Requirements and rules for writing an exam

As an overarching principle, all examinees must abide by the Insurance Institute of Canada’s (IIC’s) Academic Integrity Policy. Academic integrity refers to principles of honesty and ethical conduct that apply to academic activities including exams.

Examinees are required to follow all exam directives provided in writing by the Institute and verbally by personnel administering the exam, including Institute staff and proctors.

The following requirements and rules apply to all examinees writing Institute exams.

For Institute program exams, i.e. CIP, Risk, GIE only:

1.1. Examinees must be members in good standing of a local Insurance Institute (membership paid in full) to register for an Institute exam and obtain their results.

1.2. Examinees can write only one exam per course, per session. Examinees who fail an exam cannot rewrite in the same exam administration period.

For all exams administered by the Institute, including licensing exams:

1.3. Examinees will be permitted to write exams only for courses/exams in which they have registered with The Insurance Institute of Canada and at the date and time scheduled.

1.4. Examinees are responsible for ensuring they are registered for and receive the correct exam.

1.5. Examinees must present original, valid (non-expired) government-issued photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license, health card, Canadian Permanent Resident card) for identity verification before they can write their exam. Proctors have the right to reject any government-issued photo identification if authenticity cannot be verified.

1.6. The name on the government-issued photo identification must match the name the examinee used to register for the course/exam (the name in the Insurance Institute Member account).

The following rules are intended to ensure that all examinees are given an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of exam content. IIC maintains strict exam security before, during and after the exam.

Candidates must agree to the requirements and rules before starting the examination.

2.1. Only the examinee registered for the exam is allowed to take the exam.

2.2. Examinees are prohibited from accessing books, notes, phones (Smart/cell/etc.), or electronic devices such as smart watches, tablets, headphones, or any technology, including artificial intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT), that can be used to transmit or record information. This applies for the duration of the exam including during a washroom break.

2.3. All written responses must be expressed using the examinee’s own words. Submitting content that is identical to passages in the textbook, or to any other source, is strictly prohibited.

2.4. Examinees may not record or copy exam content including, but not limited to, copying and pasting, taking screen shots, photos, or recordings of questions and answers.

2.5. Examinees are prohibited from sharing information about the content of the exam with anyone including other IIC examinees, colleagues, employers, family members, friends, etc. This includes talking about the exam before, during or after the exam, and copying, sharing, or posting exam content online or in person.

2.6. Examinees may not use any tools other than those provided within the exam interface. The exam interface includes a section where examinees can type their notes and access an online calculator during the exam.

2.7. Examinees may not communicate either verbally or non-verbally with anyone other than authorized personnel (such as the proctor) during the exam.

2.8. Examinees are prohibited from hiding, placing, or arranging to hide or place any prohibited material that may be accessed by themselves or others during the exam.

2.9. Examinees may not read or attempt to read or copy any information from any other person.

2.10. Examinees may not consume food in the vicinity of the exam or access food. Examinees are permitted water at their desk in a clear, transparent bottle or container without any solid writing, logos, pictures, etc. and all labels removed. For In-person exams, the bottle or container must have a lid which may be non-transparent.

2.11. Examinees must remove and place out of reach any head coverings that are not deemed essential for their identity or self-expression (e.g., religion, cultural identity) such as hats, watches, sunglasses, and other head coverings.

2.12. Examinees may not leave the exam area without permission from the proctor.

2.13. Examinees are not permitted to be rude, discourteous, or behave unprofessionally with the proctor.

2.14. Examinees must comply with proctor instructions or warnings.

3.1. Examinees must arrive in the exam room no later than 15 minutes before the scheduled exam start time.

3.2. Examinees who arrive less than 30 minutes after the exam start time will be able to write their exam with no additional time given. Examinees who arrive 30 minutes or more after the exam start time may not write the exam. They will be marked as absent.

3.3. Examinees may not leave the exam room within the first 30 minutes of the exam.

3.4. Examinees must turn off their phones (Smart/cell/etc.), smart watches, headphones, tablets, and any other transmission devices and put them in the designated area.

