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Continuing Education Program Q&A

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

New! Updated CE Program effective June 1, 2025

CE requirements must be met prior to completing annual licence renewal

Course content eligibility

Course length/calculating CE credits

Carrying-over credits 
Repeating courses

Waivers/exemptions for CE

Non-resident licensees

Does it count for CE credit? 

Compliance/record-keeping

What changes were made to the CE Program effective June 1, 2025?

Effective June 1, 2025, the Insurance Council introduced updated Continuing Education (CE) Requirements and Guidelines for the licence period commencing June 1, 2025 and thereafter. 
Key updates include:

  • Updated CE Requirements and Guidelines published per licence class  
    Separate Continuing Education Requirements and Guidelines are provided for BC general insurance agents and salespersons, adjusters, and life and sickness insurance agent licensees. These Requirements and Guidelines replace the retired versions formerly referred to as the Continuing Education Guidelines. 

  • Updated criteria for eligible CE activities and clarified guidance on CE requirements 
    The criteria for what is eligible to be claimed as CE has been updated to ensure licensees are claiming credit only for education which is relevant to their Insurance Council of BC licensed insurance activities, is structured with clear learning objectives, is provable, and is focused on eligible technical content. Clarification around how to calculate CE credits, the minimum education time, duplicate credits, and carry-over credit is provided. Clarity around compliance and record keeping is also included to support licensees in better understanding and meeting requirements.  

  • New and expanded technical content categories 
    Technical content categories have been introduced and expanded to reflect an evolving industry and licensee knowledge and competencies. Licensees can claim credit for a broader scope of educational offerings, including education relevant to insurance risk, product and practice knowledge, and education that supports improving client outcomes. Licensees holding supervisory, management and nominee duties can also claim CE credit for such relevant education.  

  • Introducing and clarifying limited exceptions for newly licensed individuals, reinstated licensees, and non-resident licensees 
    Introducing and clarifying the limited exceptions which exist for some licensees such as newly licensed individuals in their first licence period, licensees whose licensees are reinstated between March 1 to May 31st , and non-resident licensees who meet certain conditions. 

  • What has not changed 
    There is no change to the minimum number of CE credits required annually after the first licence period. No changes have been made to CE requirements for travel agency employees/salespersons or motor vehicle dealers’ licensed representatives. Licensees must maintain their CE records for a minimum of five licence periods and must be able to produce these when requested by Insurance Council.  

CE requirements must be met prior to completing annual licence renewal

Can I complete my CE credits after I submit my renewal, providing I've completed them by May 31st?

No, per Rule 4(4), licensees must have met their CE requirements prior to renewing their licence so, there is no option for a licensee to renew their licence without having fully met their CE requirements. 
 

If I submit a late annual licence renewal, does that allow me additional time to complete my continuing education? 

No. Continuing Education must be completed by May 31 each year, and the related requirements must be met prior to completing annual licence renewal. Licensees who do not meet their CE requirements by May 31 or per the CE Requirements and Guidelines for their licence class will be in breach of Insurance Council Rules and Code of Conduct. Licensees who submit a late annual licence renewal and who completed their CE requirements after May 31 will still be required to confirm they met their CE requirements in addition to explaining their non-compliance. Proof of meeting CE requirements must be maintained and provided to the Insurance Council, if requested. 

Course content 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 of BC accredited course or one offered by an ACP, you’ll have the confidence of knowing the courses will meet Insurance Council of BC’s CE 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 Insurance Council of BC accredited course provider, then you should review the Insurance Council’s CE Requirements and Guidelines for your class of licence to determine if a course meets the Eligible CE credit criteria and Technical Content categories to be claimed for CE. Assess the course content (e.g., review course objectives, learning outcomes, etc.) to ensure the course aligns with the requirements. If you continue to have questions about whether a course qualifies under the CE Program, 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, webinars, and university courses may all be eligible for CE providing they meet the Insurance Council’s CE eligibility criteria and the technical content categories as outlined in the CE Program for your licence class. 


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

Education that does not meet the Eligible CE Credit criteria or the Technical Content categories as set out in the CE Requirements and Guidelines for the licensee's licence class cannot be claimed as CE. 
 
