"Professional development with The Institutes opens up doors and expands the horizon of
opportunities available to you. Institute designation programs and courses teach you how to think more broadly and
in the process help you gain recognition from your peers and management. With any industry, the more you learn, the
better you can perform on the job, and the insurance and risk management industries are no different."
Randall Clinger, CPCU, ARe Vice President, Head of Marketing Communications Swiss Re America
Holding Corporation
Did you know that by completing AINS courses you also gain credit toward the
following designation programs:
NEW! The Program in General Insurance is now the Associate in General Insurance (AINS) Designation Program
Built upon the proven and popular INS certificate program, the new Associate in General Insurance (AINS)
designation provides a solid foundation to help you accelerate your career in insurance. The AINS courses provide
you with a comprehensive knowledge of insurance principles, practices, policies, and coverages, while the optional
electives allow you to focus on areas relevant to your professional goals.
AINS
Designation Pre-Qualifiers: There are those who are pre-qualified to earn the AINS designation because they
have already earned the Certificate in General Insurance or passed a combination of the necessary exams. Click the
Program tab for information.
New! Ethics requirement. The Institutes believe ethical decision making skills are essential to the
practice of insurance. Starting January 2011, all designation program participants must complete either Ethical
Guidelines for Insurance Professionals (for all programs except CPCU) or the CPCU program’s Ethics and the
CPCU Code of Professional Conduct. Both online modules are free. Learn more and register now.
Earning the AINS Designation The new AINS designation program has a
flexible structure that combines our popular AINS courses with a wide variety of electives. The ethics study
component provides you with a solid foundation in professionalism.
AINS Courses. The AINS courses provide you with a comprehensive
knowledge of insurance principles, practices, policies, and coverages.
Elective Courses. You can tailor the AINS program to match your
personal and professional needs.
Ethics. The free Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals is the online ethics study
component.
Click the Course tab above for information about all courses in the AINS designation program.
We Recommend AINS For: People in all functional areas of property-casualty insurance, managers or
supervisors, customer service representatives, call center staff, and administrative and support staff.
Free Bonus: As a special bonus to anyone who earns the AINS designation, The Institutes are giving
a free 60-day trial of a special business acumen suite of online courses. Designation completers will receive access
information for the free trial upon completion of their last exam in the AINS program.
Program Options: The Associate in General Insurance (AINS) is available as a self-study program via
printed text books and course guides. All AINS courses are also offered as self-study online courses. AINS online
courses are offered in a segmented format, which breaks each course into three pieces. See individual elective
course listings for program options related to them.
Print or Online, it’s your choice.
Regardless of study method (online or text-based), AINS 21, 22, and 23 exams can be taken either as full length
course exams or as three segmented exams per course.
Course Sequence: It is best to take AINS
21 prior to taking AINS 22 or AINS 23. Ethics 311 can be taken at any time.
Exam Information:
AINS 21, 22, and 23 exams are offered at Institutes approved on—site testing locations and Prometric Testing
Centers. If you prefer, you can approach your studies in a modular format consisting of a series of shorter study
segments. You can do this in traditional print or using our new online delivery. After studying each segment, you
can take the corresponding exam at all Prometric Testing Centers and at selected Institutes approved-on—site
testing locations. Contact your education coordinator for further information about on—site testing
availability.
Full length AINS exams consist of 85 objective questions and examinees have two hours to
complete the exam. Segmented AINS exams consist of 15 to 50 objective questions depending on the course and segment,
and examinees have 60 minutes to complete the
exam.
Click the Course tab above and follow the links for exam information about the various AINS electives.
Choose one of the following completion options to earn the AINS designation:
Courses in the Program in General Insurance
+
Elective Course
+
Mandatory Ethics Requirement
Waives in the CPCU program
AINS 21, AINS 22, and AINS 23
None Required
Ethics 311 - Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals
CPCU 553 or 557
AINS 21 and AINS 22
Pass the exam for any course in the list of electives below,
except: CPCU 555
CPCU 553
AINS 21 and AINS 23
Pass the exam for any course in the list of electives below,
except: AAI 82, APA 92, CPCU 551, CPCU 552
CPCU 557
AINS 21—Property and Liability Insurance Principles: What Insurance Is, Who Provides
Insurance, How Insurance Is Regulated, Measuring the Financial Performance of Insurers, Marketing, Underwriting,
Claims, Insurance Contracts, Property Loss Exposures and Policy Provisions, Liability Loss Exposures and Policy
Provisions, and Risk Management
AINS 22—Personal Insurance: Personal Insurance Overview; Automobile Insurance and Society
; Personal Auto Policy: Liability, Medical Payments, and UM Coverage; Personal Auto Policy: Physical Damages,
Duties After an Accident, and Endorsements; Homeowners Property Coverage; Homeowners Liability Coverage;
Homeowners Coverage Forms and Endorsements; Other Residential Insurance; Other Personal Property and Liability
Insurance; Life Insurance Planning; Retirement Planning; Disability and Health Insurance Planning
AINS 23—Commercial Insurance: Commercial Property, Business Income, Commercial Crime,
Equipment Breakdown, Inland and Ocean Marine, Commercial General Liability, Commercial Auto, Businessowners,
Farm, Workers Compensation and Employers Liability, and Miscellaneous Coverages
AINS 21, 22, and 23 are presented in print and online in a segmented format that breaks each course into three
portions.
Both the online version of AINS and the text-based study of the course present the same material. Regardless of
study method (online or text-based), AINS exams can be taken either as full length course exams or as three
segmented exams per course.
