The Institutes is making major changes to their CPCU® program requirements effective later this year. In this post, we’ll provide you the key details so that you can plan your journey, and not waste your time and money on courses that are no longer required.
The Institutes has an official FAQ page with details relating to these changes and is the official source of information for the CPCU® program.
On our own page, we will continue to share what we learn from The Institutes, so be sure to bookmark this post as well!
FAQs answered in this post
- How is the CPCU program changing? (includes changes to traditional path and ARM to CPCU path)
- When do the changes take effect?
- Will my credits transfer over? [updated June 9, 2023]
- Will the pricing change?
- Would I be able to pass the updated exam using the current course materials?
- If I am using The Institutes’ study materials but do not pass my exam by the key dates previously mentioned, will The Institutes provide a refund or credit to be used towards another set of their course materials or exam fees?
- When will the updated courses & CPCU 550 be available for purchase?
- What types of study materials will be available for purchase from The Institutes?
- How will course waivers apply? (multiple questions)
- Is there any change to the test format?
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1) How is the CPCU program changing?
Right now, there are two different paths you can take to earn your CPCU designation: the traditional path and the ARM to CPCU path. The Institutes is making significant changes to both.
The Institutes had stated that some courses are expiring (meaning the course will be revised to have a new title & updated content), while other courses will be retiring (meaning the course will no longer be offered at all).
Changes to the traditional path
Currently, the traditional path requires students to complete all of the following courses:
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Four foundational courses (CPCU 500, 520, 530, 540)
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Three concentration courses, under either a commercial lines concentration (CPCU 551, 552, 553) or a personal lines concentration (CPCU 555, 556, 557)
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One elective course
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One ethics course
The updated program requirements will include the following:
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Five foundational courses (CPCU 500, 520, 530, 540 plus CPCU 550)
[CPCU 550 is an entirely new course about data and analytics] -
Two concentration courses, under either a commercial lines concentration (CPCU 551 and CPCU 552) or a personal lines concentration (CPCU 555 and CPCU 556)
[CPCU 553 & 557 will be retired and no longer be part of the program requirements] -
One elective course
-
One ethics course
In order to receive credit for CPCU 553 & 557, students must pass those exams by December 15, 2023. If a student is still only partway through the program by that date, whether or not they will be subject to the updated requirements will depend on how far the student has gotten up to that point.
For more information, see question 3) Will my credits transfer over? below.
Changes to the ARM to CPCU path
Currently, the ARM to CPCU path allows students to earn both the ARM designation & the CPCU designation by completing all of the following courses:
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Three ARM courses (ARM 400, 401, 402)
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One foundational CPCU course (CPCU 410)
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Three concentration courses, under either a commercial lines concentration (CPCU 551, 552, 553) or a personal lines concentration (CPCU 555, 556, 557)
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One elective course
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One ethics course
The updated ARM to CPCU path will include:
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Three ARM courses (ARM 400, 401, 402)
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Two CPCU foundational courses (CPCU 530, 540)
[CPCU 410 will be retired and no longer be part of the program requirements] -
Two concentration courses under either a commercial lines concentration (CPCU 551 and CPCU 552) or a personal lines concentration (CPCU 555 and CPCU 556)
[CPCU 553 & 557 will be retired and no longer be part of the program requirements] -
One elective course
-
One ethics course
Students who have already passed CPCU 410 will receive credit towards CPCU 530.
In order to receive credit for CPCU 410, 553, and/or 557, students must pass those exams by December 15, 2023.
If a student is still only partway through the program by that date, whether or not they will be subject to the updated requirements will depend on how far the student has gotten up to that point. For more information, see question 3) Will my credits transfer over? below.
Other changes
The Institutes’ FAQ page states that all of the CPCU courses will be given new titles, but the course numbers and the main topics that are covered in the courses will stay the same.
The course content itself will also have updates to it, but it is unknown at this time how extensive those edits will be.
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2) When do the changes take effect?
