Welcome News for CII AF8 Candidates Who Dread Exams
Last updated on September 25th, 2019 at 4:30 am
Did you know that the new pension exam, AF8 Retirement Income Planning, will not be assessed by written exam but will instead be assessed by coursework? This article explains the requirements and the advantages of this method of assessment.
Three Written Assignments
AF8 students will have to complete 3 written assignments of between 2,000 and 3,000 words each, with each one requiring 50% or more to pass. Passing all 3 assignments within the 12-month enrolment period gains you AF8 and 30 credits. There is a timetable of when each assignment has to be submitted; usually the first one needs to be submitted within 6 months of enrolment; the second one within 9 months and the third within 12 months. If the assignment is a fail, then this can be re-submitted (maximum of 2 times) or you can ask for it to be reviewed, all at a cost. Also, be aware that if you don’t complete all three assignments within your 12-month enrolment period, you have to re-enrol and complete 3 new assignments.
The Advantages of Coursework for Assessment
For some future AF8 students, completing coursework rather than sitting an exam will be very welcome news, particularly for those who struggle with exams, and where nerves can mean performance on the day doesn’t reflect their true ability and extensive knowledge.
Another obvious advantage of coursework compared to a written exam is flexibility. Advanced financial planning exams are only examined twice a year – in April and in October. There have been comments, in the past, that these months are not always the most convenient to be taking exams, so being able to work towards a qualification throughout the year means delegates are able to study at their own pace and during the months that suit their workload. Also, as mentioned above, AF8 students can re-submit a failed assignment, whereas if someone fails an AF exam, they have to wait until the next exam sitting to try again.
There's a different method of assessment for #CII #AF8 Retirement Income Planning Share on X
Coursework is becoming a common method of assessment
As the CII state in their supporting documentation, coursework is an increasingly common method of assessing students. It works well with AF exams, which test application of knowledge and demand that students understand the subject matter in full and can recommend and justify solutions based on that detailed understanding. (Makes us wonder which other AF exams may end up going down the coursework route?) However, it mustn’t be seen as the easy option, and students will need to very mindful of plagiarism. The CII uses software to catch anyone not submitting their own work and anyone found guilty of plagiarism will have their names published and may be prevented from taking this exam or any future CII exam.
Brand Financial Training is here to support AF8 students
Here at Brand Financial Training, we are pleased to say that we will be supporting students who sign up for AF8. Later in 2017, we’ll be sending out emails and announcing new resources at:
