CIC institutes are approved for CE in all states. Have a license in a state besides NY, NJ, CT or NH? Information on CIC CE credit in all states is available through The National Alliance's CE guide.

CIC is a national designation program developed by the National Alliance.
This is the proof. A CIC is recognized throughout the industry as a true professional, as someone who has achieved. The CIC designation means you have the knowledge, personal dedication, and expertise to succeed in an ever-changing, demanding profession.

The CIC program is recognized for its practical, hands-on approach to learning. Approved for continuing education credits in all states, CIC is one of the most highly recognized professional education designation programs in the insurance industry! The program provides a comprehensive and continuing education program to individuals who have made a career commitment to insurance.The institutes and examinations are based on the premise that the student has a good grasp of the subject matter before coming to the institute. The program is not designed for beginners.

The five CIC institutes are:

• Personal Lines—This institute addresses the unique needs of individuals, families, and family members. You will learn to handle the complexities of state-specific personal lines forms.

• Commercial Casualty— Explore casualty exposures and become familiar with important coverages.

• Commercial Property—At this institute, you will learn innovative ways to maximize coverage for various types of commercial property accounts.

• Life & Health—This institute will provide the basic, essential background, knowledge, and confidence to succeed in this market.

• Agency Management—Agency personnel today must be both professional insurance counselors and sound business people. Learn the operations necessary to run an agency.

• James K. Ruble Seminars— Advanced and specialty topics, camaraderie among a network of CICs and CRMs nationwide, and some terrific vacation destinations combine to make James K. Ruble Seminars * higher education at its best.

Student Feedback - CIC Institute participants are encouraged to contact the Glenmont National Alliance Committee with recommendations, comments and concerns about the programs.

CE credit information

CICs are approved for CE in all states! CE credits are subject to change and are subject to state insurance department approval. Please see the National Alliance's CE Guide for the most up-to-date CE credit information.

Attn. NJ CIC & CISR designees: According to the NJ DOBI, producers who maintain & fulfill the CE requirements for a professional insurance designation approved by the DOBI (CIC, CISR), shall be awarded 12 credit hours for each full year of the four years preceding renewal for which these requirements were fulfilled. Application to obtain such approval shall be made by using the CE1A form. Therefore, CICs and CISRs updating/maintaining their designations AUTOMATICALLY comply with the DOBI’s CE requirements (48 credits that included the 6 credits in fraud/ethics).

If you have questions, go to the NJ DOBI's site, here.

Who should attend:
Licensed agents, brokers and solicitors; individuals who have at least two years of experience in the insurance industry; individuals who have served as a corporate risk manager for at least two years; and individuals who have served as a full-time insurance faculty member of an accredited college or university.

To earn the CIC designation, an individual must complete all five CIC institutes and pass a comprehensive essay exam at the end of each course. Individuals may complete the institutes in any order and need not attain a passing grade on the exam before continuing on to the next institute. Individuals have five calendar years from the time you pass the first exam to complete the program.

IMPORTANT: All participants must present photo identification to the registrar at the program location.

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org. Advanced Curriculum Rating = 20 CPE Credits in some states (* New York & New Jersey only.)

CIC FAQs Who is eligible to attend a CIC Institute? If you fit into one of the following categories, you qualify to attend a CIC institute: agent, broker, solicitor, licensed customer service rep (CSR), anyone with two years of insurance experience or two years as an insurance faculty member at a college or university. Some people may be eligible to attend a CIC institute, but not quite ready to attend. CIC exams are comprehensive and challenging. If you plan to take the exam, it may be a good idea to review the information in advance, especially for your very first CIC institute. While we cannot provide the CIC book in advance, we do have information on our web site to help you prepare. Remember, you don’t have to be seeking the designation to attend CIC institutes. People are welcome to attend for state CE credit or personal enrichment. See our career path guide for recommendations about how non designation seekers can make use of the CIC program. Who should participate in the CIC program? * Agency owners * Agency producers * Experienced agency staff * Advanced customer service representatives (Note: CIC satisfies Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR), Certified Professional Service Representative (CPSR), and Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) update requirements) * Company underwriters * Company branch managers * Experienced company personnel How will the CIC designation benefit my agency/company? * Higher premiums due to higher level of knowledge * Higher account retention * Knowing the latest policy changes affecting your clients * Learning the latest sales and cross-selling techniques * More knowledgeable, professional staff * Decreased E&O risk * Affiliation with colleagues & associates * Optimum use of state-required class attendance * Meet staff CE needs for both resident & non-resident licenses How long do I have to complete the CIC designation? At least five years, beginning with the first class that you pass. The Society of CIC gives you to the end of the year in question, so it is actually a little over five years. For example, if you took Personal Lines in October of 1999 and failed, then took Commercial Property in March of 2000 and passed, the Society would consider the beginning of your five years to be March of 2000. Therefore, your completion deadline would be December 31, 2005—five years and nine months from the date of your first pass. You can always find out for sure when your personal completion deadline is by calling the Society of CIC at (800) 531-5197. Can I get the CIC book in advance? No. CIC instructors provide us with outlines they prepare themselves (subject to Society approval), and we print the appropriate number of books just in time for the class. Is there any way to prepare in advance for a CIC institute? Yes. Take a look at the National Alliance's CIC Web site. There you will find links to topics such as "preparing for CIC" and more. If I fail a CIC exam, can I take a make-up test? No. There are no make-up tests in the CIC program. To retake an exam, you have to retake the class, and the fee is the same (i.e., there is no discount). If I fail an exam, is there any way to find out my score? No. The Society of CIC only provides pass-fail information. However, you can get an exam review from the Society. Call them at (800) 531-5197 to request an exam review. They will analyze your exam answers and send you a report critiquing your work with suggestions for improvement. If I take a CIC institute, but I fail the exam, can I still get continuing ed (CE) credit from the state? Yes. In NY, NY & CT, CE credit for classroom programs is based on attendance. As long as you are present for the entire course, you will earn state CE credit, regardless of whether you even take the exam. I've lost track of which parts of CIC I've passed. How can I find out? The official record is at the Society of CIC. To find out for sure, you should call them at (800) 531-5197. I think I just passed my last part of CIC. How do I find out whether the Society shows me as a new CIC? Is there some kind of graduation ceremony? You will get the results of your exam in the normal time frame-about 6-8 weeks after the class. If you pass the class, and it is your fifth (final) part, you will get a letter from the Society about four weeks after your "pass" letter informing you that you are now a CIC. It will also make reference to our CIC/CISR Conferment Ceremony and when your first update is due. The Conferment Ceremony is planned by PIA. We hold the ceremony once per year at the Ruble Graduate Seminars to recognize those who've earned their designation during that period. It is usually held during July, August, or September, and we send out invitations to those graduating at least a month prior to the event. How do you maintain the CIC designation? Once you have earned the CIC designation you can maintain it by attending annually one of the five CIC institutes (no exam required) or a James K. Ruble Seminar (which also does not involve an exam). Updates are due by the end of a CIC's birth month every year. You can find out for sure when your next update is due by calling the Society of CIC at (800) 531-5197. Note: Don't confuse your CIC update with your state CE requirement. CIC updates are annual, while state CE compliance dates vary. What is a James K. Ruble Seminar? Ruble Seminars (named after James K. Ruble, a key person in the creation of the CIC program) are special two-and-a-half day courses for updating CICs only. It's a way for CICs to get more variety while satisfying annual update requirements without having to take the same five institutes over and over again. The classes are only open to CICs and there is no exam. Different topics are available at Ruble Seminars that are not covered at the regular institutes, or they may include a more advanced version of a topic that is covered at an institute.