What does coronavirus mean for advisers’ exam schedules?

CII, CISI and CFA Institute all have dates penned in the diary

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The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has put plans in place to assist members and staff during the coronavirus outbreak.

Following the UK government’s announcement that it is time for everyone to stop non-essential contact and unnecessary travel, the CII is postponing written examination sittings that were due to take place on 20, 21 and 22 April until October.

The only exceptions to these postponements are RO6 (financial planning practice) and AF7 (pension transfers), which will be held in July.

The CII will be confirming these changes with each candidate in due course.

At the current time, in line with government guidance, multiple choice question online examinations will go ahead at the pre-booked centres as there are less than 25 candidates at each sitting.

The CII said it will “continue to monitor and review the situation with these sittings, in line with government guidance”.

Assist

Chief executive Sian Fisher said: “The CII takes seriously our role supporting you, your business and the members of the public you serve.

“We recognise these are unprecedented times for every profession. In the coming weeks, the CII, our local institutes and societies will produce virtual content to support CPD requirements during this period. We will continue to issue guidance to you in your vital role helping members of the public.

“The CII is also in contact with the government and regulators to keep our members updated with current guidelines.

“We will continue to be here to assist the profession during these challenging times.”

CFA Institute

In regards to the CFA Institute, it has not made any changes to its June schedule.

“We encourage June 2020 candidates to continue studying and check their email for updates; we will also communicate through social media,” it said in a statement. “We will ensure that our partners, such as approved prep providers and local societies, are notified of any decisions as well.”

When it comes to events, the CFA Institute is “evaluating” its conference calendar on a case-by-case basis.

CFA Institute said: “We will cancel programs if necessary — and have done so already in certain instances. We are monitoring unfolding events closely and reviewing all available options — including holding virtual events — on an ongoing basis.”

The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI) recently said: “As the pandemic continues to escalate, we have decided to actively develop a number of alternative options to help candidates and firms through this difficult period.

“We are exploring options for remote invigilation for our computer-based exams and have taken the difficult decision to delay all our June narrative exam sittings to September 2020.”

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