p92 - April - 2015 - Eg - FInance & Business - Answers
p92 - April - 2015 - Eg - FInance & Business - Answers
p92 - April - 2015 - Eg - FInance & Business - Answers
Diploma in Insurance
SPECIAL NOTICE
Candidates entered for the October 2015 examination should study this Examination Guide
carefully in order to prepare themselves for the examination.
Practise in answering the questions is highly desirable and should be considered a critical part of
a properly planned programme of examination preparation.
Contents
Important guidance for candidates 3
Examiner comments 7
Question paper 9
Test Specification 16
Model answers 17
Introduction
The purpose of this Examination Guide is to help you understand how examiners seek to assess
the knowledge and skill of candidates. You can then use this understanding to help you
demonstrate to the examiners that you meet the required levels of knowledge and skill to merit a
pass in this unit.
There are books specifically produced to support your studies that provide coverage of all the
syllabus areas; however you should be prepared to read around the subject. This is important,
particularly if you feel that further information is required to fully understand a topic or an
alternative viewpoint is sought. The reading list which can be found with the syllabus provides
valuable suggestions.
Read widely
It is vital that your knowledge is widened beyond the scope of one book. It is quite unrealistic to
expect that the study of a single study text will be sufficient to meet all your requirements. While
books specifically produced to support your studies will provide coverage of all the syllabus areas,
you should be prepared to read around the subject. This is important, particularly if you feel that
further information is required to fully understand a topic or an alternative viewpoint is sought.
The reading list which can be found with the syllabus provides valuable suggestions.
This guide and previous Examination Guides can be treated as ‘mock’ examination papers.
Attempting them under examination conditions as far as possible, and then comparing your
answers to the model ones, should be seen as an essential part of your exam preparation. The
examiner’s comments on candidates’ actual performance in each question provide further
valuable guidance. You can purchase copies of the most recent Examination Guides online at
www.cii.co.uk. CII members can download free copies of older Examination Guides online at
www.cii.co.uk/knowledge.
The paper consists of 20 compulsory questions and carries a total of 200 marks.
Each question part will clearly show the maximum marks which can be earned.
In the examination
Take great care to answer the question that has been set
Many candidates leave the examination room confident that they have written a ‘good’
paper, only to be surprised when they receive a disappointing result. Often, the explanation
for this lies in a failure to fully understand the question that has been asked before putting
pen to paper.
Highlighting key words and phrases is a technique many candidates find useful.
The model answers provided in this Examination Guide would gain full marks. Alternative
answers that cover the same points and therefore answer the question that has been asked
would also gain full marks.
Tackling questions
Tackle the questions in whatever order feels most comfortable. Generally, it is better to leave any
questions which you find challenging until you have attempted the questions you are confident
about. Candidates’ should avoid mixing question parts, (for example, 1(a)(i) and (ii) followed by
2(b)(ii) followed by 1(e)(i)) as this often leads to candidates unintentionally failing to fully
complete the examination paper. This can make the difference between achieving a pass or a
narrow fail.
It is vital to label all parts of your answer correctly as many questions have multiple parts to them
(for example, question 1(a) may have parts (i), (ii) and (iii)). Failure to fully distinguish between
the separate question parts may mean that full credit cannot be given. It is also important to note
that a full answer must be given to each question part and candidates should not include notes
such as ‘refer to answer given in 1(b)(i)’.
Answer format
Unless the question requires you to produce an answer in a particular format, such as a letter or a
report, you should use ‘bullet points’ or short paragraphs. The model answers indicate what is
acceptable for the different types of question.
Where you are asked to perform a calculation it is important to show all the steps in your answer.
The majority of the marks will be allocated for demonstrating the correct method of calculation.
Provided handwriting is legible, candidates will not lose marks if it is ‘untidy’. Similarly, marks are
not lost due to poor spelling or grammar.
Calculators
If you bring a calculator into the examination room, it must be a silent, battery or solar‐powered,
non‐programmable calculator. The use of electronic equipment capable of being programmed to
hold alphabetical or numerical data and/or formulae is prohibited. You may use a financial or
scientific calculator, provided it meets these requirements. The majority of the marks will be
allocated for demonstrating the correct method of calculation.
EXAMINER COMMENTS
Question 1
This question was well answered by many candidates with a good range of answers
demonstrated.
Question 2
Part (a) of this question was very well answered with parts (b) and (c) providing a more varied
response.
Question 3
The majority of candidates provided good answers for part (a), with the stronger candidates
outlining correctly three expectations of the UK regulators as required in part (b).
Question 4
Many candidates did not perform well on this question, which focused on Dr John Adair’s action
centre leadership approach.
