CIC Commercial Casualty
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ExploreAbout this exam
The CIC Commercial Casualty course is one of the courses in the Certified Insurance Counselor program, a designation the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance describes as nationally recognized and highly respected for agency owners, producers, agents, CSRs, brokers, and insurance company personnel. This particular course builds practical policy knowledge: the Alliance states that participants obtain a thorough understanding of the coverage, limitations, and Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability policies, learn how to apply insurance limits, and learn to recommend appropriate endorsements. The course is organized around four topics: Commercial General Liability Concepts and Coverage; Additional Insured Concepts and Endorsements; Business Automobile Coverages and Endorsements; and Workers Compensation and Employers Liability. Instruction is 16 hours, offered in live classroom, live instructor-led webinar, or self-paced online formats, and is taught by active insurance practitioners. To earn designation credit for the course you must pass the exam; the Alliance describes a two-hour, essay-style exam with a passing score of 70% or better, proctored for self-paced learners. Preparation means working through the course notebook and materials, doing the knowledge checks and self-quizzes, and practicing written answers that apply limits and endorsements to scenarios rather than reciting definitions. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Alliance.
What you'll study
About CIC Commercial Casualty preparation
What format is the Commercial Casualty exam?
The Alliance describes it as a two-hour, essay-style exam; self-paced learners complete a proctored essay-based final exam. Expect to write out answers rather than select from options, so practice explaining coverage, exclusions, limits, and endorsement effects in complete sentences.
What score do I need to pass?
70% or better. Because the exam is essay-style, partial credit depends on hitting the required elements of each answer. Address every part of the prompt, state the applicable coverage or exclusion, then apply limits in the correct order.
How long is the exam and is it timed?
Two hours. With essay answers, budget roughly 15 to 20 minutes per question and leave time to review. If a question asks for both coverage analysis and a limit calculation, do the analysis first so a math error does not cost you the reasoning points.
How should I order my study across the four topics?
Start with Commercial General Liability, since additional insured endorsements build directly on CGL coverage triggers and insuring agreements. Then study additional insured concepts, move to business auto, and finish with workers compensation and employers liability, which has its own distinct structure and limit mechanics.
What are the most common failure modes?
Answering with definitions instead of application, missing exclusions that change the outcome, and mishandling limits, such as applying an aggregate where a per-occurrence limit belongs. Additional insured status questions also trip candidates who ignore the difference between primary and excess and the effect of the contract.
Can I retake the exam if I fail?
The source material does not state a retake policy, so confirm directly with the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance. Do not assume a free or unlimited retake. Plan to pass on the first attempt and check the current policy before you register.
How long do I have to finish the designation?
You may earn the CIC designation by completing one of the stated pathways within five calendar years of passing your first CIC exam. The standard pathway is five CIC courses and their corresponding exams, so plan your course sequence early.
Do I have to keep taking exams after earning the designation?
No further examinations are required once you earn the CIC. To maintain it, you must complete an approved update course and meet the attendance requirements by the end of your birth month each year, and membership dues apply.
Who is this course designed for?
The designation is recommended for licensed agents, brokers, and adjusters, insurance professionals with at least two years of full-time insurance or risk management experience, and full-time insurance faculty who have taught at least two years at an accredited college or university. There are no formal prerequisites.
How much time should I set aside to prepare?
The course itself is 16 hours of instruction, but the exam is essay-based, so add substantial writing practice on top. Self-paced learners have a 120-day completion window. Build a schedule that includes timed practice answers under two-hour conditions before exam day.