The qualification is made up of seven separate units which must all be completed to achieve the qualification.

Units are assessed via examination designed to demonstrate candidates’ competence in the manual calculation of benefits of occupational pension schemes and is assessed by open book case study examinations offered each year in March and September.

CPC Examinations

The case studies are based on three fictitious pension schemes - two of these are final salary schemes (one of which is a care scheme) and one is a money purchase scheme.

Candidates have to be able to carry out manual calculations for all three schemes. Candidates also have to write to at least one member or client explaining the benefits payable and asking for any further information required before the scheme can pay the benefits.

Retirements Part 1

Retirements Part 2

Deaths Part 1

Deaths Part 2

Leavers Part 1

Leavers Part 2

Transfers In & Transfers Out

A number of units in this qualification are work-based and will be completed as part of the day to day work activities carried out matching them to specific criteria listed in the units.

However some units are assessed via examination and the content of this page refers to studying for those examinations.

Early preparation and a planned study schedule for the examinations is essential:

1. As the case studies are based on two fictitious pension schemes - one final salary scheme and one care scheme, becoming familiar with those schemes is essential.
2. Practise calculations from past papers and check the answers against those given in the appendix to the Examiners’ Report.
3. Read copies of past Examiners’ Reports – these will identify many common problems and guidance about how to avoid them.
4. Purchase the relevant access key for on-line learning. A separate PMI online learning inter-active programme is available for each of the examined areas – Transfers, Deaths, Retirement and Leavers. It guides candidates through their preferred learning style enabling them to define how they want to practice for the examinations.
5. Attend a revision course held at PMI House (if numbers allow).

The online learning programmes are accessible from any computer that gives access to the internet, please visit the Useful resources above to access.

The examinations are designed to test the competence of candidates in the calculation and communication of pension benefits for a range of scheme types.  Depending on the examination being tested, there will be either five or six case studies (Calculation Section) and either one or two letters (Letter Section).

The examinations are based on three types of fictitious pension schemes:

The examinations require candidates to provide evidence of their ability to:

• understand and interpret rules for different types of pension scheme
• carry out manual calculations for a range of member events, this range is detailed in the Units.
• understand the impact of supplementary information (e.g. part-time service, enhanced accrual rates, transferred-in benefits, AVCs, etc.) on the core benefits payable
• understand legislative restrictions that apply to the level of benefits payable
• communicate benefit options fully and accurately and request all the information required before the scheme can pay the benefits

Copies of Scheme Booklets and Tables of Factors should be taken into the examinations. It is vital that candidates ensure they have the current versions, which are downloadable from this page by accessing the following links:

OPQ Retirement & Death Benefits Plan - (reviewed May 2019)

The RST Career Average Earnings Scheme - (reviewed May 2019)

The XYZ Pension and Life Assurance Scheme - (reviewed May 2019)

Tables of Factors - (reviewed May 2019)

Key Features Document - (relevant for March 2020 examinations)

Deaths 1

Deaths 2

Transfers

Leavers 1

Leavers 2

Retirements 1

Retirements 2

September 2020

The closing date for entry to the September 2020 exams will be 3rd August 2020.

Tuesday 8 September

Retirement benefits without special circumstances - 1.30pm - 4.30pm

Wednesday 9 September

Retirements benefits with special circumstances - 9.30am - 12.30pm

Death benefits without special circumstances - 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Thursday 10 September

Death benefits with special circumstances - 9.30am - 12.30pm

Leavers’ benefits without special circumstances - 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Friday 11 September

Leavers' benefits with special circumstances - 9.30am - 12.30pm

Transfers in and out - 1.30pm - 4.30pm

The date will be confirmed in due course.

On completion of CPC individuals can apply for certificate level of membership of PMI and have the designatory initials CertPMI after their name.

Organisations wishing to offer this qualification must apply to the PMI for Centre Approval, unless they are already a PMI Approved Centre.

It will be necessary to apply to become an approved centre - the process involves three stages:

• A Centre Recognition Form is completed and returned to PMI along with the approval fee.
• An approval visit to the centre is carried out.
• Once approval is agreed a PMI Approved Centre Certficate is issued and candidates can be registered for the approved qualification(s).

PMI Approved Centres have to meet specified criteria, set out in the General conditions of recognition for the qualification.

Single Site Centre

This is a centre where all the candidates are at one location.

Multi Site Centre

If candidates are based at more than one location, it is possible to become a multi site centre where it will consist of one main centre and minimum one satellite centre. In this setup there must be a main centre contact who will be responsible for dealing with the administration of the qualification across all locations. All correspondence and examination material will be sent to the main centre contact who will be responsible for distributing it to the different locations. Each location must have a designated local contact. The alternative is to register each location as a single site centre.

Application for centre approval £900

Add a qualification to an exisiting PMI Approved Centre No Charge

Add another location to a multi-site centre structure £400

Add/change a centre contact, invigilator, mentor, or internal verifier No Charge

Annual centre fee - once approved a centre fee is payable. This commences in the year following centre approval and is paid in January.

It is broken down as follows:

Single Centres £900

Multi-Site Centres £900 + £400 per satellite centre

As soon as an Organisation has been approved as a centre for CPE then candidate registration can commence. All candidate registrations must be completed by the centre contact.

New to PMI?
Centre contact must register any new candidates.

Not New to PMI?
You can transfer a candidate if any of the following scenarios apply:

• Transfer from one centre to another.
• Completed APE within 12 months of registration and immediately transfer to CPE.
• Existing VQ candidate (other than in 2 above), completed qualification or actively working towards completion within last 2 years, wishing to transfer to another VQ qualification.

Confirmation of the transfer will be sent to you to confirm that registration has been completed.

It is an Ofqual requirement that Awarding Organisations must capture the Unique Learner Number (ULN) for all candidates. The Learner Registration Service (LRS) will allocate a ULN to every person undertaking education and training. Candidate details submitted to PMI need to match those on the LRS exactly, if there are any differences, PMI will be unable to validate the ULN.

For more information and to generate a ULN, please refer to the Learning Records Service – Learner Registration Area: www.learningrecordsservice.org.uk

It is not mandatory requirement to have a ULN.

This qualification can be used as part of the Workplace Pensions Trailblazer Apprenticeship. Amongst the many benefits of the apprenticeship is the opportunity to access Government funding to cover the cost of the qualifications and any associated training. 

Employers/training providers wishing to use this qualification as part of the apprenticeship should use the apprenticeship specific registration/entry forms.

Special consideration can be given to an individual who has temporarily experienced illness or injury or some other circumstance outside his or her control (such as problems at the exam centre such as noise or disturbance) that may have impacted on performance or attainment. 

The PMI is committed to providing fair and consistent examination, verification, approval and assessment processes. Visit the Wider information set page to find out more.