ABTrainingCenter.com offers both self-study and online training courses for earning your CPCU designation. Though we offer basically all of the required courses, we have listed the "starter" courses for both formats below.
Choose the course materials that work best for you, then complete your exam virtually or in person. Get unlimited access to all online content, plus a printed course book to supplement your learning. *All CPCU core courses now include a printable workbook as an additional exam-prep tool.
A sentiment that designees almost universally share is that the CPCU designation is like having a master’s degree in the industry. It’s no wonder, either. The program is designed to cover a number of key industry topics, from risk management, insurance law and risk financing all the way to concentrations in commercial or personal lines.
Yes! The CPCU Society offers a variety of benefits for members including study groups, networking events, podcasts, webinars, an Agent and Broker interest group, and hosts an annual conference, In2Risk, concluding with CPCU conferment. Learn more about the CPCU Society.
The materials cost anywhere from $345-$425, and the exams cost anywhere between $285-$400 each. In total, you can expect to pay close to $3,000 to obtain your CPCU. And it takes most people two to three years to finish the CPCU certification, though this depends on how much time you have to devote to studying.
roughly two to three yearsThe average time it takes to complete a CPCU is roughly two to three years, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to how efficient your study plan is. To produce maximum results and earn certification as quickly as possible, lock in your study plan before getting to work.
Course topics include regulating insurance operations, marketing and distributing insurance, underwriting risk, understanding risk control and premium auditing, analyzing claims, developing insurance rates, exploring reinsurance, evaluating technology needs, and examining strategic management.
If your main goal is to expand your insurance knowledge, the CPCU program is an excellent way of achieving that goal. The CPCU courses cover a variety of relevant topics, and they will provide you with a good basic understanding of how insurance companies operate.
CPCU® 540 – According to nationally published CPCU® pass rates, the CPCU® 540 is the hardest CPCU® exam. The pass rate is typically around 65% to 70%. The numbers don't lie; the CPCU® 540 exam is the largest in terms of content and is by far the most math intensive of all the CPCU® exams.
The CPCU is built using only insurance industry topics and is most applicable though it won't make you as well rounded as the MBA.
CPCU 500. Most students start off with CPCU 500 because it is the first course numerically and because many people consider it the “easiest” one.
To earn the CPCU designation, an individual must pass a minimum of eight of the eleven courses listed below (the four foundation courses, one elective course, plus three courses from either the Personal or the Commercial concentration).
The CPCU® designation is achieved after the completion of a series of eight exams and an ethics requirement course. The exams include: four foundation courses, three personal lines or commercial lines courses, and one elective course.
You can retake once per window, and save $80 if you register and test again in the same window.
65-minuteAll tests will now be timed 65-minute exams with 50 application-based multiple choice questions (i.e., word problems, similar to what you find on Part B of the traditional exam).
The ARM path is more focused on risk management & risk assessment skills, so it is a fairly specialized designation. On the other hand, the CPCU program covers a wider range of topics, so it's designed to provide you with a more all-encompassing set of knowledge.
CPCU 500. Most students start off with CPCU 500 because it is the first course numerically and because many people consider it the “easiest” one.
65-minuteAll tests will now be timed 65-minute exams with 50 application-based multiple choice questions (i.e., word problems, similar to what you find on Part B of the traditional exam).
According to nationally published CPCU® pass rates, the CPCU® 557 is one of the easiest of the CPCU® exams. The pass rate is typically around 80% or higher. This means, out of everyone that attempts the CPCU® 557 exam, 80% pass.
You can retake once per window, and save $80 if you register and test again in the same window.
The Institutes' interactive, online CPCU offers learning opportunities that fit your schedule and help you retain critical concepts, including relevant conversational content, case studies that reflect evolving real-world challenges, and a simulated exam.
A global community. Every CPCU becomes part of a vast community of engaged professionals. Together, you can explore new ideas and opportunities, address challenges, and leverage the active CPCU network to enhance your career and build your future.
As a new student, CPCU 500 is a great starting point. You will learn about risk management fundamentals with an emphasis on managing risk data, modeling outcomes, and applying new risk technologies. Plus, this course includes a printable workbook with key points and review questions that can help you better prepare for your exam!
After earning your designation, the CE for CPCU program provides a way for you to stay up-to-date on the latest knowledge, while also providing an outlet to showcase your educational efforts.
The CPCU after your name communicates leadership and confidence. From navigating complex policy choices, to determining loss coverage, to proving ROI with knowledge of profitability ratios and interest rate calculations, you understand outcomes and can be trusted with risks.
The CPCU Society is dedicated to enriching the careers of nearly 18,000 highly motivated risk management and insurance professionals. We provide you with the knowledge you need to succeed and connect you with the people and programs that will help you achieve your goals. Additionally, the CPCU Society offers half-priced dues for individuals in the process of completing the CPCU designation. In addition to educational offerings, you’ll have access to a network of close to 18,000 members who have been in your shoes.
