General exams information

Information in this section applies to students writing final exams and stand-alone exams administered nationally by the Insurance Institute of Canada. In-course assessments such as tests and midterms may use different processes than described here.

The Institute offers students the option to write exams either in-person at an exam centre, or online with the aid of virtual proctoring. 

The Institute will make every effort to accommodate candidates with special needs and who may require alternative arrangements to write the final exam. Students can obtain the Accommodation Request Form by contacting Member Services (1-866-362-8585) or their local institute/chapter manager.

In order to provide accommodation, full details regarding the nature of the special need or disability and how it affects writing the final exam must be submitted to the Exams Department.

Students writing CIP, GIE and RISK exams must submit no later than 10 weeks before the start of the exam session.

Students writing licensing exams (OTL and RIBO) must submit 14 business days before the start of the exam session.

Medical information will be requested and is required in order to assess and determine the nature of suitable accommodation.

No medical information will be shared with other parties.

When the appropriate accommodation has been determined, information indicating the required modification will be communicated from the Exams Department:

1. The student will be notified by email or phone.
2. The student’s local institute manager will receive information in order to facilitate the accommodation.
3. The onsite exams Proctor will receive an accommodation form detailing the modification.

PLEASE NOTE:
For students in a full-time insurance program, the Insurance Institute’s policies and procedures for accommodation are separate from those of the full-time program and must be followed.

Appeals ensure the accuracy and fairness of the calculations and grading and are not a re-marking of the exam. Appeal information will help students understand their grade, but is not intended to be sufficiently comprehensive for review or study purposes.

Students who wish to appeal their grade will have their exams re-evaluated. A re-evaluation is available to all students. The re-evaluation is done by an independent reviewer who checks the addition of marks and completes an assessment of the accuracy of the original marking and an analysis of the student’s performance on all learning objectives tested on the final exam.

An appeal request must be received at the Institute by the following dates:

Exam Session: December
Deadline: January 31

Exam Session: April
Deadline: May 31

Exam Session: July
Deadline: August 31

Fees for each appeal are indicated on the CIP and GIE Fees pages. 

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Re-evaluations rarely change the original result, as great care is taken with the marking, and a system of checks and balances is in place to prevent oversights. The original marking will be carefully reviewed to ensure fairness and accuracy. In the event that a re-evaluation produces a passing grade from a failing grade or an H grade is achieved, the full appeal fee will be returned.
   
   
2. Only the final exam can be re-evaluated.
   
   
3. Students who are eligible to rewrite a failed exam should register for the rewrite when applying for re-evaluation to avoid missing the entry deadline date. If the result of an appeal is not available prior to the exam, the student may request that the rewrite be deferred to the next session.
   
   
4. Only the constructed-response (narrative or application) question portion of exams will be reviewed during the appeal process. Exams including only multiple-choice questions are not eligible for an appeal.
   
   
5. An appeal is the final review of a student’s answers and grade, and no further reviews or appeals are available.

It is The Insurance Institute of Canada’s policy not to return students’ answers or copies thereof. However, in jurisdictions where there is a requirement by law to return answers, they will be returned to students upon receipt by The Insurance Institute of Canada of a request in writing and the fee of $50.00 plus GST or HST per exam. This request is to be received within 30 days of the publication date of the grades on the website. Once a student acts upon this legal requirement, there will be no further appeals, discussion, or review of the student’s answers or marks.

Exams must be written at the session immediately following completion of the tuition semester.

Deferral

Students who need to defer their exam to the next exam administration period must contact Member Services (1-866-362-8585) prior to their exam date. Students must complete and email the Exam Deferral Request Form with the appropriate documentation to examdeferrals@insuranceinstitute.ca. Exam deferral requests will not be granted without supporting documentation. Work-related supporting documentation must be on letterhead or an email and from a direct supervisor. A Member Services associate will assess and respond to the deferral request within 3-5 business days.