The Institutes has provided these key dates that students should take note of:
- For CPCU 410, 553, and 557: In order to receive credit for these courses, students must pass their exams by December 15, 2023. After that, these courses will be retired.
- For all remaining CPCU courses: Students have until September 15, 2023 to pass the exam that is based on the current edition of these courses. After that, the exams will be based on the updated course content.
3) Will my credits transfer over?
The Institutes has repeatedly confirmed that students will not lose credit for any courses that were already completed. However, there is still some ambiguity as to how that will work.
CPCU 410
Students who have already passed CPCU 410 will receive credit towards CPCU 530.
CPCU 553 and 557
Traditional path
ARM to CPCU path
We also asked The Institutes if the credits for CPCU 553 and 557 will transfer over under the ARM to CPCU path. The Institutes merely stated that “No student will need to complete more than 8 courses and the 8 corresponding exams, and they will maintain credit for what they have completed if they do so by the deadlines for each course.”
However, this does not fully explain what specific requirement the 553 or 557 credit will be used to satisfy. We wrote back to The Institutes to follow up and are still awaiting their reply.
Remaining courses
Although all of the remaining courses will have their titles changed, the course numbers will stay the same. Any credits already earned will be transferred to the corresponding course number under the new title.
4) Will the pricing change?
The cost of the CPCU study materials and exam fees will remain the same.
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5) Would I be able to pass the updated exam using the current course materials?
The Institutes does not recommend using expiring courses for the new exams, since the courses have been intentionally developed to include updated content.
6) If I am using The Institutes’ study materials but do not pass my exam by the key dates previously mentioned, will The Institutes provide a refund or credit to be used towards another set of their course materials or exam fees?
No, you will not.
7) When will the updated courses & CPCU 550 be available for purchase?
The new courses will be available for purchase in July 2023.
8) What types of study materials will be available for purchase from The Institutes?
The available packages will still be similar to what is offered now:
The Institutes’ Online Only package will include the following:
- Online course
- Printable study outline
- Assignment quizzes
- Practice exams
- A simulated exam
- Flash cards
- Discussion boards
Students will still have the option to buy the printed coursebook (i.e., textbook) if they choose the Recommended Course package.
For students who study using only the coursebook (textbook)
9) How will course waivers apply?
CPCU 550
You cannot use the Associate in Insurance Data Analytics (AIDA®) designation, any specific AIDA course, a college degree, or any other certifications to waive CPCU 550.
AINS-based waivers
API-based waivers
Under the Associate in Personal Insurance (API®) program, students have the option of choosing a concentration path that included CPCU 555 and CPCU 556. Students who completed the API program using that concentration path will get credit towards their CPCU designation for those two courses.
External waivers
Currently, if a student has taken certain college courses or earned a certain type of college degree, they can apply to have certain CPCU courses waived. For example, students who have an MBA can apply for a CPCU 540 waiver.
The external waivers are not changing under the new program requirements, so students can continue to plan around and apply for the same external waivers.
10) Is there any change to the test format?
No.
Sources
- The Institutes’ CPCU FAQ page
- Phone call to The Institutes on May 12, 2023
- Email response from The Institutes received on May 15, 2023
- The Institutes’ Live Chat Q&A session in The Institutes’ Chat Facebook group, held on May 23, 2023
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About your instructor
Insurance Exam Guides (IEG) was founded by Stacy Trinh, CPCU®, who first started her teaching journey at the request of her co-workers who were preparing for their CPCU exams. Because of her reputation as an adept trainer and motivator, Stacy's co-workers had asked her to lead a class. The feedback on her sessions and study materials was overwhelming positive, and her students encouraged her to share what she had to offer with the rest of the CPCU community.
Since then, Stacy created a library of study materials for both CPCU® and AINS® that have helped thousands of students pass their exams. As an accounting major and former claims adjuster, her style of instruction incorporates both a financial and operational perspective that makes her study materials well-rounded. She looks forward to helping many more students continue to succeed, including you!
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