Guidelines on the Conduct of Insurance Agents' Qualifying Examinations through the Agents' Computerized Examinations (ACE) System

March 7, 2017

INSURANCE CIRCULAR LETTER NO. 2017-12

 

I. PURPOSE

These Guidelines shall contain the terms and conditions governing the conduct of Insurance Agents' Qualifying Examinations through the Insurance Commission (IC) Agents' Computerized Examinations (ACE), covering Life, Variable Life and Non-Life Insurance. HTcADC

II. COVERAGE

The applicability of these Guidelines shall be limited to insurance agents' examinations administered through the ACE which is a web-based software. None in these guidelines shall be intended to revise, amend, and/or otherwise repeal the existing guidelines on the Qualifying Insurance Agents' Examinations.

III. REGISTRATION

1. Conduct of the examinations through the ACE shall be limited to locations where its existing facilities have been authorized by IC to be accessible, including but not limited to, computer terminals, secured access to IC server, and the web-application.

2. Access to and use of the ACE shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

2.1 Company Account. Primary access login credentials/information for the ACE shall be issued by IC to a company upon submission of the following application requirements:

2.1.1 Company Account Registration Form (Annex A: ACE Form 1) which must be signed by the duly authorized company officer, complete with the following information:

About the Company

— Name of company

— Complete official address

— Zip code

— Official telephone number/s

— Fax number/s

— Official company email address for ACE CAIHTE

Company Representative:

— Full name

— Position in the company

— Number of years in the company

— Official telephone number/s (Landline and Cellular)

— Valid company employee official email address

A company may submit account applications for more than one (1) authorized representatives.

2.1.2 Supporting Documents. The duly accomplished Registration Form referred to in Item 2.1.1. must be accompanied by an Authorization Letter from the company naming the officer authorized to sign the registration form. In the case of company representative, the same must be accompanied by (a) certified true copy of company identification card and (b) certificate of employment, one (1) set per company representative.

2.2 Notification of Successful Registration. Upon submission of requirements for account registration, IC shall confirm approval of, and/or issue, the company account credentials and other pertinent information for use in accessing the ACE through the official email address specified by the company during account registration.

IC reserves the right to reject any application with incomplete information and/or requirement.

2.3 Company Account Update/s. As far as practicable, information affecting the status of access to ACE shall be exchanged between IC and a company with existing ACE account through the email addresses provided during registration, including but not limited to, the following:

2.3.1 Account Information Update/s which shall be filed using properly accomplished ACE Form 1:

2.3.1.1 New or Additional Company Representative Account Registration

2.3.1.2 Account Deactivation

2.3.1.3 Account Reactivation

2.3.1.4 Account Information Modification

2.3.1.4.1 Company aScITE

2.3.1.4.2 Company Representative

The company and/or its authorized representative for the ACE shall immediately file with IC the update/s on any of the above information.

2.3.2 Announcements and Directives

2.3.3 All other information affecting status of company representative's access to ACE.

This does not preclude IC from disseminating other vital directives and announcements on the operations of the ACE to other companies and entities not yet registered in the system using regular information channels.

2.4 Examinee Registration. Companies notified of successful ACE account registration shall be eligible, through its authorized representative, to submit applications for Qualifying Insurance Agents' Examinations administered through the ACE using the IC issued information. To submit application for examination, the company representative must complete the ACE applicant profile of every examinee:

2.4.1 Basic Information

2.4.1.1 Exam Type

2.4.1.2 Given Name

2.4.1.3 Middle Initial

2.4.1.4 Surname

2.4.1.5 Email Address

2.4.1.6 User Type

2.4.1.7 Login Name

2.4.1.8 Password (default is [email protected])

2.4.1.9 Place of Exam

2.4.1.10 Company

2.4.1.11 Examination Batch

2.4.1.12 Home Address

2.4.1.13 Phone Number

2.4.1.14 Sex

2.4.1.15 Date of Birth

2.4.2 Examinee's ID photo with specifications:

2.4.2.1 Examinee must be in business attire or in any shirt with collar DETACa

2.4.2.2 White background with nameplate

2.4.2.3 Image resolution: 150 x 150 pixels

2.4.2.4 File Format: JPEG

2.4.2.5 File Size: not more than 5 MB

The company representative must ensure and confirm that all applicant information submitted in the ACE is true and accurate, and that each applicant is properly and timely informed of his registered Login Name, Password and Examination Batch (Schedule) prior to examinations.

2.5 Examination Batch (Schedule). ACE can accommodate a maximum of one hundred twenty-six (126) examinees per day or forty-two (42) examinees per batch. Once the slots in a scheduled batch have already been taken, it shall no longer be available on the system.

Unless otherwise directed, availability of ACE conducted examinations shall be governed as follows:

2.5.1 Company representative may choose to assign their applicants in any of the following schedule:

 

Days	Batches	Time	Venue
Tuesdays through Fridays	1st Batch	8:30 A.M.	IC Manila Office
2nd Batch	9:45 A.M.
3rd Batch	11:00 A.M.

 

Accommodation of examinees in a particular schedule is on a first come first serve basis.

2.5.2 Concerned company representative must register application for scheduled examination no later than five (5) working days prior to the examination.

2.5.3 Application/s for examination must be paid within two (2) days from registration.

2.6 Examinee Account Number. Every successfully registered application for examination in the ACE shall be assigned a unique examinee number, which the IC Licensing Division shall use as reference in the preparation of Order of Payment for Examination Fee.

2.7 Payment. No registered examinee shall be eligible to take the Qualifying Insurance Agents' Examinations conducted through the ACE unless payment therefor is made to the IC Cashier in the form of cash or company check, managers check or money order in the name of the "Insurance Commission", amounting to One Thousand Ten Pesos (Php1,010.00) per examinee. HEITAD

2.8 Cancellation. Cancellation and/or any modification of examination applicant registration shall no longer be allowed three (3) working days prior to examination.

2.9 Retake. Unsuccessful examinees shall have two (2) options for re-take:

2.9.1.1 Same-day retake in the afternoon, as scheduled by the Insurance Commission; or

2.9.1.2 Re-take on a different schedule consistent with Item 2.5.1 hereof, registration of which shall be coursed through the authorized company representative.

Re-take examination shall be subject to slot availability on a first come first serve basis, and payment of examination fee in the amount of Php1,010.00.

IV. PENALTY FOR IMPROPER USE OF DATA

Grant of authority to access ACE, its existing facilities, including but not limited to, computer terminals, secured access to IC server, and the web-application, shall be subject to relevant provisions of Republic Act No. 8792, otherwise known as the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations. In particular Section 33, Part V of the law prohibits and penalizes acts constituting unauthorized access including, among others, interference in a computer system/server or information and communication system and any access intending to corrupt, alter, steal, or destroy using a computer or other similar information and communication devices, without the knowledge and consent of the owner of the computer or information and communications system.

V. SAVING CLAUSE

Cases not covered and other clarifications regarding the implementation of this Circular shall be addressed to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, through the Office of the Deputy Insurance Commissioner — Management Support Services for resolution and/or appropriate action. aDSIHc

VI. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE

This Circular Letter shall take effect on March 7, 2017.

(SGD.) DENNIS B. FUNA

Insurance Commissioner

ATTACHMENT

Agents' Computerized Examinations (ACE) — Form 1