Insurance intermediary; registration for the expert examination
In order to be able to broker insurance, you must prove your professional qualification. As a rule, this proof is provided by successfully passing the expert examination at the responsible Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).
Description
If you would like to take the examination as a certified specialist in insurance brokerage (IHK), you must first register for a specific examination date with a chamber of industry and commerce that offers the examination. The exam is offered on a maximum of eight dates that are standardized throughout Germany. The exam consists of a written and a practical part. Passing the written part is a prerequisite for taking the practical part of the exam.
In the written part of the exam, you must demonstrate the necessary legal and technical knowledge, for example with regard to consumer rights and technical terms.
In the practical part, you must conduct a simulated customer consultation.
You can be exempted from the practical part if you have a license as a financial investment broker, fee-based financial investment advisor or real estate loan broker or have at least already passed the practical examination for one of these professions.
You have passed the examination if both the written and practical parts of the examination have each been assessed as "passed".
After passing the examination, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce issues a certificate to this effect. If you do not pass the examination, you will receive a notice stating that you have the opportunity to retake it.
As an alternative to the expert examination, you can also prove your expertise for the permit with certain professional qualifications from the insurance and finance sectors. You will find a detailed list under the additional information.
Prerequisites
- No requirements for exam registration
- For exemption from the practical part:
- Existing license as a financial investment broker, fee-based financial investment advisor or real estate loan broker, or
- Already passed practical examination for one of these professions.
Procedure
You register with a Chamber of Industry and Commerce of your choice using a registration form or online for the "Geprüfter Fachmann / Geprüfte Fachfrau für Versicherungsvermittlung IHK" (Certified Specialist for Insurance Brokerage) examination.
- In the registration form, you select an examination date and indicate whether you would like to take a full examination, be exempt from the practical part of the examination, or only take the practical examination as a retake examination.
- You indicate that you would like to be tested as an insurance agent. In addition, you indicate in the application whether you would like to be practically examined in the elective subject of property and asset insurance or pensions.
- If the registration is complete and received by the deadline and there are still places available, you will receive an invitation to the examination from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce with further information and a fee notice.
- After you have successfully registered, withdrawal is only possible under the conditions of the respective Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
- The written exam is divided thematically into five sections.
- You pass the written exam if you achieve at least 50 percent of the achievable points in four of the five areas and at least 30 percent in the remaining part.
- The practical examination takes the form of a simulation of a customer advisory discussion in front of an examination board.
- You have passed the practical examination if you achieve at least 50 percent of the achievable points.
- If you pass, you will usually receive your certificate by mail within 1-2 weeks after the exam.
- If you do not pass the exam, you will receive a notice of failure indicating the possibility of retaking the exam. The exam can be repeated as often as you wish.
- Each Chamber of Industry and Commerce regulates further details of the examination procedure by statute.
Deadlines
The registration deadline for the expert examination is set by the respective Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Processing time
You will usually receive the certificate within 1 -2 weeks after the exam.
Required documents
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The following documents are required:
- At the examination: official photo ID for identification purposes.
- if applicable, proof of exemption from the practical examination
The documents required for this can be found on the application form. - In case of only repeating the practical part of the examination: Proof of passing the written part of the examination.
Links to more information
Status: 20.02.2023
Responsible for editing: Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag e.V.
- Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
- Online transactions, locally limited
- Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, locally limited
- Fees, Bavaria-wide
- Fees, locally limited