Measures to Make Insurance Agent Licensing Exam Dignified
It has been 4 years since the Nepal Insurance Authority implemented the online exam system. Direct monitoring has been started to control fake examinees. The Authority has proposed suggestions to make the exam more dignified by using national ID, AI, and biometrics.
Kathmandu. The Nepal Insurance Authority has been trying to tighten scrutiny from the entry stage into the profession to promote professionalism in the agent profession. It has also been 4 years since the Authority implemented the online exam system to curb the tendency of insurers to distribute agent licenses arbitrarily without even conducting basic training.
To make the exam dignified, direct monitoring during online exams has also been started. As the Authority increased monitoring from the central office during the exam, a significant number of fake examinees were found. As a punishment, the Authority has been disqualifying them from participating in the licensing exam again for at least 3 months.
Suggestions for dignified exams included in an article on insurance agents and online exam provisions written by Sabita Thapa, Chief of the Mediation Branch and Deputy Director of the Authority, in the Authority's special issue, are presented here.
Mandatory National ID
Implementing the provision of making national ID mandatory along with taxpayer certificate while registering applications for licensing in the online exam system will help double-confirm the identity of examinees and eliminate the compulsion to repeatedly update details for agent identification in the future.
If access of the Insurance Authority's agent exam system to national ID details can be established through API (Application Programming Interface), the identity of examinees can be ensured. This will make filling online forms streamlined and reliable. It will save both manpower and time.
Proof of Participation in Training
Arrangements must be made to collect and securely store proof of participation of examinees participating in the agent licensing exam. In case of physical exams, daily attendance, photos, and videos confirming the presence of examinees must be kept as evidence by the insurer. For those taking training through digital means, it is necessary to arrange for confirming participation through OTP each time they log in to the digital portal.
AI-Based Identification
If the online exam system is linked with national ID, the use of Artificial Intelligence can be effective in ensuring the identity of examinees. A system that automatically matches the photo included in the national ID with the facial features of the examinee sitting in front of the webcam to confirm the examinee's identity will ensure a dignified exam.
Biometric Identification and Mobile Number Verification
The use of biometrics can be brought not only for confirming the identity of agents but also for confirming the identity of insured persons. This will bring transparency by ensuring customer identification. In addition, to verify mobile numbers, a system of entering the live photo of the details confirming whose name the mobile SIM card is owned directly into the exam software system should also be gradually implemented. If both these solutions can be implemented immediately, the agent exam will become more dignified, disciplined, and organized, and unauthorized access will be controlled.
Arrangement of Separate System for Exam Management
For exam system management, Computer Based Test or online exams can be conducted, giving examinees a fixed time, and making exams and results automatic. If provisions such as continuous professional development, mandatory training for license renewal, strict code of conduct, and regulation are gradually implemented for becoming an insurance agent, not just passing the exam, significant improvement in agent quality can be achieved.
Currently, the insurance agent exam is being conducted entirely through the online system. This has increased both transparency and access. The digital system has made exam management streamlined, organized, and monitored.
However, in our context, disparities in internet access, digital literacy, and technical infrastructure have created challenges in providing equal opportunities to all examinees. Therefore, adopting a blended exam system of both online and physical in the future could be an appropriate option.
Possibilities for Future Improvements
To make the insurance agent exam system more effective, the following measures can be adopted:
- Expansion of AI-based proctoring in the exam system
- Practice exam