Associate

To become an Associate of the CILA you must pass an assessment process called Accreditation for Chartered Status (ACS) which includes:

1. Critical Analysis
3000 word Critical Analysis of a claim

2. ACS Exam
3½ hour computer based essay exam based on a claim scenario and comprising 4 compulsory questions. In advance of the exam sitting, candidates are asked to select an ACS exam paper from a choice of: Property (Domestic), Property (Commercial), Liability, Business Interruption, Subsidence or Aviation.

The Critical Analysis and ACS exam may be attempted/completed in any order.

In addition to completing the ACS assessment process you must also demonstrate that you have at least 5 years experience working as a loss adjuster (reduced to 3 years if you hold a professional qualification approved by the Institute). If this experience is gained whilst working for a Chartered Loss Adjusting firm/s you will be eligible to become an Associate of the CILA (ACILA). If this experience is gained whilst working for a firm/s which is not a Chartered Loss Adjusting firm you will instead be eligible to become a Certified Member of the CILA (MCILA).

Entry to the ACS examination process is open to CILA members who hold the CILA Advanced Diploma.

There are no exemptions available for any part of the ACS examination process.

The ACS process requires you to reflect on the technical knowledge and practical experience you have acquired. You will consider your development as a claims professional, in particular, the lessons you have learnt and the skills you have honed.

You will revisit the technical knowledge you gained whilst studying for the Advanced Diploma and will need to ensure that your knowledge is up to date. You will examine how you make decisions and identify what is required to make informed decisions in the handling of claims. You will also reflect on how to manage claims effectively and learn about the CILA’s Guide to Professional Conduct. You will review your communication skills and identify techniques or approaches that work well in different claim scenarios.

We recommend that you allow between 50 to 75 hours of preparation for the Critical Analysis and 50 to 70 hours of study for the ACS exam.

The ACS Preparation Guide is available to download on the right.  This will guide you through your preparation for your ACS written examination, and covers the ten steps to complete your Critical Analysis. 

The entry fee for the ACS assessment process is £250:

Critical Analysis = £50

ACS Exam = £200

Total = £250

Payment for the Critical Analysis can be made by contacting Reeya Tosar at

Please note that the ACS exam entry comes in the form of a voucher which has an expiry date, and that payment is made to the exam facilitator, Pearson VUE, and not the Institute.

http://www.mindhub.co.uk/

The Critical Analysis is a 3,000 word essay explaining how you managed and made decisions on a claim that you handled (your case). It will include views on how successful the outcomes were and explain what you have learnt from the claim.

An example Critical Analysis is available to download on the right, and this will help you understand the expected outcome of your work. The example is at a ‘pass’ level and includes comments from the University Professor on areas where it could have been improved.

To enter your Critical Analysis please contact Reeya Tosar at

Applying for the ACS Examination

1. Create a Pearson VUE account. If you do not already have one you will need to create your own online account with the exam facilitator Pearson VUE: http://www.pearsonvue.com/cila/  Please note that you will need your CILA membership number in order to create your Pearson VUE account.

2. Purchase an exam voucher. The next step is to purchase the exam voucher for the exam: http://www.mindhub.co.uk/category_s/100.htm

Please note that each exam voucher has an expiry date and you must sit the exam within this date.

Sitting the ACS Examination

The ACS examination can usually be sat at an exam centre close to your home or place of work and at a time that suits you. Simply follow the steps below to find your nearest exam centre and book your exam sitting.

Locate exam centre. The exam centres are provided by the exam facilitator Pearson VUE. We recommend that you check the location of Pearson VUE exam centres via the Pearson VUE website http://www.pearsonvue.com/cila/

If an exam centre is not available in your country, please contact the Institute for further assistance.

Schedule your exam. When you feel ready to take an exam, you can schedule a date, time and location via the Pearson VUE website: http://www.pearsonvue.com/cila/

Prepare for your examination and try out the Pearson software so you are familiar with the examination format via Trial Examination

These sample questions will help you to prepare for your exam.

• Sample questions for ACS exam (Aviation Paper)
• Sample questions for ACS exam (Business Interruption Paper)
• Sample questions for ACS exam (Liability Paper)
• Sample questions for ACS exam (Property Commercial Paper)
• Sample questions for ACS exam (Property Domestic Paper)
• Sample questions for ACS exam (Subsidence Paper)