Supporting documentation and the exam deferral form must be emailed no later than

» January 1 for the preceding December exams

» May 1 for the preceding April exams

» August 1 for the preceding July exams

Acceptable deferral reasons:

• Medical illness (candidate or an immediate family member you are a caregiver for)
• Death of a candidate’s immediate family member
• Jury duty
• Pregnancy (candidate only)
• Validated technical issue where we are unable to find a new acceptable exam date within the current exam session
• Work-related
• Severe weather conditions (for in-person exams)

Note: Deferral requests received after the scheduled exam will be subject to a $100 deferral fee.

Exams are deferred to the next immediate exam session only. Requests to defer the exam outside of the reasons noted above will be considered on their merits and may require an administrative fee (full exam fee). Longer-term deferral requests will only be granted for extenuating medical circumstances and may not exceed one year from the original exam period. After one year, students are required to retake the course (i.e., register for continued tuition).

If the student has started their exam and/or has already written the final exam, they are NOT eligible to apply for an exam deferral.

An ineligible absence from a scheduled exam means that a student will be marked as absent and will be required to retake the course. The following reasons will not be accepted for a deferral and will result in an ineligible absence:

• Requesting more time to study
• Personal travel arrangements during the final exam period
• Illnesses that are not supported with proper documentation
• Misreading the final exam schedule
• A full or busy final exam schedule
• Late for exam
• Moving, wedding, marital status change

When an exam is deferred, it is the responsibility of the student to obtain any course or text revisions and updates and pay any additional fees, where applicable. Please review the textbooks, online resources, and addenda section for the list of textbook editions currently in use.

Eligible class marks or test paper marks will be counted in the final grade of a deferred exam.

Rescheduling

Students can change their exam format from in-person to virtually proctored or vice versa 24 hours prior to their scheduled exam at no cost. Students can also reschedule their exam date and time in the same administration at no cost. Seating availability is limited for in-person exams. Rescheduling requests within the 24-hour period are subject to a $100 rescheduling fee. This includes students who need to reschedule their exam due to not passing a system check more than 24 hours before their scheduled exam and within the same semester they are registered in. A $100 rescheduling fee will apply to reschedule your exam within the in-person exam format less than 24 hours prior to your appointment.

A request to reschedule will not be accepted after the last day of the exam administration period.

Withdrawal

Students wishing to withdraw from an exam must also withdraw from the course, where applicable. Withdrawal and refund policies for the course tuition are subject to the rules and guidelines of each facility or institution (contact your local institute or chapter for details).

Withdrawal deadlines vary by learning option and are indicated on the class details page . Requests to withdraw must be received by the Institute no later than the withdrawal deadline for each course. In order to receive a full refund, less an administrative charge (see the Fees page for the program), textbook(s) must be returned and received in resalable condition (i.e. no marking, highlighting, or damage to the inside or outside of the textbook). Students wishing to keep their textbook(s) will receive a refund less the textbook fees and administrative charge. Membership, shipping fees, and overseas student surcharges are non-refundable.

• To withdraw from an independent study CIP or GIE course and exam, requests must be submitted to Member Services no later than the deadline shown on the class details page.
  
  
• To withdraw from an in-person or online CIP or GIE course and exam, requests must be submitted to the student’s local Institute or chapter prior to the withdrawal deadline. For more information on withdrawal policies and deadlines, students should refer to their receipt or contact their local institute or chapter.

Policy revised May 1, 2023

CIP and GIE textbooks are subject to regular revisions, and new editions are published at scheduled intervals. In most cases a student’s exam will be automatically booked for the current active edition.

Textbook selection (transitional)

The following process applies only to exams taking place prior to December 2023.

Certain exams based on the previous textbook edition will remain available through November 2023. Please see the list in the textbooks, online resources, and addenda section for details of the courses and editions.

Students writing an exam in one of the affected courses must select the appropriate textbook edition before scheduling their exam. The student will not receive the booking email until a textbook edition is selected. The student will be notified that they are registered in a two-textbook exam via the following:

• Order confirmation email
• Online member account
• Reminder emails after the exam entry deadline is closed

Students can view or make changes to the textbook edition exam assigned to them at any time before the exam via their IIC member account under My Textbook Editions.

