Learning and development

All PMI exams are currently being held online. Learners will be required to download the 
TestReach application on the system/device which they will use to sit the exam. You can take your 
exam in an office/work environment, or in the comfort of your own home.

Yes, our Ofqual-regulated qualifications are widely respected and recognised by employers across the UK pensions and financial services sectors. With 50 years in the industry, we have gained recognition and built strong partnerships across the UK pensions and financial services sectors.

No, we offer entry-level regulated qualifications for beginners, and advanced options for experienced professionals.  

PMI qualifications are uniquely offered by us in the UK, and are designed specifically for pensions professionals. While rooted in UK pensions expertise, they also cater to those working internationally on UK pension schemes, combining technical knowledge with practical application. 

Visit our website to register, or contact us at pmiqualification@pensions-pmi.org.uk, and our trusted team will get back to you.  

Yes. Our flexible learning options are designed to fit around your work and life commitments.

You can retake it. Each qualification is examined three times annually, enabling learners to retake assessments with enhanced flexibility and minimal delay. We offer feedback and support to help you succeed next time.

Your certificate will be available on your PMI portal within one week of receiving your exam results. Please login using MyPMI. 

Yes, we charge different prices for a PDF or hard copy. Please contact the Qualifications team directly to discuss your options here: PMIQualifications@pensions-pmi.org.uk 

We offer qualifications, CPD support, networking, and access to job opportunities, mentoring and mentee development and more. Everything you need to grow in the pensions industry.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD), refers to the ongoing learning and development activities that our professional members engage in to enhance their skills and knowledge throughout their careers. We offer a variety of different services which count as CPD such as in- person events, reading materials including a bi-monthly magazine and more. 

Yes. We help members track and manage their CPD to stay current and compliant. Depending on your membership type, you will be expected  

Yes, we host events throughout the year. You can view all our upcoming events and register via our website or contact a member from our team here events@pensions-pmi.org.uk  

For PMI members, events are free. For non-members there will be a cost associated with attendance. 

Yes, to study and complete any PMI qualification, you’ll need to hold at least student membership. This ensures you have access to essential resources, support, and PMI Benefits throughout your learning journey. 

Fees are shown on each qualification; member pricing applies where stated, go here for more: Qualifications - The Pensions Management Institute

Yes! PMI offers Bespoke Training, tailoring sessions to your specific needs, goals, and preferred delivery format provides bespoke in-house training and bulk bookings.

Individuals are not being forced to undertake one of the five new pathways and you are welcome to take a stand-alone qualification by itself if you wish. It is completely up to an individual what route they want to take, and no one will be forced down a particular avenue.

Yes, the ADRP will be available for five more years from the date we launch the new member streams.

The decision is yours to make. If you feel one of the new pathways is a beneficial route to undertake and suits your educational/career needs, then you are welcome to do so. If you want to continue with the current Advanced Diploma, you will have five years to complete any remaining units (five years from the date of launch).

Please note, anything post 2016 can be claimed for with regards to one of the new pathways, but anything pre 2016 would need to be passed again in order to count towards one of the new steams. This is to ensure the qualifications can be matched against the qualifications we currently offer. There will be a fee to claim for the final certificate.

Yes, you can! If you prefer not to follow the new pathway model, you can still sit and complete the singular qualification for the Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision. However, this option will only be available until April 2028.

No, unfortunately, any units or qualifications passed before 2016 will need to be retaken if you want to qualify for one of the new pathways. However, we will accept passes from units or qualifications achieved post-2016.

PMI Pathways has introduced five career-specific routes to Fellowship. If you were an existing Certificate or Diploma member, in 2023 you were automatically migrated to the new Professional Membership. This means your membership status now aligns with the new structure, providing more opportunities to progress in your career.

Yes, under the new pathways, if you’ve completed a PMI qualification or combination of units that didn’t previously make you eligible for Certificate or Diploma membership, you may now qualify for Professional Membership. Contact us to check your eligibility.

If you were a lapsed Certificate or Diploma member, you have also been migrated to the new Professional Membership. You can reinstate your PMI membership to take advantage of enhanced member benefits. Reach out to us to discuss reinstatement.

If you wish to progress towards Associateship, you must retake any qualifications or units completed before 2016. Only qualifications and unit exams taken in 2016 or later will count towards Associateship.

You will be required to book yourself on to the exam you wish to sit via the PMI website. After bookings close you will then be contacted by TestReach in due course, who will provide you with log-in details for your account for the TestReach application closer to the date of your exam, which will enable you to take your online proctored exam.

There are no minimum requirements to sit any PMI qualifications. Learners are advised to opt for a course/PMI Pathway as per their career aspirations. We would advise looking in depth at qualification specification/syllabuses and ensuring the information on the webpages is read in good detail.

