Without external support from Neil Young, we would not have completed our accreditation on schedule as the process is more intensive than anticipated. Having external assistance preparing our accreditation provided the ideal challenge ahead of the audit, and as a sense check interpreting the standards. We would have no hesitation in using Neil's services again. 
Steve Orton - FSA Manager, Learning & Community Affairs
Workbooks & Question Banks Overview
Workbooks have been created relating to the Certificate for Financial Advisers (CeFA) from the ifs, and the Certificate in Financial Planning (CF) from the CII to help individuals prepare for their examinations.
These workbooks have also been linked to some simple trainer notes, so that individual training sessions can be created on any part of the syllabus.
The material is generically driven by the FSSC learning outcomes, enabling individuals to choose which awarding body they prefer.
The workbooks and training notes can be used for revision of the following qualifications:
- CeFA1-4 (ifs)
- CF1-6 (CII)
- CeMAP 1-3 (ifs)
As you can imagine, creating this type of material has taken some considerable time to produce, and needed the production of a sizeable bank of multiple choice questions to support the revision process as well (see under question banks).
Due to my previous experience of "certificate training", gained at a large building society and bank, and the knowledge gained through working for an awarding body, I have found "learners" needing, and appreciating support with an abridged, bullet pointed summary of the study text which they can use this in their final revision phase. I have also found they want as many revision exercises and mock multiple choice questions as they can get their hands on, to support both their learning in a classroom environment, and also in their final revision stages prior to an examination.
I have used this "revision note format" extremely successfully over many years as the core both in the training classroom, but also aiding delegates when they are on their own, in their final preparation for an examination.
With this in mind I have created workbooks with the following content:
- Revision notes (made up of anything between 10-30 pages) covering the FSSC learning outcomes from which both the ifs and the CII have based their syllabi and study texts.
- Revision exercises to help cement learning
- A small multiple choice test on each leaning outcome (normally 5+ questions).
(For example each certificate will have a series of workbooks to aid individuals to finally prepare for their examination e.g. CeFA2/CF2 has 7 workbooks segmented across the FSSC learning outcomes – see detailed description).
I have also created trainer notes, designed to "work in tandem" with the workbooks, and compliment the learning process. These notes include:
- A set of brief trainer notes
- A set of OHPs and relevant Handouts
- A small multiple choice test on each learning outcome (normally 5+ questions).
These have been designed so they can be "pick and mixed" to provide training which can be bespoked to an audience/organisation’s needs. In other words they could provide anything from a 2 hour session to a 5 day workshop.
