How to Prepare for III IC-11
Nine chapters, seven weeks, one rule: learn each policy well enough to picture it.
IC-11 rewards people who can picture a policy. A question about a textile godown in Surat insured for less than its value, or a machinery consignment shipped CIF from Hamburg to Nhava Sheva, is easy if you can see the schedule and the clause in your head, and hard if you only memorised definitions. The 60% bar leaves little room for guessing.
The plan below assumes you study around a job, about an hour on weekdays and longer at weekends. If you already work on a non-life desk, you can move faster through the products you handle every day and spend the time on the ones you do not.
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A Seven-Week IC-11 Study Plan
A suggested plan, not an III requirement. Start before your session's enrolment window closes, about seven weeks ahead of the exam.
- 1
Week 1: baseline, chapters 1-2
Take a short practice set cold. Then read Introduction to General Insurance and Policy Documents and Forms. Chapter 2 is where the cover note, schedule, endorsement and renewal questions come from; make a one-line note on what each document does.
- 2
Weeks 2-3: chapter 3, fire and marine
The densest chapter. For fire, learn the named perils, the main exclusions and how average works. For marine, learn the three cargo clause sets side by side, the transit clause, and the difference between general and particular average. Draw each one as a table.
- 3
Week 4: chapter 4, motor, liability, PA
Separate what the law makes compulsory (motor third party, public liability under the Act) from what the market sells. For personal accident, learn the benefit categories (death, permanent total, permanent partial, temporary total disablement).
- 4
Week 5: chapter 5, engineering and others
Contractor's all risk versus erection all risk, machinery breakdown and its loss-of-profits cover, then the miscellaneous covers (burglary, money, fidelity guarantee). Many questions ask which policy fits a given business.
- 5
Week 6: chapters 6-9
Underwriting, rating, claims and reserves. Work the arithmetic by hand: an average calculation, a premium with loadings and discounts, an unexpired premium reserve. These are the questions a calculator helps with.
- 6
Week 7: timed full papers
Sit full 2-hour papers, at least two or three. Trace every wrong answer back to its chapter and aim to clear 60% with room to spare.
Where IC-11 Candidates Lose Marks
The pairs and traps that turn up again and again in practice questions.
- Deductible vs excess vs franchise
- All three make the insured bear part of a loss, but in different ways. Options often swap the names.
- General vs particular average
- A deliberate sacrifice shared by all parties to a voyage, versus an accidental partial loss borne by the owner of the damaged goods.
- Open policy vs open cover
- Two ways to insure a stream of shipments. One is a policy with a sum insured drawn down; the other is an agreement to issue policies.
- Market value vs reinstatement value
- Whether the claim allows for depreciation or pays the cost of replacing new. The question usually hides the basis in the scenario.
- Courseware vs current rule
- The 2023 book can describe a rule IRDAI has since changed, and older passages call the regulator IRDA. If you know the current position, recognise the book's version too.
Read IC-01's Principles First
IC-11 applies the principles rather than teaching them. If utmost good faith, indemnity, subrogation and contribution are shaky, revise them from IC-01 before chapter 3: average, reinstatement and many claims questions are those principles at work.
Take your week-1 baseline. No signup.
Habits That Separate a Pass From a Near Miss
- checkPractise with the clock from week 2, not only in the last week.
- checkKeep an error log: question, chapter, and the one-line reason you got it wrong. Re-read it before each full paper.
- checkLearn exact clause and policy names. Options often differ by one word.
- checkRead a real policy schedule for fire and motor at least once.
- checkDo not leave chapters 7-9 to the final night. They are the end of the book, not the end of the paper.
- checkAnswer every question on the day. There is no negative marking.
Where You Should Be Before Exam Day
Our suggested checkpoints, measured on timed practice.
Week 1 baseline
Target
Any score
What it means
A starting point
After chapter 3 (week 3)
Target
55% or more on fire and marine
What it means
The heaviest chapter is in place
First full paper (week 7)
Target
Near 60%
What it means
On track; close the gaps
Final full papers
Target
70% or more
What it means
A margin for a harder paper on the day
| Stage | Target | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 baseline | Any score | A starting point |
| After chapter 3 (week 3) | 55% or more on fire and marine | The heaviest chapter is in place |
| First full paper (week 7) | Near 60% | On track; close the gaps |
| Final full papers | 70% or more | A margin for a harder paper on the day |
FAQs
How long does it take to prepare for IC-11?expand_more
III sets no study hours. We suggest around seven weeks of part-time study for a beginner; candidates already working in general insurance often need less.
Which chapters of IC-11 are most important?expand_more
III publishes no chapter weightage. Chapters 3 to 5, the products, cover the most ground, but underwriting, rating, claims and reserves can all be tested.
Is IC-11 harder than IC-01?expand_more
It has fewer chapters but more detail: named perils, clauses and policy types for every line. The pass mark is the same 60%.
Should I take IC-01 and IC-11 together?expand_more
You can, up to 6 papers a session, but each needs 60% on its own. If you are new to insurance, IC-01 first and IC-11 the next session is the steadier route.
Next steps
Take a full IC-11 mock testFull-length IC-11 practice, timed to 2 hours and scored.