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 written 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).

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.

An example Critical Analysis, including examiner's feedback, is available to download:

Example Critical Analysis with Feedback

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

Critical Analysis: £50
ACS Exam: £200

Total: £250

The Institute examination procedure is changing.  In October 2018 we trialled computer based exams for the Advanced Diploma and ACS at Pearson centres.  We are delighted that following the success of the trial the procedure will be rolled out for all future Advanced Diploma and ACS exams.

From 1^st April 2019 all Advanced Diploma and ACS exams will be computer based and “On Demand”.

How will this work?

From 1^st April you will be able to book your Advanced Diploma or ACS exam by purchasing the voucher from Mindhub.

Having purchased the voucher you will be able to schedule your personal examination venue, date and time by creating 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.

What should you do before 1^st April 2019?

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

April 2018

ACS April 2018 (Aviation Paper)
ACS April 2018 (Business Interruption Paper)
ACS April 2018 (Liability Paper)
ACS April 2018 (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS April 2018 (Property Domestic Paper)
ACS April 2018 (Subsidence Paper)

October 2017

ACS October 2017 (Liability Paper)
ACS October 2017 (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS October 2017 (Property Domestic Paper)

April 2017

ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2017 questions (Business Interruption Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2017 questions (Liability Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2017 questions (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2017 questions (Property Domestic Paper)

October 2016

ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2016 questions (Liability Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2016 questions (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2016 questions (Property Domestic Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2016 examiner's comments

April 2016

ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2016 questions (BI Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2016 questions (Liability Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2016 questions (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2016 questions (Property Domestic Paper)

October 2015

ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2015 questions (BI Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2015 questions (Liability Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2015 questions (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2015 questions (Property Domestic Paper)

April 2015

ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2015 questions (BI Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2015 questions (Liability Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2015 questions (Property Commercial Paper)
Property Commercial Examiner’s Comments
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2015 questions (Property Domestic Paper)
Property Domestic Examiner’s Comments
ACS Scenario Based Paper April 2015 questions (Subsidence Paper)

October 2014

ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2014 questions (BI Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2014 questions (Liability Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2014 questions (Property Commercial Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2014 questions (Property Domestic Paper)
ACS Scenario Based Paper October 2014 questions (Subsidence Paper)