Matching Exams and Textbook Editions

Effective December 2023, once a new textbook edition has been released, CIP and GIE exams are based on the new textbook edition only. Students will be automatically booked for that edition based on their course registration, and the student will be responsible for ensuring that they study from the most up-to-date materials. Students can check which editions are in effect for the next exam session in the textbooks, online resources, and addenda section.

When a new edition of a textbook is published, the eBook version will be posted in the learning management system (LMS) for registered students to access, along with a summary of changes. If a student purchases the previous edition then registers for a deferred or rewrite exam, they can access the updated content in the LMS at no additional charge.

In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain any course or text revisions and ensure they are using the correct textbook edition for their course and exam. Once the exam is opened, the student must attempt the exam assigned to them.

For in-person exams, students should arrive no later than 15 minutes before the scheduled exam start time. Students who arrive 30 minutes after the scheduled exam start time will not be permitted to write their exam and will be marked as absent.

Students will need to bring the following to the exam:

• IIC Member ID and password to log in to the IIC Exam Portal
• The name of the exam they are writing
• Original, valid (not expired) government-issued photo ID, such as a passport, Canadian driver's licence, Health Card or Permanent Resident Card. The name on your ID must be the same as the name on the student’s IIC member account.

Upon arriving at the exam location, students will go through the check-in process, including identity verification, security and personal belongings checks. Proctors are responsible for the room set-up and technology functionality.

Exam centres will provide students with keyboards, monitors, and a secure computer setup, such as screen protection and locked-down browser software. Ear plugs are available if needed.

Students who receive a grade X or Y will be permitted two rewrites in the semesters immediately following their unsuccessful attempts. For extenuating circumstances, please contact Member Services.

Rewrite results will be based on the final exam mark only. Classroom or tutorial marks are not carried over.

Students can register for an exam rewrite on the website:

1. Log in to your member account
2. Go to “My Account”
3. Go to “My Courses”
4. Click “Rewrite” beside the course eligible for a rewrite

Rewrite deadlines

It is the student's responsibility to ensure they register within the deadlines and in the semester immediately following their unsuccessful attempt.

Unsuccessful session: July
Rewrite session: December
Registration deadline: October 15
Rewrite withdrawal deadline: October 31

Unsuccessful session: December
Rewrite session: April
Registration deadline: February 15
Rewrite withdrawal deadline: February 28

Unsuccessful session: April
Rewrite session: July
Registration deadline: June 1
Rewrite withdrawal deadline: June 1

Students who withdraw within the deadlines above will be refunded the exam fee subject to an administration fee (see program’s Fees page). Once withdrawn, students forfeit their option to rewrite and are required to enroll in continued tuition.

Continued tuition

Continued tuition is the requirement to retake the course and is required under the following circumstances:

• Students who do not register to rewrite the exam before the above deadline
• Students who receive a Z grade
• Students who receive an X or a Y grade after two subsequent rewrites (three attempts in total)
• Students who are late or absent for their scheduled exam

To increase their chance of success, students are encouraged to transfer to class-based instruction once registered for continued tuition. Please contact Member Services to discuss your course learning options.

It is the responsibility of the student to obtain any course or text revisions and updates and pay any additional fees, where applicable. Please check the Textbook, online resources, and addenda section for the list of textbook editions currently in use.

Final exams for CIP, GIE and Risk Management courses are held in April, July, and December each year.

Semester: Winter
Registration deadline for independent study students: January 31
Registration deadline for full-time and rewrite students: February 15
Exam administration period: April 2-15, 2024

Semester: Spring
Registration deadline for independent study students: April 30
Registration deadline for full-time and rewrite students: June 1
Exam administration period: July 2-15, 2024

Semester: Fall
Registration deadline for independent Study students: September 30
Registration deadline for full-time and rewrite students: October 15
Exam administration period: December 2-13, 2024

Results are available for paid members of the Institute. Grades are released once the exams are marked, and timing may vary course by course. On average grades start being released approximately 4 weeks after the start of the exam administration period.

