About the ARM to CPCU Program

There are actually two paths you can take to earn your CPCU® designation: the traditional path and the ARM to CPCU path. The latter option allows you to take fewer CPCU classes if you already have or are pursuing your Associate in Risk Management (ARM®) designation. In this post, we’ll share more about this program and give you the details you need to decide which path is right for you.

What is the ARM designation?

Besides the CPCU designation, The Institutes offers a wide variety of other designations too, including the Associate in Risk Management (ARM®) designation.

The ARM designation is focused on all aspects of risk management:

• What are the different types of risks
• How to assess and identify risks
• How to develop risk control programs, to reduce their severity and frequency
• How to finance risks, and find the means to pay for losses or damages when the risk is unavoidable

The ARM program is useful for anyone who evaluates risks or gives advice on how to manage risks. This can be nearly anyone in the insurance industry, but the designation is especially relevant for these professionals:

• Risk managers
• Risk analysts
• Risk consultants
• Safety and loss control professionals
• Chief financial officers
• Business continuity and supply chain experts
• Agents and brokers
• Underwriters

How does the ARM to CPCU program work?

The standard CPCU program requires students to take a total of eight (8) courses plus a mini-course on ethical guidelines:

• 5 core classes:
  • CPCU 500 (overview of insurance & risk)
  • CPCU 520 (how insurance companies operate)
  • CPCU 530 (business/insurance law)
  • CPCU 540 (finance & accounting)
  • CPCU 550 (data analytics & data management)
• 2 concentration courses:
  • Commercial lines (CPCU 551, 552) OR
  • Personal lines (CPCU 555, 556)
• 1 elective course
• Ethics training

The ARM to CPCU path allows students to earn two designations by taking the same number of classes:

• 3 ARM courses:
  • ARM 400: Risk in an Evolving World
  • ARM 401: Holistically Assessing Risk
  • ARM 402: Successfully Treating Risk
• 2 core CPCU course:
  • CPCU 530 (business/insurance law)
  • CPCU 540 (finance & accounting)
• 2 concentration courses:
  • Commercial lines (CPCU 551, 552) OR
  • Personal lines (CPCU 555, 556)
• 1 elective course
• Ethics training

In other words, you are replacing three (3) of the core CPCU classes with the three (3) ARM classes.

Is the ARM to CPCU path easier?

As for the ARM courses, overall, most students have reported that the ARM courses are just as difficult as CPCU courses, and some even find the ARM courses to be more challenging. Students should not assume that the ARM to CPCU path will be easier.

Of course, every student is different, so some may indeed find that the ARM classes are less difficult to them, especially if they have relevant work experience. The main thing we want to emphasize is that students can’t make the assumption that this new path will definitely be easier.

Should I do the ARM to CPCU program?

Whether or not the new path is right for you depends on a couple of considerations.

At first glance, the ARM to CPCU path may seem better because you get two designations rather than one, for doing the same amount of courses. However, it’s important to consider what kind of knowledge you want to gain.

The ARM path is more focused on risk management & risk assessment skills, so it is a fairly specialized designation. On the other hand, the CPCU program covers a wider range of topics, so it’s designed to provide you with a more all-encompassing set of knowledge. Taking the ARM to CPCU path may give you an extra designation, but you lose the more in-depth knowledge that you would have gained had you taken all the core CPCU classes. In other words, you won’t have as deep an understanding of how an insurance company works (CPCU 520) and how insurers use data to improve their profitability (CPCU 550).

NOTE: The Institutes no longer offers the CPCU 410 course/exam.

CPCU 410 Study Materials

NOTE: The Institutes will be retiring CPCU 410 later this year. Students who wish to earn credit for CPCU 410 must pass their exam on or before December 15, 2023. To learn more about how the upcoming program changes may affect you, click here.

• Based on CPCU 410: Speaking the Insurance Language [1st edition]
• All products are provided digitally after purchase is completed:
  • Online study program: Gain instant access via online log-in
  • Study guide only: Delivered via separate email as downloadable PDF
• For buyer's personal use only (non-transferrable and not for resale)

Why our study programs work

Many companies offer study materials for the AINS & CPCU designations, but here is why our study programs stand out:

Easy to review

Besides learning the content, you have to remember it all. Our paid study programs include our famous study guides that make it super easy to refresh your memory.

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