Question 5
Many candidates did not provide specific examples and instead mentioned what key
performance indicators are.
Question 6
This question was very well answered by the majority of candidates.
Question 7
Part (a) of this question was not well answered, with many candidates listing other reports such
as financial accounts instead of the matters to be considered in the directors’ report. Part (b)
provided stronger answers than part (a) however candidates generally either knew all five
statutory registers or none at all.
Question 8
Candidates’ answers would have benefitted from demonstrating a greater knowledge of the five
recommended actions which should be undertaken.
Question 9
This question had a mixed response from candidates, with many providing a basic answer when
more detail was required, for a 12 mark question.
Question 10
Many candidates provided a good answer to part (a) of this question, part (b) however, was not
so well answered with candidates mentioning sponsorship and advertising as opposed to
planning.
Question 11
The majority of candidates correctly identified the three areas of activity, with the stronger
candidates providing a good explanation of each of these areas.
Question 12
Many candidates did perform well on this question with full marks achieved.
Question 13
Few candidates gained high marks on this question, with parts (b) and (c) being answered the
best.
Question 14
This question was not well answered by the majority of candidates.
Question 15
This question had a mixed response from candidates. Some answers would have clearly
benefitted from a better understanding of the four principal objectives of the International
Financial Reporting Standards Foundation.
Question 16
Few candidates gained high marks in part (b) of this question and there was a mixed response in
the answers to part (a).
Question 17
This question was well answered by many candidates.
Question 18
This question was well answered by the majority of candidates. Some answers would have
benefitted further from not showing the ratios upside down.
Question 19
This question was well answered by many candidates.
Question 20
Many candidates did not perform well on this question, with poor answers to part (a) and some
mixed‐up answers across all three parts of the question.
P92
Diploma in Insurance
Unit P92 – Insurance business and finance
April 2015 examination
Instructions
You are allowed to write on the inside pages of this question paper, but you must NOT write
your name, candidate number, PIN or any other identification anywhere on this question
paper.
The answer book and this question paper must both be handed in personally by you to the
invigilator before you leave the examination room. Failure to comply with this regulation will
result in your paper not being marked and you may be prevented from entering this
examination in the future.
Three hours are allowed for this paper, which contains 20 compulsory questions and carries a
total of 200 marks.
Read carefully all questions and information provided before starting to answer. Your answer
will be marked strictly in accordance with the question set.
The number of marks allocated to each question part is given next to the question and you
should spend your time in accordance with that allocation.
You may find it helpful in some places to make rough notes in the answer booklet. If you do
this, you should cross through these notes before you hand in the booklet.
It is important to show each step in any calculation, even if you have used a calculator.
If you bring a calculator into the examination room, it must be a silent, battery or
solar‐powered non‐programmable calculator. The use of electronic equipment capable of
being programmed to hold alphabetic or numerical data and/or formulae is prohibited. You
may use a financial or scientific calculator, provided it meets these requirements.
Answer each question on a new page. If a question has more than one part, leave six lines
blank after each part.
Note form is acceptable where this conveys all the necessary information
4. Dr John Adair’s action centred leadership approach identified three key areas of a
team leader’s effectiveness. One of these key areas is the ‘task’.
Identify the seven ‘task needs’ a team leader should perform to ensure
effectiveness. (7)
6. Identify and explain briefly the five ‘C’s approach to the process of decision‐making
as suggested by The Industrial Society. (10)
7. (a) Explain briefly three matters that have to be included in the business
review of a directors’ report for a quoted company as required by the
Companies Act 2006. (6)
(b) State the five statutory registers that must be maintained by a public
company under the Companies Act 2006. (5)
9. Explain briefly six of the functions/decisions that would typically be carried out by an
insurance company’s IT department. (12)
10. (a) Outline five areas an insurer will audit within a line slip or binding authority. (5)
(b) Identify six marketing activities that insurance organisations rely on market
research to accomplish. (6)
11. (a) Identify the three areas of activity that a cash flow statement analyses. (3)
(b) Explain briefly what each of the three areas of activity you have identified in
part (a) above relates to. (9)
