Exam & Syllabus Panel Members

Syllabus Review Panels formally review syllabi in annual meetings to incorporate changes to the industry as appropriate. Panel Members ensure the accuracy and relevance of the exam.

Each exam subject will form an exam panel, which includes a senior and technical adviser. The senior adviser will chair the panel and represent the subject at the annual qualification assessment board meeting, and the technical adviser provides support to the subjects' exam managers.

Responsibilities include:

• Attending panel meetings
• Reviewing syllabus learning objectives in the light of current industry practice

Exam Panels for Narrative Exams

The exam panels for narrative exams hold four meetings a year.

Advanced Certificates        Diploma        Masters


Sample Exam Questions

Please see the exam details & syllabus page for a selection of sample questions.

Item (Question) Writers and Editors

Item writers devise exam items (and their answers) that must properly test the learning objectives. Editors provide independent quality checks of the items.

Responsibilities include:

• Producing CISI exam-standard items to agreed deadlines
• Ensuring items are written/edited against learning objectives

Guidance Notes        Common Errors


Useful information

 Quest Editor Hints & Tips 
 Writing 'Calculate' items 
 What does Know, Understand, Apply and Calculate actually mean? 
 Writing items against the syllabus learning objective 
 Writing Effective Options 
 Aide Memoire - Item Writing Guidance 
 Difference between 'knowledge' and 'understanding' items
 Why are our timescales so tight? 
Workbook Mirroring

Workbook Authors Experienced freelance authors with finance experience and who have published work in their area of specialism are sought. Responsibilities include: Updating workbooks in line with new syllabuses and any industry developments Ensuring that the syllabus is fully covered Workbook Author		Workbook Reviewers Individuals with a high-level knowledge of the area are sought. Responsibilities include: Highlighting any inconsistencies against the syllabus Assessing the author's interpretation of the workbook Workbook Reviewer
Workbook Technical Reviewers Technical reviewers provide a detailed review of the workbook and bring the review comments to the panel. Responsibilities include: Cross-checking the workbook against the syllabus Ensuring sufficient coverage of each learning objective Technical Reviewer		Workbook Proofreaders Proofreaders are needed to proof workbooks both grammatically and also in terms of the format and layout. Responsibilities include: Checking for spelling and grammar mistakes Checking for formatting inconsistencies Workbook Proofreader

Sample Workbooks

Please find some samples of workbooks for your reference.

Asset Servicing         Global Securities Operations         Operational Risk

If you have any queries or comments about any forthcoming meetings, please contact Jamie Britton on +44 20 7645 0718 or email jamie.britton@cisi.org

Each year, the CISI organises an annual event to thank all external specialists for their help and ongoing support. We also invite potential specialists to give them the opportunity to find out more about it and how to get involved. This is an excellent networking opportunity.

This year the annual Summer Event will be held at Middle Temple Hall & Gardens on Wednesday 19 June. Invitations have been sent out, so please save the date!