Leaners are advised to refer to the PMI's Competency Framework where we have aligned our qualification as per the career roles of the candidates. For further guidance and questions please contact the PMI qualifications team.

The assessment model would differ for each qualification. For example, the Retirement Provision Certificate (RPC) qualification is based on multiple choice questions, whereas the Certificate in Pension Calculations (CPC) is designed in a calculation-based format. The Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision (ADRP) would be assessed based on multiple choice questions/short and long answer questions. For further details, learners are advised to visit the webpage of the qualification they are enrolling for, to get specific guidance.

You can submit extenuating circumstances if your reasons for missing the exam were exceptional and beyond your control, which will then be reviewed before a decision is made. However, as per our exam policy, if you are a ‘no show’ for your exam and we do not receive a sufficient reason as to why you were not present, you would be required to book on again for the next sitting at the full cost of the exam if you wished to still sit it.

No, we do not offer exams at re-sit price.

Yes, past papers can be viewed here.

Yes, you will be required to download the TestReach application to your device (laptop/desktop computer). If you are going to be taking your exam using a work device, we strongly urge you to get in touch with your IT team ASAP, who may need to enable certain permissions for the application to be downloaded and accessed. It is crucial that this is actioned in good time and as early as possible, as all learners are required to schedule themselves onto their exam 72 hours before they are due to sit the exam, to pass all the system checks, to avoid any issues on the day of the exam. A link to download the TestReach application is available on our qualification webpages.

Yes, if you have any medical conditions that inhibit your ability to complete an exam within the standard timeframe, e.g., dyslexia, or any other medical disorders, then we can offer you an additional 25% extra time on top of the standard exam time. We would need supporting evidence, such as a medical note from your doctor, to be provided to us, which would then be reviewed by a member of the team and a decision then made. If you require extra time, the PMI Qualifications team will get in touch in the run-up to your exam and request it from you in due course.

If your internet connection fails during an exam, we would request that you get in touch with the TestReach support team, who will attempt to troubleshoot and support you to get yourself reconnected with your exam and invigilator. If the problem continues to persist, you will be directed to the PMI Qualifications team where we will advise on the next steps to take.

Please ensure you check the respective webpage of the exam that you sat for this information. Exam release dates will be posted on there, so you are aware as to when you can expect to receive your results.

Yes, you will need ID for your exam which will have to be shown to your online invigilator before you start. You will be made aware in the run-up to the exam of what ID is ‘valid’ and acceptable to use.

No, you do not have to stay for the duration of your exam. If you are happy with the answers, you have provided and have clicked on the ‘submit’ button, you will be allowed to finish early.

There are minimum system requirements to sit your exam online. You can check to see if you fulfil these technical requirements by taking a look through the TestReach Remote Invigilation Protocol.

The only difference is that the exam is taken online, so you can sit the exam in the comfort of your own home if you wish to do so. Fundamentally, however, there is no difference. By using TestReach we are ensuring that we are fully compliant with Ofqual regulations. Each learner is invigilated online by their exam proctor, who can see/hear the learner, as well as having a visual of their screen too, to see what the learner is viewing. Certain pre-exam checks are also taken beforehand, to ensure that the learner’s environment is acceptable for sitting an exam. All these factors ensure that the exams maintain their integrity and are in no way compromised by being held online. The TestReach Desktop App is very robust, safe to run and has been rolled out across the UK, in local government, emergency services, universities, pension administrators, financial corporations, etc. without any negative reports. Once the exam is completed, the TestReach App can be closed by clicking the button and has no notification service or any other configuration that runs whilst the application is not in use. Furthermore, TestReach is compliant with ISO standards and exams run are approved by many accrediting bodies.

Please refer to the information in the TestReach Remote Invigilation Protocol, which describes the validation protocol and the steps that trained invigilators will take to verify the identity of the candidate and to ensure that the candidate’s test environment is secure – this is for your information, and to know what to expect during the online exam.

Although comfort breaks are of course allowed, you should inform your invigilator beforehand (like you would in an exam centre). Your exam will NOT be paused/stopped while you have breaks, so please be mindful of how much time you have remaining for your exam.

All PMI exams should be taken in exam conditions. Although snacks are allowed, eating a full meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner etc.) is not permitted.

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Even though taking an examination at home may be perceived as being a more relaxed environment, you are under strict examination conditions. For example, if you were to take your examination in a physical test centre, you are required to conduct yourself in accordance with the PMI candidate guidance in operation at the time and abide by the Examination Rules and Regulations. Any breaches of these could result in your examination being flagged to the PMI Qualifications team to review as part of the PMI Malpractice Policy.