I was approached by a recruiter and pushed towards this qualification to stand out whilst applying for this job . The course is accredited by a company with reviews almost as bad as CIFA. by t... Zobacz więcej
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I think the course is too dry for learning. I was expecting a course with videos along with reading PDFs. Again, the Pdf was not properly formatted for easy reading. PDF should be well formatted into... Zobacz więcej
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CIFA Certified Institute for Further Accreditation CIFA is a leading UK based professional accreditation body dedicated to raising standards across the financial services sector. The institute provides rigorous certification pathways, industry recognised credentials and continuing professional development CPD solutions designed to support individuals and organisations in meeting modern regulatory and professional requirements. CIFA’s accredited programmes focus on RDR compliant training, professional upskilling and industry aligned qualifications that help learners demonstrate credibility, competence and readiness for roles within financial services. As an accreditation provider, CIFA ensures that all certified programmes meet high standards of quality, relevance and integrity. Its mission is to support professional growth by providing globally recognised certifications, expert led training and a framework that empowers learners to enhance their careers through trusted and verified qualifications. CIFA stands at the forefront of professional accreditation, strengthening industry capability, promoting lifelong learning and supporting the next generation of financial professionals.
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- cifa.ac
3,6
Średnia
76 recenzji
Odpowiada na 87% z negatywnych recenzji
Zwykle udzielenie odpowiedzi zajmuje ponad miesiąc
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Fraud enrolments for financial benefit via recruiter calling you
I enrolled in a CIFA course after being contacted by their recruiter, who insisted it was necessary for landing a job. They are so “smart” that they make these calls over the phone, so there’s no written proof of what was promised. After paying, it became clear the course was pushed purely for profit, and the company dismissed our concerns without any help or resolution.
This feels extremely misleading and unfair. They benefit financially while leaving students frustrated and unsupported. If you’re considering CIFA, be very cautious—don’t fall for the phone calls or the false impression that this course is essential for employment.
23 września 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
We take allegations of this nature very seriously and have reviewed our records carefully. There is no evidence of any enrolment or communication under the details provided, which makes it difficult for us to verify this claim.
CIFA Education Management Ltd is a fully accredited and recognised professional education provider offering CPD certified courses designed to support individuals working towards careers in the financial sector. We do not make employment guarantees or pressure anyone to enrol. All registrations are completed voluntarily with full consent.
The comments made here are misleading and do not reflect the genuine experiences of our learners. In certain cases, reviews of this nature appear to originate from competitors attempting to discredit reputable training providers.
For transparency, our accreditation can be verified here
https://www.cpduk.co.uk/providers/cifa-education-management
If this review has been posted in error, please contact our support team directly at info@cifa.ac
or call +44 1865 655 704 so we can assist further.
The CIFA Education Management Team
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Thank you for your feedback. It's great to know they supported your learning and helped strengthen your understanding of the subject. Wishing you continued success in your studies and career.
Great content but website in painfully slow!
Honestly, I found the course content very useful and the support team respond quickly, no issues there, but the website is so slow it almost made me quit halfway! Every time I tried to switch modules, it hept lagging or taking too long to load. If you're offering professional education, please fix the site performance. It ruins the whole experience.
14 maja 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Dear Reviewer
Thank you for your honest feedback and for recognising the quality of our course content and support team. We truly appreciate your comments regarding the website performance and understand how frustrating slow loading times can be.
Our technical team is already reviewing this issue to ensure smoother navigation and faster module loading for all learners. Your feedback is valuable in helping us continue to improve the overall student experience.
If you experience any further issues or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@cifa.ac
or call +44 1865 655 704.
The Certified Institute for Further Accreditation Team
I had to wait a long time for the…
I had to wait a long time for the technical team to resolve my ongoing account login problems. The issue was eventually fixed by customer support, but it took longer than anticipated to receive any meaningful help. Overall I wasn't impressed by how drawn out it was.
14 maja 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re genuinely sorry to hear about the delay you experienced in resolving your account login issue. While we’re pleased that our customer support team was ultimately able to resolve the problem, we completely understand how frustrating it must have been to wait longer than expected.
Your experience does not reflect the standard of service we aim to deliver, and we’re taking your comments on board to ensure we respond more swiftly in the future. If there’s anything further we can do to assist you or if you have any additional concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
Kind regards,
The CIFA Team
The course material itself was actually…
The course material itself was actually very informative and up to date, so no complaints there. Unfortunately, the website was painfully slow pages took ages to load or even timed out completely. When I contacted customer services for help, the replies felt quite abrupt and dismissive. really disappointing overall experience.
7 czerwca 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Reply from CIFA Education:
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We're pleased to hear that you found the course material informative and up to date, as we strive to maintain the highest standards in our content.
We are, however, very sorry to learn about your frustrations with the website speed and the impression you received from our customer service team. This is not the level of experience we aim to provide. Please be assured we take these concerns seriously — we are already investing in technical upgrades to improve site performance, and we will address your comments about the tone of our support responses with the relevant team.
If you would be willing, we would very much like to look into your case further. Please contact us directly at Info@cifa.ac with your details so we can assist you personally and ensure your concerns are properly resolved.
Thank you again for your valuable feedback.
SCAM
If you are a grad who has been contacted by a “recruitment agency” for a grad position and have been encouraged to buy a course from this dodgy site in order to “strengthen your cv” and “stand out from other candidates”, DO NOT DO IT. They are both scams. Please be very careful.
