FSA could become IFA examiner

Laura Miller
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The FSA could wrench the mandate to update qualifications standards from the Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC), and force a review of the criteria every three years.

Currently control for maintaining and adjusting assessment standards rests with the  FSSC. But today the FSA has pointed to the need for a more rigorous review regime than is in place, and says it is uncertain whether the present arrangement should be allowed to continue. It proposes reviewing exam standards every three years, which could mean advisers taking qualifications now as required by the 2012 deadline may no longer meet FSA criteria by 2015. In CP10/12 Competence and ethics, the FSA states: "To ensure that examination standards continue to accurately reflect industry roles...

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