Entry requirementsEntry requirements There are no formal entry requirements for the Introduction to Investment qualification. Experience in the industry will help candidates relate what they are learning to the job they are doing but it is not a requirement of taking the qualification. Entry is subject to a formal interview.
The IAQ is a practitioner-led programme for administration and operations staff. It equips individuals with an overview of the financial services industry and its regulation as well as providing a detailed picture of their particular industry sector. The IAQ programme is structured so that the first unit - Introduction to Securities and Investment - provides candidates with an awareness of the industry; the second unit - regulation - introduces them to the regulatory framework and the third unit is selected from a large number of options which reflect the specialist areas of financial services operations and administration in which staff work. International IAQ is also offered to meet the needs of administration and operation staff working in global markets. The International IAQ is awarded on the basis of passes in any three units where at least one unit taken is either the International Introduction to Investment and Securities and / or a local regulatory (non-UK FSA unit).
Course content
The IAQ has three elements:
- an introductory unit Introduction to Investment
- a regulatory unit - FSA Financial Regulation
- a technical unit – Operational Risk
Teaching and assessment
Students sit the one hour exam via Computer based testing at the college for each element of the IAQ.