Current CII Exams Pass Rates – as at July 2022
Last updated on July 13th, 2022 at 12:38 pm
The CII has now released their pass rates for 2021. Here, we discuss the pass rates and what we can learn from them.
The pass rates are correct as at 11 July 2022.
R0 Exams
Looking at the R0 units first, 2021 figures show reduced pass rates for all units except the regulation and ethics exam (R01) and the investment exam (R02).
R03 (taxation) and R04 (pensions) have the lowest pass rates so it would appear candidates are still finding these exams the toughest to pass – a trend we have seen for many years. The protection exam (R05), once again, has the highest pass rate which is not unexpected as this is the only level 3 R0 exam (the others are all level 4).
The figures in red show where the pass rates have gone down from last year.
| Unit | Annual Pass Rate 2017 | Annual Pass Rate 2018 | Annual Pass Rate 2019 | Annual Pass Rate 2020 | Annual Pass Rate 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R01 | 64.46% | 63.77% | 64% | 69% | 69% |
| R02 | 62.79% | 59.99% | 60% | 64% | 65% |
| R03 | 48.71% | 52.55% | 56% | 65% | 57% |
| R04 | 55.04% | 57.89% | 58% | 61% | 57% |
| R05 | 78.26% | 76.35% | 78% | 79% | 78% |
| R06 | 73.4% | 77.69% | 67% | 78% | 74% |
| R07 | 74.26% | 78.32% | 77% | 76% | 74% |
Other Diploma Level Exams
Current figures show a broad range of pass rates from 58% to 93%. J10 (Discretionary Investment Management) has a very impressive rate once again and J05 (Pension Income Options) maintains its high pass rate of 88% from last year.
Last year, we saw a huge increase in the numbers of those passing J07 (Supervision in a Regulated Environment) and whilst this has dropped back 8% to 68%, it is still well above pre-2020 levels.
| Unit | Annual Pass Rate 2017 | Annual Pass Rate 2018 | Annual Pass Rate 2019 | Annual Pass Rate 2020 | Annual Pass Rate 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J02 | 50.95% | 52.23% | 49% | 67% | 58% |
| J05 | 69.33% | 69.58% | 79% | 88% | 88% |
| J07 | 48.51% | 53.26% | 44% | 76% | 68% |
| J09 | 48.00% | 79% | 76.8% | 78.6% | |
| J10 | 86.24% | 85.94% | 88% | 90% | 93% |
| J12 | 73.98% | 74.73% | 74% | 78% | 85% |
Advanced Diploma Exams
With the advanced financial planning subjects, we see a notable rise in the pass rate for AF7 (Pension Transfers). Pass rates for this exam have always been around 43% so the increase to 56% is somewhat unexpected!
AF6 (Senior Management and Supervision) is a coursework module and maintains its high pass rate figures whilst the AF8 (Retirement Income Planning) pass rate holds strong in the mid-seventies.
As you can see from the table below, the other AF exams have seen a significant drop in pass rates.
| Unit | Annual Pass Rate 2017 | Annual Pass Rate 2018 | Annual Pass Rate 2019 | Annual Pass Rate 2020 | Annual Pass Rate 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AF1 | 49.10% | 55.58% | 49% | 49% | 43% |
| AF4 | 48.96% | 47.86% | 49% | 55% | 50% |
| AF5 | 64.60% | 58.00% | 57% | 72% | 63% |
| AF6 | n/a | 60.00% | 99% | 98.8% | 97% |
| AF7 | 43.74% | 44.23% | 43% | 43% | 56% |
| AF8 | 76% | 71.5% | 75.3% |
Summary
In 2020, the pass rates were on average much higher across the board than in previous years, so it’s not surprising to see many figures adjust downwards in 2021; although in the main, they are still above 2019 levels.
Both coursework modules have impressive results showing that this type of assessment may suit students more than the traditional method of examination.