To obtain results:

1. Log in to your member account

2. Go to “My Account”

3. Go to “Grades”

Results will be available as PDF files from the same area of the website. Results will not be mailed except by request.

The Institute does not return exam answers or copies thereof, and registration in an exam waives any right of access a student may have to the exam answers and marks. If you wish to appeal your grade, please refer to the exam appeals section.

Exam results may be released to the student’s employer upon consent by the student. A student or member who tampers with or amends the official notice of exam results or transcript published by the Institute, or issues a document falsely purporting to be a true copy of such notice or transcript, will be subject to the penalties described in Exams Rules and Regulations.

CIP and GIE grades

Honours standing will be granted in each subject for which 80% or more of the possible marks are obtained in the course, as well as on the final exam.

A minimum of 60% of the possible marks must be obtained in order to receive a passing grade. A minimum of 55% must be obtained in the final exam.

Passing grades:

H = 80–100% of the available marks

B = 75–79% of the available marks

C = 65–74% of the available marks

D = 60–64% of the available marks

Failing grades:

X = 55–59% of the available marks

Y = 40–54% of the available marks

Z = less than 40% of the available marks

Actual exam marks will not be published.

Students who are unsuccessful and receive an X grade (55–59% of the marks) often feel they may have missed passing by only a mark or two. It should be noted that, as final grades for classroom CIP courses are out of a total of 300, 1% is equivalent to three marks. Therefore, 55–59% is a range of three to 15 marks, and students may be more than one or two marks away from a pass.

Likewise, with the final exam grade, as the final exam is out of 200, 55–59% is a range of two to 10 marks.

Note: Students who are unsuccessful and receive a Z grade (less than 40% of available marks) are required to enroll in continued tuition and retake the course. Please review our Rewrite policy for more information.

After a student registers for their course, they will immediately receive an email inviting them to book the corresponding exam. The deadline to book exams is up to 24 hours before the last day of the exam session, subject to availability.

Once a student receives their booking e-mail, they can click here to schedule their exam. They must follow the instructions below:

• Select exam to book.
• Select preferred exam format:
  • For in-person proctored, select Location tab
  • For virtually proctored, select Online Proctoring tab
• Select preferred location, date and time.

Once the exam is booked, the student will receive an “Exam Booking Confirmation” email. This should be saved for future reference. The email information is also accessible via the exam portal. 

Review the CIP and GIE course textbook addenda section below. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure they are using the correct textbook edition for their course and exam, as well as any published updates.

Online resources

Online resources are available on the learning management system (LMS) for most CIP and GIE courses. They include the following:

• Access to an eBook version of the textbook
• Practice questions (multiple-choice, narrative, and application questions)
• Interactive learning activities such as quizzes

These resources may be provided within the online Institute course, or in a separate online tutorial associated with the Institute textbook. They are not sold separately.

How to access online resources

Go to elearning.insuranceinstitute.ca

Log in using your IIC member ID and IIC web password

If you have not created an online member account, create your account here and select "I have a User/Member ID."

Note: If you are new to our LMS, you will be prompted to enter an email address in your LMS profile and verify the email address the first time you log in. That email address will be used for LMS class correspondence only. The email address recorded in your IIC Member Profile will continue to be used for all IIC mailings, including password-reset emails.

If you purchased your CIP textbooks from a college bookstore, please provide proof of purchase to elearning@insuranceinstitute.ca. Access to the online tutorial will then be provided within two business days.

We recommend that you use all course resources, both print and online, to prepare for your exam.

CIP and GIE course textbook addenda

From time to time, important updates need to be published between scheduled textbook editions. In these cases, we publish an addendum in PDF format showing changes to the existing publication. Addenda should be used in addition to the corresponding textbook.

Course textbook addenda