Elective Courses
You can tailor the AINS program to match your personal and professional needs. The chart below lists all approved
AINS elective courses, arranged by functional area. You can choose from any of the following courses
(except for those noted in the table above) to satisfy the AINS elective requirement. To see what options you
have to earn the AINS designation, log in to your student account in the Account Manager and select My Progress
Tracker under the Resources tab. The chart below offers suggestions that may align with individual career
paths:
Enhance ability to build a better book of business through an expanded knowledge of personal and/or commercial
coverages and endorsements
Improve performance by learning to read an insurance policy, identify loss exposures,
and recognize common policy provisions
Better meet professional responsibilities with an increased technical knowledge of your
functional area
AINS Designation Pre-Qualifiers: There are those who are pre-qualified to earn the AINS designation
because they have already earned the Certificate in General Insurance or passed a combination of the necessary exams
(click the Course tab above).
Complete Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals
Register for the free online Ethical Guidelines for Insurance
Professionals. Upon successfully passing the 50-question exam, you can start using the AINS designation
and purchase your AINS diploma.
Order Your Diploma
After successfully completing Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals you may order your official AINS
diploma. The cost of the diploma is only a $30 administrative fee. To order please call Customer Service at
(800) 644-2101. We anticipate a big response to this new designation; please allow 6 to 8 weeks to receive your
diploma after placing your order.
Begin Using the Designation
After you receive a completer e-mail from The Institutes, start using the AINS designation on your business
cards, stationary, e-mail signatures and so forth. And don’t forget to tell your colleagues about the new
designation.
If you have any questions about whether or not you might be a pre-qualifier, log on to The Institutes’ Account
Manager in the Students section above and click on My Progress Tracker.
Cross Credits
AINS courses can also help you earn other Institutes credentials.
The Institutes and LOMA offer a property-casualty track in LOMA’s Associate, Customer Service (ACS) designation program. Earning AINS gives you a head start. Log on to
www.LOMA.org for information on how to earn the ACS designation in the property-casualty track.
Mail: The Institutes 720 Providence Road Suite 100 Malvern, PA 19355-3433
Customer Service hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time.
Order today!Before making your selections, first choose the testing window and the course from the dropdowns below to ensure you order the correct study materials.
The Institutes’ courses and programs are
dynamic in nature. To provide industry professionals with the knowledge needed to drive powerful business results,
The Institutes continuously review and revise technical content and delivery methods based on current industry needs
and practices. Therefore course topics, program requirements, and pricing are subject to change at any time. Our Web
site contains the latest course and program information. Customer Service can be reached at customerservice@TheInstitutes.org or (800) 644-2101.
Associate in General Insurance (AINS)
If I took INS years ago, do I still qualify for the AINS designation?
Yes. If you hold the INS certificate (regardless of when you earned it), all you need to do is pass the exam for Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals.
Why is CPCU 555 excluded from the list of electives if someone completed INS 21 and 22?
There is significant overlap of topics covered among INS 21, INS 22 and CPCU 555.
Why are AAI 82, APA 92, CPCU 551 and CPCU 552 excluded from the list of electives for someone who completed INS 21 and 23?
There is significant overlap of topics covered among INS 21, INS 23 and the excluded courses.
I passed the Ethics exam. Why doesn't it show in my records yet? When will I receive my official notification?
You will receive a certificate of completion e-mailed to you upon passing the ethics exam. Approximately 2-3 days later the ethics grade and AINS completion will appear in your student record. Due to the overwhelming popularity of this new credential, you will receive an official completer e-mail within two weeks after AINS appears in your record, if you already held the INS certificate. If you completed AINS with another combination of courses, you will receive an official completer letter and AINS diploma in 4-6 weeks.
How do I register for the Ethics course / take the exam?
To take Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals, log on to www.TheInstitutes.org/ethics. Click the order tab and select which version you wish (non-CE or CE), then add to your cart and proceed to check out. You will receive a link to the course automatically. The exam is contained in Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals and you do not need to register for a separate exam.
Can I / Do I get CE credit for this toward my state license?
Continuing Education (CE) credit is awarded for passing individual exams, not for earning a designation. The Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals (Ethics 311) exam is filed for CE credit in most states. Please refer to the chart on the Ethics 311 information page or click here. Note that you must order the CE Filed version; a $5.00 administrative fee will apply. Other Institutes courses (including INS courses and most AINS electives) are also filed for CE credit; see www.TheInstitutes.org/ce for the most recent list of agent and adjuster credits by course and state.
Does the CEU.com ethics course count for the ethics requirement?
No.
I have successfully completed Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct. Does this satisfy the ethics requirement for AINS?
Yes.
Does AINS replace AIS?
No. The Associate in Insurance Services (AIS) and the Associate in General Insurance (AINS) cover very different topics. AIS requirements have not changed, however the AINS designation is now a qualifying program to earn the AIS designation.
What if I do not want to be enrolled in the online bonus courses?
Enrollment in the online courses is automatic. If you do not wish to be enrolled, simply contact Customer Service at customerservice@TheInstitutes.org or (800) 644-2101.
Do I have the option to purchase the online bonus courses after they expire?
Yes. You may purchase any or all of the bonus courses. To do so, log on to www.TheInstitutes.org/onlinelearning where you can purchase the individual AINS Bonus Courses (retail price shown):
Insurance Essentials - ($80)
Impact of Business Decisions on the Bottom Line - ($120)
The following AINS Bonus Courses are also available for purchase individually as shown below, or as part of their respective suites:
You may also call Customer Service at (800) 644-2101 or e-mail customerservice@TheInstitutes.org to order or inquire about volume discounts.
What order should AINS appear in the "designation line-up?"
Among The Institutes designations, CPCU should always appear first, followed by specialty designations, then AINS. Alternatively, designations may be listed in the order they were earned, however, CPCU should always appear first, regardless of when it was earned.
Click here to view information for this exam.
