Qualification Diploma in Employee Benefits and Retirement Savings (DEBRS)

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.

From Autumn 2025, all units are assessed via 80 multiple choice questions. You’ll be tested on your understanding of retirement provision, savings structures and employee benefits. Full details are available in the DEBRS specification under Useful Resources.

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 

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

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.