Michigan Agents-did You Get This?

[carol369]

Got this email today from Michigan DOI. Do you think this will help them make the licensing tests harder?? Or maybe they will require more knowledge before issuing a license?

This message is being sent to you for each Line of Authority (Qualification) you hold; therefore, you may receive this notification more than once.



The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) is in the process of developing a job analysis survey for the insurance industry. The purpose of the job analysis is to identify job activities and knowledge necessary to perform the duties of licensed insurance professionals. The results of the job analysis will be used to develop and refine the Michigan insurance licensing examinations.

Please consider being a participant in a focus group to review and refine the questions to be asked on the survey document. Focus group volunteers should be actively engaged in the insurance industry because active licensees have the best perspective for evaluating the technical and conceptual accuracy of job tasks, knowledge, skills, and activities necessary for safe practice. In the next few months, this survey will be available to Michigan licensees as part of the process to update and validate our insurance examinations.

The focus group meetings will be conducted the week of May 21 – 25 in the Detroit area (near the Detroit Metro airport). Each group, by line of authority, will meet for just one day. (The day is to be determined based upon participant availability.) We expect the meetings to run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PSI will reimburse the travel expenses of participants and will provide overnight accommodations for those traveling further than 50 miles or 1 hour to attend the meeting.

If you are interested in participating, please contact PSI (OFIR’s testing vendor) at [email protected] by May 4. Be sure to identify which date(s) during the week of May 21 you are available. If you have questions, you may call Poline at 800-367-1565 ext. 7222.

Please respond by Friday, May 4, 2012.

Individual Focus Groups will be held for:
Life
Credit
Accident & Health
Bail Bonds & Surety Lines
Property & Casualty
Title
Adjusters
Surplus Lines
Variable Annuities


Thank you for your assistance in the test development process.

 

[sdmillar]

I did get it and I would hope it would make the test more relevant to real life, but I am not holding my breath. Focus group and not paying for our time, I suspect they will have trouble getting much in the way of quality attendance.

 

[carol369]

I agree. Paying for mileage over 50 miles wouldn't be much to cover missing a day of productivity.

 

[scagnt83]

It says they will pay travel expenses period.

If its over 50 miles or 1 hours drive, they will provide overnight accommodations.


I would say that is more than generous.

You know, many professionals (unfortunately usually in other professions) actually take an interest in the betterment of their profession/industry, and dont care about being compensated for their time.
Knowing that they are making an effort to make a positive impact on their industry is payment in and of itself.

If the insurance exam up there is anything like it is in SC, it is anything but relevant.

Preparing and teaching new agents in a manner more relevant to the actual situation on the ground, would be a benefit to all agents (ie: our industry)

Hopefully Michigan agents will see this as a chance to possibly better our industry in the state of Michigan...