For select designations and courses, instructor-led classes are available both in-person and online. Find out if this designation has classes available near you.
Join us on December 9th at Amity Hall NYC Downtown for our Annual Holiday Party!
Join us on Wednesday, November 17 as we celebrate with our new designees!
On October 27th, we will be welcoming Samantha Ridgewell to provide an overview of her course, Women With Presence.
Join us on December 9th at Amity Hall NYC Downtown for our Annual Holiday Party!
What you need to know about the all-new interactive learning experience.
Retain key concepts and convert them into on-the-job actions with the new online CPCU personal and commercial coverage courses. The new learning experience features shortened and refreshed content, subject matter expert videos and insights, and enhanced exam prep tools that better prepare you for exam day.
Revised content reflecting the evolving coverage, such as commercial flood, and the impact of technology on the risk management of commercial property exposures
New content that reflects changes to the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) Personal Auto Policy and a new look at how personal lines pricing and profitability is influenced by technology and customer expectations
There are just three steps to complete on the path to earn your ARM and CPCU designations. Earn your ARM, Select your CPCU Track (selecting either the Commercial or Personal Track), and. Choose an elective.
The 100% online ARM to CPCU path lets you personalize your studies in either Commercial or Personal lines while earning both designations in as little as two years.
The CPCU Society offers a variety of benefits for members including study groups, networking events, podcasts, webinars, an Agent and Broker interest group, and hosts an annual conference, In2Risk, concluding with CPCU confer ment.
Complete and pass 3 courses to earn your Associate in Risk Management .*
Each exam window is open for 60 days. You may take your exam anytime during that time period.
For select designations and courses, instructor-led classes are available both in-person and online.
Yes! If you would like to preview a course, we offer a mini course that includes a few assignments from your selected program. Our mini-courses can be completed in 30-60 minutes depending on the program.
The Institutes CPCU Society Knowledge Center offers unlimited access to educational materials on industry trends, leadership development, and other topics tailored to your career stage. We’ve aggregated hundreds of hours of educational materials in one place to make it easy for you to earn credit hours and automatically report those credits.
Ongoing education helps CPCUs remain leaders who are at the forefront of emerging trends in risk management and insurance.
Not in Good Standing: If a renewal has not been completed before the reporting period ends, the CPCU is considered inactive but still remains a CPCU designation holder.
Below is a list of the main groups of classes that have overlapping content. It doesn’t really matter what order you do each group, as long as you do the courses from within a group in the recommended order.
CPCU 556 is focused on personal finance concepts, but it talks more about insurance products rather than policy language. As such, it’s quite different than CPCU 555 and CPCU 557, and we don’t think there is any advantage to taking it right before or right after another specific course.
The commercial line concentration courses cover fairly different topics: commercial property insurance (551), commercial liability insurance (552), and personal insurance (553). Since all three involve looking closely at policy language, there is some overlap in the sense that there are a few universal concepts that apply to all insurance policies.
It is worth noting that although CPCU 556 and CPCU 540 both deal with finance-related concepts, there is little to no overlap because one has to do with personal finance products (like life insurance, retirement accounts, etc.) whereas the other is about corporate financial statements and investment market concepts. These are completely different topics, and studying for one doesn’t necessarily help you prepare for the other.
The AINS designation is also fairly broad like the CP CU designation is, except that the AINS program is much, much easier. If you start with the AINS program, you maybe find it easier to transition into the difficulty of the CPCU exams. However, CPCU will cover the same topics as AINS, so the AINS designation loses much of its professional value once you earn your CPCU designation (i.e., most people will see your CPCU designation as “trumping” your AINS designation, the way a bachelor’s degree “trumps” an associates degree).
CPCU® and AINS® are registered trademarks of The Institutes. All rights reserved.
Many consider the CPCU designation as the most prestigious one as it is the most widely recognized one within the industry. However, there are two reasons why you may want to start with a different designation:
A sentiment that designees almost universally share is that the CPCU designation is like having a master’s degree in the industry.
Each course is capped with a 65-minute exam with 50 multiple choice questions. But the multiple choice goes far beyond memory recall; application of the lessons learned is a fundamental component of the CPCU.
In fact, Hampshire was able to complete his CPCU courses in just four months. Though, that speedy route isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. The CPCU is designed to meet the needs of the student.
Part of that comes back to the way the courses are set up: online, self-guided, tests taken quarterly and only if the candidate is ready to take them.
The level of education is invaluable. But while the CPCU can set up an individual with the foundation they need to understand and discuss industry happenings, there’s still a level of ‘what if’ to contend with.
For many in insurance, seeking out the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation is worth the time, money and effort they put into it.
Also, as many CPCU candidates pointed out, some employers offer reimbursement.