Content that does not contribute to maintaining or expanding a Licensee’s competency as an Insurance Council of BC Licensee, does not meet British Columbia clients’ insurance needs, or is not in the interest of consumer protection is not eligible for CE credit. Examples of CE which would not meet Insurance Council of BC requirements include: 

  • Education that is not relevant to the licensee’s Insurance Council of BC licensed activities and which does not pertain to serving or supporting British Columbia insurance consumers and risks; 

  • Education that was completed before the Licensee became licensed by Insurance Council of BC; 

  • Education that does not meet the Eligible CE Credit criteria or Technical Content categories of the CE Requirements and Guidelines for the licensee’s licence class; 

  • Content that is focused on advertising, generating sales leads, marketing/sales techniques, and strategies; 

  • Courses on self-help and personal advancement or which are aimed at an individual’s non-insurance business interests; and 

  • Courses focused on organizational financial management, management or leadership principles and practices, unless the licensee is a sole proprietor, nominee, or supervisor who supervises and oversees insurance business activities of the insurance agency/firm and/or other licensees. 
     

If you still have questions about whether a course is eligible for CE, you may contact the Practice & Quality Assurance team. For questions about specific scenarios and CE credit eligibility, please see the Does it Count for CE Credit?  section. 
 

What If I hold both a Life Insurance Agent licence and a Level 2 General Insurance Agent licence, do I need to complete 15 CE credits for life insurance and 8 CE credits for general insurance separately? Or can I apply courses taken for one licence toward the other? 

If you hold both a Life Insurance Agent licence and a Level 2 General Insurance Agent licence, you do not necessarily need to complete 15 CE credits for Life plus 8 CE credits for General. Where a single course meets the criteria for both licence classes, under Sections 3.0 and 5.0 of the CE Requirements & Guidelines, you may claim the same credit toward both licences. For example, courses on the topics of Ethics, Improving Client Outcomes, etc. can be claimed as CE for both licences. However, a course on life insurance products and requirements would not be able to be claimed as CE by a general insurance licensee, and conversely a course on general insurance products or requirements cannot be claimed as CE by a life insurance agent. 

Course length/calculating CE credits

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

Education time must be a minimum of 15 minutes in duration to be considered eligible for CE credit.
 

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

One hour of eligible education time 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 is 40 minutes in length. How many credits will I earn?

You would earn 0.5 credits. For educationthat falls 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 round it down and claim it as 0.25 credits (or 15 minutes).


I took a course from February to May 2025 but will not be completing the final exam until July 2025. Will my course count for CE credits towards the 2025 licence period or the 2026 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 2025 and the credits would therefore count towards the 2026 licence period (which runs June 1, 2025 - May 31, 2026). 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?

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; general insurance salespersons, agents, and adjusters 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 2025 licence period (between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025). During this licence period, she completed 20 credits. 

Chang will claim 15 credits toward her 2025 licence period and can carry over the remaining five credits to the 2026 licence period. After applying the carry-over credits, she still needs to complete 10 CE credits between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026 in order to meet the CE requirements for the 2026 licence period.

As a new licensee, I understand that I do not need to complete CE in my first licence period, however, if I do take education in that first year, can I carry over my CE credits and claim them in my next licence period? 

Yes. Licensees who have been issued a new licence are not required to complete CE in their first licence period and any education that they do take during this time which is eligible as CE credit can be carried over to the next licence period.  

A new licence does not include licences reinstated under Council Rule 2(19) or upgraded from a lower level.  

Repeating courses

Can I claim CE credit if I take the same course more than once?

No. You may only claim CE credits for education once within three licence periods unless the content has changed substantially enough to warrant retaking it.

CE should enhance the licensee's insurance knowledge and help them remain up-to-date in the insurance industry thus continuing education should support them in gaining new or updated knowledge., Repeating the same course does not meet this objective unless the course has undergone substantial changes to warrant retaking it. 
 

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 could be asked to demonstrate how the content fundamentally changed each time it was taken to determine whether credits can be claimed more than once. 

Exemptions/waivers/deferrals

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

No, 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 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 CE requirements. However, effective June 1, 2025, new licensees who are in their first licence period are excepted from completing CE for their first licence period since they would have completed education to qualify for licensure and likely will be undertaking additional training and education through their agency or firm in their capacity as a new licensee. 

If you believe that you may have received a special exemption from meeting Continuing Education requirements in the past or prior to June 1, 2025, then we advise 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 support you further in understanding and meeting your CE requirements.

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?

Apart from those licensees who are in their first year of licensure and qualify for an exception under the new CE program which came in to effect June 1, 2025, there is no exemption or waiver available to licensees for meeting CE 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 about their situation and be supported in understanding what options, if any, are available to them.