3.5. All personal belongings including coats/jackets, bags and purses must be placed in the designated area. IIC and the exam centre are not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen personal belongings.

3.6. If an examinee needs help or to speak to the proctor, they must raise their hand and wait until the proctor approaches them. Examinees must speak discreetly and quietly, or outside the room, to avoid disturbing the other examinees.

3.7. Examinees must not begin their exam until advised to do so by the proctor.

3.8. Examinees may only leave the exam room for a short break (for example, to go to the washroom) if accompanied by a proctor, or after their exam has been submitted. The exam timer will continue to count down while on a washroom break.

3.9. Examinees must stop typing and/or using their mouse when the scheduled exam session time has expired.

3.10. No persons other than the proctors and examinees eligible to take the exam shall be present during the exam session.

3.11. All materials supplied by IIC or the exam centre must remain in the room or be returned at the end of the exam.

3.12. Examinees are required to comply with any health, safety and security screening procedures as posted in the exam centre or stated by the proctor or exam staff.

4.1. Examinees must ensure that their exam area does not contain any prohibited materials including books, pens/pencils, notes, phones (Smart/cell/etc.), or electronic devices such as smart watches, tablets, headphones, or any technology that can be used to transmit or record information. This applies for the duration of the exam including during a washroom break. If a phone (Smart/cell/etc.) is used to conduct a room scan, it must be placed in another room or out of reach and within the proctor’s view, once the room scan is complete. Examinees must follow the proctor’s instructions during the room scan, including to remove any items from the exam area.

4.2. Examinees are not permitted to have multiple monitors or TV screens anywhere in the vicinity of the exam area.

4.3. Examinees must avoid actions which could be interpreted as an attempt to communicate with others or an attempt to consult unauthorised resources, including, but not limited to:

4.3.1. Repeatedly/excessively looking off screen

4.3.2. Obstructing their face with anything such as papers or hands

4.3.3. Speaking to someone else in the room

4.3.4. Speaking, whispering, or singing in any language

4.3.5. Moving outside of camera view, turning off their camera, or turning off their microphone

4.3.6. Interacting with another person, other than the proctor, in any way

4.3.7. Accessing any content, software applications, or websites during the exam other than the exam platform

4.3.8. Excessive noise in the environment or playing music

4.4. Examinees are permitted one short break during the exam. Examinees must ask the proctor before they can take a break and must inform the proctor when they return from the break. The exam timer will continue to count down during the break.

Exams are routinely reviewed for irregularities and/or breaches of exam rules. Examination irregularities and/or breaches may result in disqualification of the exam results and/or suspension of examination privileges.

For Institute program exams, i.e. CIP, Risk, GIE, only:

Any breach of the rules will result in a disqualification of the exam results and a suspension for nine exam sessions or 3 years, whichever is longer. The circumstances will be referred to the examinee’s local institute for disciplinary action additional to the automatic and minimum suspension of examination privileges mentioned herein. Any subsequent breach of the examination rules will result in permanent disqualification from all Institute program exams.

For provincial licensing exams, i.e. Level 1 licensing, OTL exams:

The regulator will be notified of all disqualifications and suspensions. The following penalties may apply:

• 1st offence: disqualification of the exam results and 2-year suspension of exam privileges
• Each subsequent offence: disqualification of the exam results and 3-year suspension of exam privileges

For RIBO exams:

In addition to the rules explained above, see the Exam Administration & Academic Integrity Policy and RIBO Exam Rules.

The Insurance Institute of Canada (IIC) exams and exam questions are the property of IIC. All exam materials are protected by copyright and property rights law. Possession, use, or distribution of IIC exams or exam questions outside of the environment used for writing the exam is an offense and will result in suspension and/or legal and financial penalties, and for licensing exams may result in the loss of license.

Please note, information such as your name, address, ID, relevant personal information and video recording may be shared with relevant third parties, such as regulatory bodies, institute partners, or third-party investigators, in situations of suspected exam breaches.