CII IF5 study plan

Map the structure of English insurance law as it applies to IF5: identify the sources of law (statute, common law, regulation, FCA/PRA rules) and explain in writing how each source binds an insurer and an intermediary.

Explain the core legal principles of insurance - insurable interest, indemnity, subrogation, contribution, proximate cause and utmost good faith - and give one original example of each applied to a personal lines and a commercial lines scenario.

Distinguish the roles of the Financial Ombudsman Service, the courts and the regulator in shaping insurance law outcomes, noting which body creates binding precedent and which does not.

Build a one-page glossary of at least 20 legal terms used in IF5 (e.g. warranty, condition precedent, misrepresentation, non-disclosure, estoppel, waiver) with a definition and a one-line practical implication for each.

Analyse the duty of fair presentation under the Insurance Act 2015: state what a proposer must disclose, what the insurer must do, and what remedies apply for breach, distinguishing deliberate, reckless and innocent failure.

Compare the pre-2015 duty of disclosure with the current position and explain the effect of the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 on consumer contracts.

Explain the law on warranties, conditions and representations, including the effect of the Insurance Act 2015 on terms not relevant to the actual loss, and apply it to three short fact patterns.

Explain the legal treatment of fraud, misrepresentation and breach of a condition, and identify the remedies available to the insurer in each case.

Test yourself with 30 self-written questions on Domain 1 and record your score by sub-topic.

Explain how an insurance contract is formed - offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations - and identify when cover actually begins, including the role of the proposal, the policy schedule and the cooling-off period.

Distinguish the parties and interests in an insurance contract (policyholder, insured, beneficiary, assignee, third party) and explain the effect of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

Explain the legal effect of the key policy sections - insuring clause, definitions, exclusions, conditions, excess and conditions precedent - and show how each is used to determine whether a claim is paid.

Explain the rules on interpretation of policy wording, including contra proferentem, the effect of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on unfair terms, and the role of the FCA's fair treatment requirements in wording design.

Draft a one-page checklist a claims handler could use to decide whether a loss falls within the insuring clause.

Explain the purpose and legal effect of the main policy conditions - premium payment, claims notification, mitigation, record keeping and reasonable care - and distinguish conditions precedent from conditions subsequent.

Explain the treatment of mid-term adjustments, renewal, cancellation, non-renewal and lapse, and state what the insurer must do at each point under contract and regulatory rules.

Explain the legal position on assignment, change of interest and the effect of the policyholder's death or insolvency on the contract.

Revisit Domain 1 by writing short answers linking formation, interpretation and breach of condition to the law studied in weeks 1–2.

Complete a timed 25-question mixed test on Domains 1 and 2 and mark it strictly.

Map the UK regulatory architecture - PRA, FCA, the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme - and state the statutory objective and remit of each.

Explain the FCA's threshold conditions, the senior managers and certification regime, and the approved persons arrangements they replaced, and describe what these mean for an individual intermediary.

Explain the conduct rules and the Principles for Businesses, and apply at least three of them to realistic intermediary scenarios (advice, disclosure of remuneration, handling complaints).

Explain the rules on client money, financial promotions, and the statutory status and duties of an appointed representative.

Explain the complaints-handling process and the FOS's jurisdiction, time limits, award limits and the effect of its decisions.

Explain the authorisation and permissions regime: what activities require authorisation, what happens when an unauthorised firm carries on regulated activity, and the consequences for the client.

Explain the requirements on intermediaries regarding disclosure of status and remuneration, product governance and the fair treatment of customers, and state what records must be kept.

Explain the data protection and anti-money-laundering obligations that apply to an insurance intermediary, including the role of the Money Laundering Regulations and the requirement for a nominated officer.

Explain how the regulator supervises and enforces - information requests, skilled person reports, financial penalties, prohibitions and public censure - and the role of the upper tribunal on appeal.

Complete a set of 20 scenario-based questions on Domain 3 and score them against the syllabus.

Explain the claims lifecycle from notification to settlement, including reserving, investigation, the role of loss adjusters and the evidence a handler must gather.

Explain how the insurer handles a claim where non-disclosure, misrepresentation, fraud or breach of condition is suspected, and the legal and regulatory constraints on declining a claim.

Explain the routes to dispute resolution - internal complaint, FOS, litigation, arbitration and mediation - and state the advantages, costs and time limits of each.

Explain the rules on limitation periods, the FOS's approach to fair and reasonable outcomes, and the effect of a FOS award on the complainant and the firm.

Apply the claims and disputes material to three original case studies and state the correct outcome with reasons.

Consolidate all four domains by producing a one-page summary sheet for each domain, limited to the points you have got wrong or nearly got wrong during the course.

Sit two full-length timed mock papers under exam conditions and mark them strictly against the syllabus, recording the score by domain.

Re-study the two weakest sub-topics identified in the mock results and write a short corrective note for each.

Practise exam technique: allocate time per question, read the command verb, and write model answers to three questions requiring application rather than recall.

Confirm practical exam logistics - venue or remote arrangements, permitted materials, identification - and plan the final 48 hours.