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Continuing Education Guidelines Q&A

New        Continuing Education (CE) Guidelines came into effect for all Insurance Council licensees starting June 1, 2021. 

To help licensees better understand their CE requirements, we have put together a list of questions and answers. Don't see your questions answered here?  Reach out to our Practice and Quality Assurance Team directly at practice@insurancecouncilofbc.com.
 


Q&A Topics

Record Keeping/Reporting

Course Eligibility

Course Length/Calculating CE Credits

Carrying Over Credits
Repeating Courses

Waivers/Exemptions for CE

Non-resident Licensees

Does it Count for CE Credit?

Record-keeping/Reporting

How and when do I submit my CE credits to Insurance Council?
At this time, you do not need to submit CE certificates to the Insurance Council, but you must keep a record of your CE for five licence periods (from June 1-May 31 for five years). If you are subject to a CE audit, you will be asked to provide copies of your course completion records, which may include providing information about the course content as well as proof of attendance .

To help you keep track of your CE credits, we developed a CE Self-Tracker within the online portal to determine the number of credits required for your current licence period. Learn more here.
 

Course Eligibility

How do I know if the course I’m taking is eligible for CE credits?

The Insurance Council introduced an accreditation program in 2022 that allows course providers to apply to be an accredited course provider (ACP) or education providers to apply to accredit their individual courses. By taking an Insurance Council accedited course or one offered by an ACP, you’ll have the confidence of knowing the courses will meet licensing requirements. A list of accredited course providers and an accredited individual course list are available on our website here and will be regularly updated as more course providers and courses are accepted into the program.
 

If you’re not taking a course offered by an accredited course provider, then you should review the Insurance Council’s technical content requirement in the CE Guidelines for your class of licence to determine if a course meets the criteria for acceptable CE. Assess the course content (e.g., review course objectives, learning outcomes) to ensure the course aligns with the requirements. If you continue to have questions about whether a course qualifies under the CE requirements, please contact the Practice & Quality Assurance team. 


What type of course delivery/event is considered  acceptable for CE credit?

CE Courses may be online, in-person, or blended. Attending industry conferences, symposiums, and university courses may be eligible for CE if they meet Insurance Council’s technical requirements. 


What type of CE courses do not qualify for CE credits?

Courses that do not contribute to fulfilling knowledge to remain competent in the insurance industry will not be given credit toward meeting the Insurance Council’s continuing education program. Credit toward the continuing education requirement cannot be claimed where the course content primarily involves:

  • Marketing or sales techniques;

  • Service;

  • Training on how to use computer programs;

  • Self-improvement or self-help; or

  • Non-insurance products, such as securities and mutual funds.

Please contact the Practice & Quality Assurance team if you have questions about whether a course would qualify for CE credits.

For questions about specific scenarios and CE credit eligibility, please see the Does it Count for CE Credit? section.

Course Length/Calculating CE Credts

What is the minimum length of time for a course to qualify for credits under the CE Guidelines?

A course must include at least 15 minutes of instruction to qualify for a minimum of 0.25 credits.
 

How do partial credits count for courses that are less than an hour?

One hour of instruction is equal to one hour of CE credit. Breaks are excluded, and you must attend the complete course or seminar. The course length to CE credit equivalent is as follows:

  • 15 minutes of instruction equals to 0.25 credits.

  • 30 minutes of instruction equals to 0.5 credits.

  • 45 minutes of instruction equals to 0.75 credits.

Partial credits for courses more than one hour in length continue to be accepted in 15-minute increments. For example, a course that includes an hour and 15 minutes of instruction equates to 1.25 credits and a course that includes 2.5 hours of instruction equates to 2.5 credits.


I completed a course that includes 40 minutes of instruction. How many credits will I earn?

You would earn 0.5 credits. For courses that fall outside of the 15-minute increments, credit amount would be rounded down to the nearest 15-minute increment. For example, if a course is 20 minutes in duration, you would earn 0.25 credits.


I took a course from February to May 2022 but will not be completing the final exam till July 2022. Will my course count for CE credits towards the 2022 licence period or the 2023 licence period which starts in June?
It’s likely that you would not receive confirmation of your course completion until you successfully write and pass the exam, therefore the course completion would not have happened until July 2022 and the credits would therefore count towards the 2023 licence period (June 2022-May 2023). Where a course involves an exam, you must successfully complete the course and pass the exam to obtain CE credits. The date on which you successfully completed the exam will determine the licence period that the credits would count towards.

Carrying Over Credits

How many credits can I carry over to the next annual licence renewal period?

Starting June 1, 2021, credits you earn can be carried over to the next licence period up to a maximum of one licence period’s worth of CE credits. This means if you are a life and/or A&S agent, you can carry over up to 15 credits and if you are a general insurance salesperson, agent, or adjuster, you can carry over up to 8 credits to the next licence period.

Example Scenario:

Chang is required to complete 15 credits as a life insurance agent for her 2022 licence period (between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022). During this licence period, she completed 20 credits. 

Chang will claim 15 credits toward her 2022 licence period and can carry over the remaining five credits to the 2023 licence period. After applying the carry-over credits, she still needs to complete 10 CE credits between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023 in order to meet the CE requirements for the 2023 licence period.

Repeating Courses

Do I get credit if I take the same course more than once?

You may only claim CE credits for a course once within three licence periods unless the course content has changed substantially enough to warrant retaking it.

The purpose of CE is to enhance the licensee's insurance knowledge and to remain up-to-date in the insurance industry. For a course to qualify for CE credits, you must gain new knowledge through the completed course, or the course content must have changed substantially since the first time the course was completed.
 

What constitutes substantial course changes according to the Insurance Council?

