P11, P12, P13, P16) 14 short answer plus 2 essay questions 10 marks each - allow max 2 hours for short questions (about 8 minutes per question) 30 marks for each essay � 1 hour for essays Know Your Examinations - Diploma

13. ACII Compulsory (510, 520, 530) Part One 8 short or 5 minutes per question (CII own suggestion max 45 minutes) 6 marks for each short question (48 marks) Part Two 4 essays (510 has compulsory question � no differential in marks) 38 marks each essay (152 marks) Approximately 30 minutes per essay Know Your Examinations - ACII

14. ACII Specialist, Technical, Management Part One 8 short or 5 minutes per question (CII own suggestion max 45 minutes) 6 marks for each short question (48 marks) Some have compulsory question (50 marks) If compulsory question included, then 3 more essays at 34 marks for each essay (102 marks) If no compulsory questions, then 4 essays at 38 marks each (152 marks) Still approximately 30 minutes per essay Know Your Examinations - ACII

15. NO marks for questions that you do not attempt - never leave anything blank - intelligent guess is better than nothing You are not going to get more than marks allocated to the question - if question asks for three examples, you will get no extra marks for mentioning a fourth Rare to get 100% of allocated marks - especially with essay questions � but you are extremely likely to get some marks for at least attempting a question

16. Examiners never assume knowledge Students who �know� subject often get low marks - this is quite common For some people, most difficult paper is one where they have specialist knowledge Perhaps they have worked in or studied subject before Please remember to tell examiner all facts - especially ones that are so obvious that they seem not worth mentioning

17. Do you know where Exam Centre is ? Do a trial run Can you park there if you need to ? Have carbohydrate and protein-rich breakfast or lunch to raise your energy Get there in plenty of time Remember to take necessary identification Pens, pencils, calculators, erasers etc Water or juice (if allowed)

18. Be organised - as you sit waiting for paper, remind yourself that you know the exam, you know what�s required and that examiners want you to pass Deal with any distractions before you start (wobbly table - too hot - too noisy) Listen carefully to envigilator�s instructions Use a watch/clock/stopwatch Examination Itself

19. Read WHOLE PAPER FIRST !!! Note what questions are compulsory and how marks are awarded Follow exam paper instructions precisely and manage your time Then decide in what order to do questions Examination Itself

20. Pace yourself - don�t spend all your energy on first few questions Allow time for checking READ and UNDERSTAND each question THOROUGHLY Look for KEY words or INSTRUCTIONS Check and recheck your time allocation Examination Itself

21. Plan your answers - write down lists of dates, cases etc - use bullet points for short answers and for planning essay answers Jot down headings, sort into logical sequence and CHECK ALL points have been covered - let�s call them your �TRIGGERS� Examination Itself

22. Inside front cover of answer paper, brainstorm questions by writing down these triggers you will use when answering in full If you run out of time, there is now some form of answer already there If necessary, refer examiner to those notes Examination Itself

23. CONSIDER whole questions CONSTRUCT your answer relating to key words and your knowledge UNDERLINE key words LINK your points to key words in question PRIORITISE the points listed General Rules

24. Short Answer Questions - use bullet points or note form (CII own suggestion) Essay Questions - use bullet points to plan your answer KEEP REFERRING BACK TO QUESTION Write down first bullet point and then refer back to question � cover your next bullet point and so on CHECK ALL your points have been covered Develop your essay from there Specific Rules

25. If you�ve a choice of two questions and it�s difficult to decide between them, jot down headings for both and see which one can be developed better to obtain more marks Make sure you answer question the examiner actually set, not question you wanted him/her to set Other Vital Points

26. STATE Write down clearly OUTLINE Identify main features or general ideas on topic DESCRIBE Give a fuller account of something What the Examiner Means !!!

27. EXPLAIN Give clear and detailed account to show you understand philosophy of subject ADVISE Look at circumstances, identify possible alternatives and provide reasoned solutions LIST Provide a series of bullet points What the Examiner Means !!!

28. Structure your answer � try not waffle, repeat or pad - examiners get bored easily and they�re not silly Include an introduction defining terms and stating how you will approach question - then do main points Remember key examiners� terms Remember to use paragraphs (examiners get lost in long single blocks of writing � like some of our slides � sorry) Answering Style & Structure

29. Presentation - you will not fail because you do not write or spell well or that your grammar and punctuation are not perfect You will get better marks if your script is easy to read and understand If question involves figurework, it�s about insurance principles not mathematics - if answer is not working out very well, it�s likely you�ve made a mistake Answering Style & Structure

30. CII examiners use a follow-through system - if result is wrong but logic is right, you will still get bulk of marks If you run short of time, try to answer in note or bullet-point form (or refer to folder cover) Even let examiner know that you are running out of time Answering Style & Structure

31. Marking schedule is prepared at same time as exam paper May be amended if examiner sees fit Marking schedule is designed to reward correct but does not penalise incorrect Papers will normally be marked within a month of exam Marks are moderated for fairness Marking Your Paper

32. Failure to answer the question set Inadequate understanding of main principles Failure to answer enough questions Waffling, repetition (including question itself) Failure to structure an answer properly No paragraphs, headings or underlinings Setting out both sides of a discussion or illogical and confused presentation Poor standard of English Poor (illegible) handwriting

33. UNDERLINE key words LIST relevant points LINK your points to key words PRIORITISE points listed CONSIDER whole question CONSTRUCT your answer relating to key words and your knowledge

34. Because they are unprepared Because they have not structured their study and revision correctly But mostly, because they use the wrong techniques !

35. Be POSITIVE Be ORGANISED Use your MEMORY SKILLS Use the RIGHT TECHNIQUES Use BULLET POINTS if you run out of time - better to say something rather than nothing Be PREPARED, do not rely on luck Remember !!!!!!

36. When exam is over, try not to discuss it with anyone else � only the examiner�s personal opinion matters One last task - when you have put books away, reflect on what went right, what went wrong and what you can learn from this and give any useful revision resources to help your colleagues Most of all, do your best and GOOD LUCK !! Remember the Golden Rules