Current CII Exams Pass Rates – as at May 2024
The CII has now released their pass rates for 2023. Here, we discuss the pass rates and what we can learn from them.
The pass rates are correct as at 28 May 2024.
R0 Units
Overall, the 2023 pass rates for the R0 units have followed the trend seen in recent years. R03 has again proven to be the most challenging and R05 has the highest pass rate, which isn’t surprising given it is a level 3 unit, unlike the other R0 units that are level 4. R04 shows a notable increase which is somewhat unexpected considering all the pension changes related to the annual allowance that were introduced last year.
| Unit | Annual Pass Rate 2018 | Annual Pass Rate 2019 | Annual Pass Rate 2020 | Annual Pass Rate 2021 | Annual Pass Rate 2022 | Annual Pass Rate 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R01 | 63.77% | 64% | 69% | 69% | 68% | 69.6% |
| R02 | 59.99% | 60% | 64% | 65% | 70% | 63.8% |
| R03 | 52.55% | 56% | 65% | 57% | 54% | 55.4% |
| R04 | 57.89% | 58% | 61% | 57% | 57% | 65.9% |
| R05 | 76.35% | 78% | 79% | 78% | 78% | 76.6% |
| R06 | 77.69% | 67% | 78% | 74% | 71% | 74.8% |
| R07 | 78.32% | 77% | 76% | 74% | 75% | 81.8% |
Other Diploma Level Units
Looking at the other level 4 units, again current figures follow a similar trend to previous years with J10 and J05 having the most impressive pass rates. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why these two exams have consistently high pass rates compared to other level 4 units, but it is something candidates may want to consider when choosing their exams as the statistics suggest they are easier to pass. On the other hand, the trusts exam, J02, remains challenging for candidates with a pass rate of only 63%.
| Unit | Annual Pass Rate 2018 | Annual Pass Rate 2019 | Annual Pass Rate 2020 | Annual Pass Rate 2021 | Annual Pass Rate 2022 | Annual Pass Rate 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J02 | 52.23% | 49% | 67% | 58% | 59% | 63.1% |
| J05 | 69.58% | 79% | 88% | 88% | 92% | 88.4% |
| J07 | 53.26% | 44% | 76% | 68% | 63% | 73.1% |
| J09 | 48.00% | 79% | 76.8% | 78.6% | 79% | 78.5% |
| J10 | 85.94% | 88% | 90% | 93% | 89% | 88.2% |
| J12 | 74.73% | 74% | 78% | 85% | 79% | 78.1% |
Advanced Diploma Units
In the advanced financial planning subjects, there has been an impressive rise in the 2023 pass rate for the AF5 unit, (perhaps that explains why the CII decided to make the first AF5 paper of 2024 so challenging!!). Pass rates for AF1 remain low, and AF7 appears to have returned to its typically lower levels after the spike in 2022.
AF6 (Senior Management and Supervision) is a coursework module, and the figures continue to be the highest of all the level 4 and 6 units at 95%. The other coursework module AF8, covering retirement planning, also has a strong pass rate at almost 80%.
| Unit | Annual Pass Rate 2018 | Annual Pass Rate 2019 | Annual Pass Rate 2020 | Annual Pass Rate 2021 | Annual Pass Rate 2022 | Annual Pass Rate 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AF1 | 55.58% | 49% | 49% | 43% | 42% | 50.2% |
| AF4 | 47.86% | 49% | 55% | 50% | 57% | 53.3% |
| AF5 | 58.00% | 57% | 72% | 63% | 72% | 78.2% |
| AF6 | 60.00% | 99% | 98.8% | 97% | 97% | 95.5% |
| AF7 | 44.23% | 43% | 43% | 56% | 61% | 50.6% |
| AF8 | 76% | 71.5% | 75.3% | 75% | 79.9% |
Summary
In summary, the pass rates for the R0, J and AF exams have followed a similar pattern to previous years. As seen before R03, J02, AF1, AF4 and AF7 have the lowest pass rates.
Both coursework modules show impressive results showing that this type of assessment may be more suited to students than traditional examinations.
Reviewing the pass rates can provide guidance on which units to tackle and in what order. It is evident that candidates find certain exams easier than others, and the strong results in the coursework modules suggest this assessment style might be preferable for many. Therefore, considering pass rates is definitely worth considering when planning your route to the diploma or advanced diploma.