Substantial course changes include major changes in the course content (e.g., new material has been added or revised, course objectives, shift in topic focus).

Changes in instructor or course modality (e.g., in-person to webinar) do not constitute substantive changes and will not be considered for CE credit if the course has already been taken in the last three licence periods.

If you are audited by the Insurance Council, you would be asked to demonstrate how the content fundamentally changed each time it was taken to determine whether credits would be granted more than once.

Exemptions/Waivers/Deferrals

I obtained my licence between March 1 and May 31. Am I required to complete CE for the licence period?

The first annual licence renewal for new licensees who obtain an insurance licence between March 1 and May 31 is May 31 the following year.

Therefore, if your licence is issued between March 1 and May 31, 2022, you are not required to complete CE credits for three remaining months of the 2022 licence period. Commencing June 1, 2022, you will be required to complete all of the CE credits required for your licence class.
 

I have a professional designation and previously qualified for credit reduction. Is there a reduction in the number of CE credits I am required to complete under the new CE guidelines?

No. Starting June 1, 2021, every licensee is required to complete the same number of credits for their class of licence regardless of whether they hold a designation. Licensees cannot claim any CE credit reductions. A general salesperson, agent, or adjuster is required to complete eight credits annually and a life and/or accident and sickness insurance agent is required to complete 15 credits annually per licence period.
 

I previously qualified for a credit reduction based on the number of years I’ve been licensed with the Insurance Council. Is there a reduction in the number of CE Credits I’m required to complete under the new CE guidelines?

No. Effective June 1, 2021, all licensees are required to complete the same number of credits for their class of licence and no CE credit reductions can be claimed.

 

Why are there no longer any credit reductions for licensees who hold certain designations or have five or more years of licensed experience?

There were a number of important regulatory factors the Insurance Council considered in eliminating the CE credit reductions. Firstly, eliminating the CE reduction would create harmonization with other provincial jurisdictions, relevant to those registered in multiple jurisdictions. Secondly, because licensees can hold a licence without being active in the industry, a CE credit reduction based on the number of years licensed would not adequately support public protection. Furthermore, where professional designations are concerned, since professional associations have varied CE requirements for their designations—and in some cases do not have any—broadly applying a reduction in CE credit requirements is problematic and does not establish a consistent amount of insurance-specific learning for all licensees.

I believe I have an exemption from completing CE, how do I confirm this?

All licensees are required to meet Insurance Council’s CE program as per Insurance Council Rules and there is no exemption or waiver available to licensees to exempt licensees from meeting their CE requirements. Insurance Council’s Code of Conduct requires licensees to conduct all insurance activities in a competent manner, which is characterized by the application of knowledge and skill in a manner consistent with the usual practice of insurance business. Thereby, licensees are expected to continue their education in insurance to remain current in their skills and knowledge. If you believe you received a special exemption from the Continuing Education requirements, then we’d urge you to contact our Practice & Quality Assurance team by email at practice@insurancecouncilofbc.com to provide us with those details so we may consider and address the situation.  

I am not working and have been on extended leave because of a serious medical condition, are there any options available to me to extend the due date for completing my CE credits?

There is no exemption or waiver available to licensees for meeting their CE requirements and licensees cannot renew their licence without having met their CE requirements. Under extenuating circumstances, and where a licensee is not working, in any capacity or in any industry, then licensees can contact the Practice & Quality Assurance team to provide more information and understand what options, if any, are available.

In all instances, the licensee would be required to suspend their licence until CE can be made up and for a maximum of only two licence periods. Licensees should contact the Practice & Quality Assurance team by email at practice@insurancecouncilofbc.com to explain their situation including providing details about what has prevented them from doing CE, whether any CE was completed during the licence period of June 1 to May 31, how much CE, if any, has been completed, whether the licensee is working and the intended date of return to work, and the plan or timeline for making up the CE. Licensees are encouraged to reach out early to ensure there is time to review the situation and go through the application and licence suspension phases, and if the licensee doesn’t qualify then there is still enough time to make up or complete CE.

Non-resident licensee

I’m a non-resident licensee. How does the new CE guideline affect licensees who live outside of BC?

Non-resident licensees whose home jurisdiction does not have a mandatory continuing education requirement are required to meet the Insurance Council’s requirements.  Non-resident licensees whose home jurisdiction has a mandatory continuing education requirement are not required to meet Insurance Council’s requirements, provided they are meeting the CE requirements of their home jurisdiction and keep their licence there in good standing. 

Does it Count for CE Credit?

I completed courses before becoming licensed with Insurance Council. Do these courses count towards meeting my CE requirements?

No, the courses you take to become licensed or before becoming licensed are not considered continuing education. The spirit of continuing education is for licensees to enhance their insurance knowledge.  Only technical courses that meet Insurance Council's CE requirements and which are taken after your licence is issued may qualify for CE credits.

If I completed a course but did not pass the exam would I still earn CE credits for completing the course?

No, where a course involves an exam, you must successfully complete the course and pass the exam. As part of your CE records, ensure that you maintain documentation of successful course completion, in the event you are audited by Insurance Council.

My professional designation requires a certain number of courses or hours to be completed to maintain my designation.  Can I use these courses as CE credits towards my insurance licence?

Potentially, if the courses meet Insurance Council’s CE technical content requirements then it is possible that you may also claim these courses for CE credit. Information on what constitutes technical content and meets Insurance Council requirements can be found in the CE Guidelines for your licence class.  

I facilitate/develop courses or seminars on insurance, does this count towards CE credits?

No, CE credits are not granted for developing, leading, teaching, or presenting a course or seminar. The spirit of continuing education is for licensees to enhance their insurance knowledge and gain competence. Instructors or facilitators of an insurance course are expected to have subject matter expertise in the content that they teach.