12. Using the entries below, construct a balance sheet for CG Holdings Ltd.
£000s
Cash 350
Deferred tax 450
Land/Property 2,000
Stock 600
Retained profits 800
Long‐term borrowings 1,100
Share capital 100
Creditors 1,250
Debtors 750 (13)
13. Explain briefly the interest that the following stakeholders will have in the financial
information of an insurance company:
(c) State the four factors that need to be taken into account when deciding how
to categorise claims statistics. (4)
15. Explain briefly the four principal objectives of the International Financial Reporting
Standards Foundation. (8)
16. (a) Explain briefly what a gearing ratio measures in an insurance company,
providing the formula for its calculation. (6)
17. (a) Provide the formulae, in an insurance company context, for each of the
following ratios:
(b) Explain briefly what an insurance company solvency ratio and liquidity ratio
can demonstrate. (4)
18. (a) List the three main activity (or turnover) ratios for a typical manufacturing
company. (3)
(b) Provide the formulae of each of the above three main activity
(or turnover) ratios. (6)
(b) outline the two basic options available to the company in the event of
inadequate levels of regulatory capital; (2)
(c) describe briefly three actions that could be taken for each of the two basic
options identified in part (b) above. (6)
20. (a) Identify the three resources an insurance company must, at all times
maintain, as a regulatory requirement, to ensure there is no significant risk
that its liabilities cannot be met as they fall due. (3)
(c) State three matters that an insurance company’s risk appetite statement
would be used to set. (3)
TEST SPECIFICATION
(b) Take reasonable steps to ensure that there is no undue additional operational risk in
outsourcing an activity as opposed to retaining it in‐house.
The quality of internal control is not impaired.
The ability of the regulators to monitor the firm’s regulatory compliance is not
hampered.
(b) Operating activities – businesses generate cash flows from their trading activities, this
section deals with how much cash the business managed to generate as a direct
consequence of trading activities such as tax paid, interest received or paid and
dividends received. The statements show a reconciliation of the cash generated from
operations to net profit before tax.
Investing activities – this section shows cash inflows and outflows created by
investment activities. Inflows will include proceeds of sales of investments and
outflows would include investments made.
Financing activities – this includes changes to loan and share capital and payments of
dividends to shareholders. A cash inflow would include where the business has raised
new cash through negotiating new loans or issuing more shares. If it has paid back
some of its loan capital during the year, an outflow of cash is shown. Cash outflows
can also occur when a business decides to redeem or buy back some of its share
capital.
Fixed/non‐current Assets
Land/Property 2,000
Total fixed assets 2,000
Current Assets
Debtors 750
Stock 600
Cash 350
Total current assets 1,700
Current Liabilities
Creditors (1,250)
Total current liabilities (1,250)
Long‐term/non‐current liabilities
Deferred tax (450)
Long‐term borrowings (1,100)
Total long‐term liabilities (1,550)
Financed By
Retained profits 800
Share capital 100
900
(a) Directors and managers have overall responsibility for managing the business they need
to know if they have met their strategic objectives and if they are making the best use of
the resources available to them. They need to know if the organisation has enough
capital available to them, whether some parts of the business are more successful than
others and whether the company has behaved responsibly in the community.
(b) Financial analysts want to know whether to advise current shareholders and potential
shareholders to invest in the business. They use financial information to track the
performance of the business. Rating agencies may also use this information as well. They
are concerned with financial information that is accessible/comparable/understandable.
(c) Employees are concerned about how secure their job is. How has the company been
performing to establish if they will get paid on time or if they may receive a bonus/salary
increase?
(d) Intermediaries want to know that the company is financially strong so they will be able
to meet their claims obligations and to pay commissions. A security rating is high enough
for clients. They are concerned with whether they should continue to place business with
the company on behalf of their clients.
(a) The amount set‐up as a liability in the accounts if an assessment of the unearned
premium reserve is deemed inadequate to cover the expected cost of claims.
(b) Premiums are earned up to the last date of the accounting period and for profitability
purposes this needs to be matched to incidents that give rise to a claim.
(b) A highly geared company may be preferred to losing control by having too many shares
issued or with fewer shares there are fewer shareholders to participate in the profit so a
small increase in pre‐interest profit could lead to a large increase in dividends. It is
acceptable to be a high geared company if projected returns consistently exceed
projected interest rates.
(a) (i)
(ii)
(iii)
(b) Solvency ratio can demonstrate how much risk the business has compared to its
assets. The higher the ratio the stronger the company.
Liquidity ratio can demonstrate how liquid and accessible your cash is to meet
short‐term cash flow requirements. The higher the number the better.
(b)
(a) An insurance company would file a plan, notify the regulator detailing how it would
expect to rectify the position.
(c) Raise more regulatory capital through issuing new shares, issuing long‐term debt,
switching out of assets or selling off parts of the business.
Reduce the regulatory capital requirement by reducing the volume of business written,
purchasing reinsurance or switching out of high risk assets such as equities to lower risk
ones such as government bonds.
(a) Financial.
Capital.
Liquidity.
(b) A statement of the risks that is acceptable for the company to bear.
What risks are not acceptable?
The probability of failure that is deemed to be acceptable.
The maximum loss that is acceptable forms any one incident.