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Home〉Programmes〉Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP)
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Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP)

If you already hold an APA, achieving the CIP designation is the next step to advance your career.

Key Semester Dates Apply Now

Overview

The Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP) is a professional qualification designed for those looking to reinforce their experience. This course provides a broader understanding of insurance products and processes, helping you build on your existing knowledge.

Who’s the programme for?

  • APA designation holders seeking to expand their product knowledge
  • Industry professionals pursuing a recognized insurance qualification

Exemptions or recognition of prior learning

If you've completed insurance exams or qualifications in the past, you could be entitled to exemptions from some of the CIP modules.

Entry-level and technical requirements

To apply for the Certificate in Insurance Practice, you must hold at least one APA designation.

All of our programmes are delivered in English, requiring students to have a high level of English language proficiency.

Key Details

Designation

  • CIP (Certified Insurance Practitioner)
  • Awarded by: The Insurance Institute

Qualifications

  • Certificate in Insurance Practice (Level 7 Special Purpose Award)
  • Awarded by: Atlantic Technological University, Sligo
  • European Credit Transfer System (ETCS): 15 credits

Modules

  • 6 in total (2 core*, 2 product*, 2 process)
  • *If you hold an APA designation, you will have likely completed the two core modules and one product module already.

Delivery

  • Online

Duration

  • Semesters start in February, June and September and are 12 weeks in duration

Assessment

  • Product modules: multiple-choice (MCQ) exam featuring 100 questions
  • Process modules: 2-hour written exam with mid-semester assessment (MCQ)
  • Exam Dates
€360  Per module + membership fee
Applications Closed

Career Pathway

The Insurance Institute has programmes to suit each stage of your career path, designed to help develop the skills you need both now and into the future.

Qualification Career Pathway
  1.  
    Step 1

    Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)

    An entry-level qualification that helps you learn more about insurance and provides the foundation for a successful career in the industry.

  2.  
    Step 2

    Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP)

    If you already hold an APA, the CIP designation will help you do more and grow your career by broadening your product and industry knowledge.

  3.  
    Step 3

    Higher Diploma in Insurance Management (MDI)

    Grow in confidence with our advanced professional qualification, which helps you achieve more by enhancing your technical insurance knowledge and developing key management skills such as critical thinking, report writing, research, and problem-solving.

80% pass-rate
4000+ members hold a CIP
500+ new students per semester

Modules

To be awarded the Certificate in Insurance Practice, you must complete six programme modules (two core, two product, and two process).

Core Modules

You need to complete BOTH core modules.

Module Code: CIP-01

The Nature of Insurance

  • The Irish insurance market
  • Risk & risk management
  • Insurable risks & their insurance solutions
  • Underwriting: the people & processes
  • The insurance contract & policy
  • The legal environment
  • Duties and responsibilities in the claims process
  • Calculating the claim payment: who should pay & how much?
Module Code: CIP-02

Compliance and Advice

  • Why & how we regulate
  • Impact of regulation
  • Agency & relationship management
  • Impact of The Central Bank Consumer Protection Code
  • Insurance documentation
  • Other legal requirements
  • Ethics & competency
  • Dispute resolution

Product Modules

You need to complete TWO of the product modules.

Module Code: CIP-03

Personal General Insurance

  • Knowing the consumer & suitability
  • Motor insurances
  • Household insurances – definitions, insurable values & information gathering
  • Household insurances
  • Travel & protection insurances — Private health insurance
  • The claims process
Module Code: CIP-04

Commercial General Insurance

  • Knowing the client & suitability
  • Commercial motor insurances
  • Commercial property insurances
  • Insurable values & presentation of information
  • Commercial property insurances – policy cover
  • Other property-related insurances
  • Commercial liability insurances
  • The claims process
Module Code: CIP-05

Health Insurance & Associated Insurances

  • Healthcare provision
  • Challenges into the future of health insurance
  • Private health insurance (community-rated)
  • Risk-rated health insurance
  • Knowing the consumer & suitability
  • Health insurance claims & administration

Process Modules

You also need to complete TWO process modules.

Module Code: CIP-06

Practice of Risk Control & Underwriting

  • Underwriting in Ireland
  • From corporate strategy to underwriting strategy
  • Pricing the risk
  • Underwriting – policy and practice
  • Underwriting and risk control: property and business interruption insurance
  • Underwriting and risk control: motor and liability insurances
  • Risk exposure and control
Module Code: CIP-07

Practice of Claims and Loss Adjusting

  • The claims environment
  • Claims notification
  • Claims verification
  • Claims investigation
  • Indemnity – how much will the policy pay
  • Third-party claims – legal considerations
  • Claims settlement
Module Code: CIP-08

Practice of General Insurance Broking

  • Broking relationships
  • Regulatory environment
  • Negotiating and placing a risk
  • Selecting an insurance provider
  • Ongoing customer service and management
  • Programme design and operation – large risks
  • Other services

Delivery

The Certificate in Insurance Practice qualification builds knowledge and expands opportunities through live online classes and self-directed learning.

Programme delivery

Lectures

Live and on-demand lectures with industry experts.

Textbook

Accessible print and digital formats to help better visualise the material.

Online study supports

Micro-learning activities, learning plans, past papers, guideline answers, and mock exams.

Mid-semester Assessment

Worth 10% of your overall mark. Designed to keep yourself on track and test yourself early.

Continuing Professional Development

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

After accepting a designation, you must maintain it by completing CPD annually, as outlined in the Central Bank of Ireland Minimum Competency Code (MCC) 2017.

Students with a CPD requirement under MCC 2017 are awarded 8 hours of non-category-specific CPD for successfully completing each insurance exam.

As part of their annual requirements, members must complete:

  • 1 hour of mandatory Ethics
  • 1 hour of CPD for each specified role they perform

The Insurance Institute offers a variety of live and online CPD options to help members meet their CPD requirements.

Learn more about CPD

Download the Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP) Information Guide

This helpful guide will provide you with all the information you need to get started with the Certificate in Insurance Practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Visit our Key Semester Dates page. Here you'll find key dates for your diary – everything from when applications open and close, when results will be released and the dates and times of exams and submissions.

  • Assessment refers to the various methods and tools used by The Insurance Institute to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, and skill acquisition of our students.

  • All fees related to the Certified Insurance Practitioner (CIP) can be found here.

    • E-book
    • Webinars and online tutorials
    • Chapter-by-chapter key points
    • Online mock exam with feedback
    • Access to the Quitch app for chapter-by-chapter knowledge testing      
    • Microlearning resources for challenging topics 

  • If you have completed courses and qualifications in the past that may have contained content relevant to some of our qualifications, you could be entitled to an exemption.

    Please contact our Member Services team to discuss.

  • Qualification
    A qualification is an academic award conferred by an educational body. For example, the Certificate in Insurance Practice is awarded by Atlantic Technological University Sligo. Holders of an academic qualification have successfully completed a specific course of study; however, this does not automatically mean they are competent to practice a trade or profession—this is where the designation comes into play.

    Designation
    The term "designation" refers to the letters used after one’s name upon successful completion of a qualification, indicating a compliant and knowledgeable professional—essentially your license to trade. Designations can be revoked if certain conditions, such as maintaining membership and meeting CPD requirements, are not fulfilled. The Central Bank of Ireland's Minimum Competency Code 2017 outlines recognized insurance designations and the regulatory CPD requirements for maintaining compliance.

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