LGPS Regulations and Guidance

There are five compulsory units:

• Unit 1: Introduction to UK Pensions
• Unit 2: Disclosure Regulations & Whistleblowing for occupational pension schemes
• Unit 3: Occupational Pension Scheme Design, Investment and Administration
• Unit 4: Member Benefit Events and Rules for Defined Benefit (DB) Pension Schemes
• Unit 5: Member Benefit Events and Rules for Defined Contribution Pension Schemes.

You can view more detail on the contents of each unit on The Pensions Management Institute Qualification Specification.

Each exam cycle lasts five weeks. At the start of the five-week period the student begins to study the learning material. The exam session takes place at the end of the five-week period. A resit session will be scheduled for a few days after the initial exam for any students who require a resit. All five units should be passed within 12 months. It is estimated that the APE will require approximately 100 hours of study time (20 per unit).

Exams are conducted online, with cameras and microphones on. An invigilator is provided by Barnett Waddingham. There are two exam papers per unit (part one and part two), with 15 multiple choice questions per paper. 12 must be answered correctly to pass. Each exam is 45 minutes long, however, both parts of a unit are examined together so exam sessions last 90 minutes. The exam is open book, but students can only refer to the learning materials provided. Students are not allowed to use internet searches during the exam.

£950 plus VAT paid directly to Barnett Waddingham

The cost covers:

• Student registration with PMI
• Certification of completion
• All learning materials
• Six examination sessions
• Six resit sessions, if required.

Additional resit costs will be incurred if students do not pass both parts of all five units within the six examination and resit sessions.

Barnett Waddingham review their costs every 1 June. The costs above are correct as at November 2024.

To express your interest please complete the APE register of interest form.

Alternatively, email [email protected] to register your interest for future courses.

Each cohort will consist of between 14 – 18 students. Cohorts will begin regularly when we have at least 14 students registered. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

All student details will be passed to Barnett Waddingham who will provide student agreements, examination dates and arrange billing

There are six compulsory units:

Unit 1 - UK pension provision and the LGPS

The first unit in this course covers the UK pensions landscape. Students may be familiar with the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) but there are thousands of other pension schemes in the UK structured in different ways and providing different benefits.

This unit aims to give the student an understanding of the most common benefit structures in the UK for pension schemes, defined contribution and defined benefits with a high level view of the differences. It also covers the three pillars of pension saving; the State Pension scheme, occupational pension schemes and personal pension schemes.

Unit 2 - The CARE scheme

This unit covers the new joiner process and ongoing employer duties in the LGPS. Students will be able to explain the impact of employment changes during active membership of the LGPS and understand how CARE benefits are calculated. Students will also explore the options available to scheme members to improve their pension benefits in the LGPS and explain the LGPS appeals process.

Unit 3 - Early leaver benefits

This unit allows students to identify the options available to a member leaving the LGPS before retirement. Unit 3 also incorporates understanding the calculation of final salary benefits in the LGPS and when a member is eligible for aggregation or interfund options.

Unit 4 - Transfers in and out

Unit 4 allows students to identify when the requirements for transferring into and out of the LGPS are met. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how transfers in and out of the LGPS are calculated. This unit will allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the need for robust procedures and checks for transfers out of the LGPS. Finally, the unit will also cover the basic principals of pension sharing on divorce.

Unit 5 - Retirement Benefits

In this unit students will develop an understanding of the different types of retirement in the LGPS. They will calculate retirement benefits in various retirement scenarios, including ill-health, and understand the processes involved in paying retirement benefits.

Unit 6 - Death Benefits

The final unit allows students to identify the eligibility criteria for the different survivor and death benefits payable in the LGPS. This will include the calculation of death grants and survivor benefits and the rules and processes which surround the payment of these benefits.

Each unit will be completed over a three month period, ending with a multiple choice, open-book examination. The examinations will test against learning objectives and success criteria detailed in the study materials provided to students.

The qualification will take a minimum of 18 months to complete. The cost of the course covers one examination and one resit (if necessary) per unit. The resit will be scheduled approximately one week after the original examination. Further resit examinations will be available at an extra cost.

Students cannot progress to study for a subsequent unit until they pass the previous unit. Where a student fails an examination and resit, the next resit can be taken at the next available examination session. This session may not be with their original cohort.

Upon passing at a later examination cycle the student will be given a choice to either continue with the next unit immediately, with access to a tutorial which may be pre-recorded, or to wait until the next cohort of students begins the same unit. This could mean up to a five month wait.

The learning method will be self study with in-house support expected from the student's administering authority. A two-hour group tutorial facilitated by the LGA's LGPS Training and Development Advisers will be given for each unit.

The price per student is £1,750 plus VAT.

The cost covers:

• Student registration with PMI
• Certificate of completion
• All learning materials
• One two hour group tutorial for each unit
• One examination session for each unit
• One resit examination session for each unit, if required.

If a student requires more than one resit an extra charge of £65 plus VAT per examination cycle will be payable. An examination cycle contains an examination and a resit.

To express your interest please complete the Level 3 register of interest form.

Alternatively, email [email protected] to register your interest for future courses.

Please note, in the interest of fairness, places are limited to five per administering authority, per cohort.

The first cohort will run from April 2025 and have a maximum capacity of 36. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Subsequent cohorts will start every 6 months (starting September 2025 onwards) and we anticipate an increase in cohort capacity.