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 allow for enough time to make up or complete CE if the licensee doesn’t qualify for exemption.

Non-resident licensee

I’m a non-resident licensee, am I required to meet the Insurance Council of BC CE Program? 

Non-resident licensees whose home jurisdiction does not have a mandatory continuing education requirement are required to meet the Insurance Council’s CE Program.  Additionally, licensees whose home residence is located outside of a Canadian province are required to meet Insurance Council of BC’s CE Program. 

Non-resident licensees whose home jurisdiction has a mandatory continuing education requirement are not required to also meet Insurance Council’s CE Program, provided they are meeting the CE requirements of their home jurisdiction and keep their licence there in good standing, and they are a resident of a Canadian province other than British Columbia.  

Does it count for CE credit?

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

No, education taken to become licensed or before becoming licensed is not considered continuing education. The spirit of continuing education is for licensees to enhance their insurance knowledge as a licensee. Accordingly, education taken to qualify for licensure and to become licensed is not considered continuing education. Per Section 3.1 – Eligible CE Credit of the CE Requirements and Guidelines in order for education to be eligible as CE credit; it must be completed after the licensee has become licensed by the Insurance Council of BC. Courses taken before licensure or to become licensed do not count as CE. 

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 the Insurance Council or requested to provide these.

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 the Insurance Council’s Eligible CE Credit criteria and Technical Content categories, then it is possible that you may also claim these courses for CE credit with Insurance Council of BC. Information on what constitutes Eligible CE Credit and Technical Content criteria can be found in the CE Requirements and Guidelines for your licence class.  

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

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

Compliance/record-keeping

​What are my CE record-keeping requirements? 
Licensees must keep their CE records for the past five licence periods, including records for any carryover credits that were used within those past five licence periods. CE records must reflect the following:  

  • licensee’s full name;  

  • the course name and course description;  

  • the relevant technical content category; 

  • Proof of course completion date, such as certificates, attendance sheets or written correspondence from the course provider; and,  

  • The number of eligible CE credits attained. 


How and when do I submit my CE credits to the Insurance Council?
Currently, you are not required to submit your CE records to the Insurance Council, unless you are audited or specifically requested to do so, but you must keep a record of your CE for five licence periods (from June 1-May 31 for five years), including any carry-over credits. If you are subject to an audit, you will be asked to provide evidence of having met your CE requirements, 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. Use of this tool does not replace record-keeping requirements. Learn more here. 

What happens if I am audited and cannot provide CE records? 
Licensees are required to maintain CE records for five licence periods and must be able to provide their CE records upon request. If a licensee cannot produce the required CE records demonstrating they met their CE requirements, then they may be found to be in breach of Insurance Council Rules and Code of Conduct. A failure to meet CE requirements, including failure to keep complete records, can result in Licensees being subject to disciplinary action.

Licensees should not rely on third parties, such as insurers, agencies, or education providers, to maintain their CE records. Reliance on third parties may result in a licensee being unable to access required records in the future, for example, if they no longer have access to that third party’s systems or are no longer employed by or associated with them.


If I'm audited, how will the Insurance Council verify that CE credits I claimed are eligible? 
During an audit, licensees will be asked to submit their CE records for the audited licence period(s), including details of the CE credits claimed. CE records must include proof of course completion, such as certificates of completion, attendance records, or written correspondence from the CE provider. 

Records must clearly identify the licensee’s name, the course name and description, the relevant technical content category, and the number of eligible CE credits attained. Licensees may also be asked to provide additional supporting documentation, such as course descriptions or learning objectives, to assess whether the education meets the Eligible CE Credit criteria and Technical Content requirements set out in the CE Requirements and Guidelines. 

What if I misunderstood my CE requirements or believed I had met them? 
Licensees are responsible for understanding and meeting their licensing and regulatory requirements, including their CE requirements. Misunderstanding the requirements or relying on incorrect assumptions or third-party information does not relieve a licensee of their obligations under Insurance Council Rules and the Code of Conduct. 

Licensees are expected to stay informed of their requirements by regularly reviewing the Insurance Council Rules and Code of Conduct, Practice Advisory Notices, Guidelines, and other regulatory publications as issued by the Insurance Council. To support licensees, the Insurance Council provides various resources such as webinars, courses, and monthly What’s New emails. Licensees are required to remain up to date with regulatory developments and communications