The CDT was designed by ifs in partnership with Bourne Training to help mortgage and financial advisers assess and maintain their competence. The institute said the CD-ROM is easy to use and provides instant, unbiased feedback that can be used to direct further research.
The CD-ROM can be used to simulate examinations and contains a bank of questions along with the facility to adjust the level of difficulty to suit the individual user.
While the CeMAP and CeFA versions are currently available, the CeRGI version is due to be released in early 2005. Individual licenses cost £120 while corporate licenses (for up to 25 users) are available for £3,760.
Tony Tudor, director and company secretary at the ifs, commented: “Under new FSA regulation mortgage advisers need to prove that they are not only competent when they pass their CeMAP exam but that they continue to maintain their professional expertise.”
Michael Loughran, head of the Leicester branch of The Mortgage Advice Centre, said: “Any kind of learning aid is beneficial. The CD-ROM means you get easy and convenient access, which will be crucial in the regulated environment where the brokers’ free time will be eaten up as it is. But if you have no computer to work off of it’s all a bit obsolete.”
Free taster CDs of the CDT will be on the cover of the 23 October issue of Mortgage Introducer.
