QFA Life Assurance study plan
QFA Life Assurance · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Life Assurance
Map the life assurance syllabus into a one-page concept map covering protection, savings, and annuity products
Define and contrast term assurance, whole-of-life, endowment, and unit-linked contracts in your own words
Explain underwriting concepts including insurable interest, disclosure, non-disclosure, and misrepresentation
List the standard exclusions and the main policy provisions such as grace periods, reinstatement, and surrender values
Your checkpoint
A completed one-page life assurance concept map plus 30 self-written flashcards covering product types and underwriting terms
Life Assurance
Calculate sample premiums and benefits for term, endowment, and annuity illustrations by hand
Describe how bonuses, with-profits funds, and unit pricing affect policyholder outcomes
Explain claims handling, assignment, trusts, and nomination of beneficiaries in life policies
Summarise the tax treatment of life assurance proceeds and premiums at a high level
Your checkpoint
A worked calculation sheet with five solved numerical scenarios and a 1-page summary of tax and claims treatment
Pensions
Diagram the structure of occupational, personal, and stakeholder pension arrangements
Explain contribution limits, tax relief mechanics, and the annual allowance concept
Describe retirement benefit options including annuities and income drawdown
Outline the role of trustees, scheme rules, and regulatory oversight in pensions
Your checkpoint
A comparison table of pension arrangement types with contribution, tax, and benefit columns completed from memory then verified
Savings & Investments
Classify savings and investment products by risk, liquidity, and time horizon
Explain collective investment schemes, unit trusts, and investment bonds
Describe the risk-return relationship and diversification in plain language
Summarise the main regulatory protections for retail investors
Your checkpoint
A risk-liquidity matrix covering at least eight savings and investment products, plus a 20-question self-test scored and logged
Personal General Insurance
Identify the main personal general insurance classes and what each covers
Explain indemnity, average, excess, and no-claims discount mechanics
Distinguish the cover provided by household, motor, and travel policies
Describe how claims are notified, assessed, and settled in personal lines
Your checkpoint
A one-page personal lines cover comparison plus three solved indemnity and average calculation problems
Commercial General Insurance
Map commercial insurance classes including property, liability, and business interruption
Explain the principle of indemnity and how it applies to commercial property and BI claims
Describe key commercial policy conditions, warranties, and disclosure duties
Outline underwriting factors insurers use for commercial risks
Your checkpoint
A commercial insurance summary sheet with a worked business interruption example showing gross profit and rate of gross profit
Private Medical Insurance & Associated Insurances & Housing Loans, Home Reversion Agreements & Associated Insurances
Explain the structure of private medical insurance including underwriting, exclusions, and claims
Describe associated insurances such as critical illness and income protection
Outline housing loan types, repayment structures, and the role of associated mortgage insurances
Explain home reversion agreements and how they differ from other equity release options
Your checkpoint
A side-by-side comparison of PMI, critical illness, and income protection plus a summary of housing loan and home reversion mechanics
Consumer Credit & Associated Insurances & Life Assurance & Pensions & Savings & Investments & Personal General Insurance & Commercial General Insurance & Private Medical Insurance & Associated Insurances & Housing Loans, Home Reversion Agreements & Associated Insurances
Explain consumer credit types, APR, and the role of associated insurances such as payment protection
Consolidate all eight domains into a single revision index with key terms and formulas
Complete two full timed mock exams under exam conditions
Review every wrong answer and log the domain and reason for each error
Re-drill the highest-error domains until scores reach the target threshold
Your checkpoint
A final revision index, two scored mock exam records, and an error log with corrective notes for each domain
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75% on a 30-question life assurance self-test and explain every wrong answer aloud without notes
Week 4: Complete a 40-question mixed test across domains 1-3 scoring at least 70%, with all calculation questions correct
Week 6: Complete a 40-question mixed test across domains 4-5 scoring at least 70% and correctly solve two indemnity calculations
Week 8: Achieve at least 80% on two full-length timed mock exams and show a closed error log with no repeated mistake types