25 czerwca 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
We are very disappointed to read such serious and unfounded accusations. You have not stated any direct dealings with the Certified Institute for Further Accreditation, yet have labelled our organisation as a scam. This is both misleading and unfair to an accredited institution that operates transparently and in accordance with UK professional standards.
The Certified Institute for Further Accreditation is a fully accredited and recognised education provider, offering CPD certified qualifications designed to support individuals pursuing careers in finance. We do not mislead or pressure anyone to enrol, and all registrations are made voluntarily with full consent.
Unfortunately, reviews like this often appear to stem from competitor-led attempts to damage our reputation rather than genuine student experiences.
If you are a genuine student, please email us at info@cifa.ac
with your student enrolment number and proof of enrolment so that we can assist you directly and address your concerns properly.
For transparency, our accreditation can be verified here
https://www.cpduk.co.uk/providers/cifa-education-management
For further assistance, you can also call us on +44 1865 655 704.
The Certified Institute for Further Accreditation Team
I would not recommend this course…
I would not recommend this course atall!!
After paying course fees only PDF you get for self study, no proper notes and no study support provided. For some study materials and webinars again payment has to done to access. And the website always has technical problems. Even when taking exam there were technical problems and the exam screen stops working in the middle of the exam which is a stressful experience !!
11 czerwca 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Thank you for your feedback, and we sincerely apologise for any frustration you've experienced — particularly with the technical issues during your exam. We understand how stressful that must have been, and while some of these difficulties stem from third-party providers outside of our direct control, we are actively working with them to ensure these problems are minimised in the future.
In terms of study materials, we aim to provide a flexible and affordable learning structure. All candidates receive a self-study eBook in PDF format as standard. For those seeking additional support, we offer a comprehensive study package at an extra cost, which includes live and pre-recorded webinars led by professionals from various industries, access to slide decks, and a dedicated note-taking section alongside the digital textbook.
We’d like the opportunity to resolve this matter and offer a gesture of goodwill. If you’d be willing to contact our support team directly, we will do our best to assist you further and offer appropriate compensation where possible.
Thank you again for your feedback — it helps us improve.
Best regards,
Misleading Course & Recruitment Scam – Avoid CIFA Education Management Ltd
I was contacted by a recruitment agency who insisted I take a course from CIFA (via cifa.ac) to be eligible for a job. They claimed the course was FCA Level 4 accredited and pushed me to update my CV with a referral code – a major red flag. After some research, I discovered the company behind this is CIFA Education Management Ltd, and the course is not recognized by the FCA or any legitimate UK financial body.
This seems like a scam setup between fake recruiters and a low-quality course provider. The pressure to enroll, the false accreditation claims, and the referral code scheme all raise serious concerns.
Stay away from this company and always double-check accreditations with official sources (like the FCA). Legitimate job opportunities don't require you to pay upfront for dubious training.
30 kwietnia 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Dear Reviewer
We are very disappointed to read these misleading and unfounded allegations. After checking our records, there is no evidence that you have ever enrolled with or had any direct interaction with the Certified Institute for Further Accreditation. The statements made here are entirely untrue and appear to be part of a competitor-led attempt to damage our reputation.
To clarify, the Certified Institute for Further Accreditation is a fully accredited and recognised professional education provider, delivering RDR-compliant and CPD-certified qualifications designed for individuals working or aspiring to work within financial services. Our courses are developed to align with UK regulatory standards and delve into FCA and PRA conduct, laws, and professional care requirements, depending on the specific unit of study.
It is also important to note that course providers are not required to be authorised or recognised by the FCA to deliver credible financial education. The FCA only regulates firms giving financial advice, not those providing training or educational content. This distinction is supported by guidance such as:
https://brodies.com/insights/corporate-crime-and-investigations/advice-or-education-a-reminder-to-not-get-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-fca?utm_source=chatgpt.com
In addition, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a legal requirement under the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) for qualified financial professionals. The FCA mandates that advisers complete a minimum of 35 hours of CPD each year, with at least 21 hours being structured learning, to maintain competence:
https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/other/fs008-rdr-professionalism.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
CIFA’s accredited courses contribute directly to these requirements, helping learners remain compliant, knowledgeable, and up to date with industry expectations.
For transparency, our accreditation can be verified here:
https://www.cpduk.co.uk/providers/cifa-education-management
If you are a genuine student, please contact us at info@cifa.ac
with your student enrolment number and proof of enrolment so that we can assist you directly. You can also reach us on +44 1865 655 704.
The Certified Institute for Further Accreditation Team
Very Suspicious Process – Please Be Cautious⚠️
I was directed to this site after a job interview with a company and asked to pay £600 upfront for their course to get recruited through them.
This felt unusual and concerning, especially when tied to a job offer. I advise others to do thorough research before making any payments.
28 marca 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Thank you for your comments. It is important to understand that professional qualifications and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are an essential part of building a successful career in the financial services industry.
Under the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), all financial advisers and professionals regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) must complete a minimum of 35 hours of CPD each year, with at least 21 hours being structured learning, to remain competent and compliant. This is outlined directly in the FCA’s RDR Professionalism Factsheet:
🔗 FCA – RDR Professionalism Factsheet (FS08)
Furthermore, CPD accreditation is widely recognised across professional sectors as a trusted measure of educational quality. You can read more about this here:
🔗 Is CPD a Recognised Accreditation? – CB Associate Training
The Certified Institute for Further Accreditation delivers RDR-compliant, CPD-certified qualifications designed to strengthen understanding of FCA and PRA regulatory standards, ensuring learners meet industry expectations for conduct, competence, and integrity.
It is also worth noting that many roles in the finance industry are directly tied to professional qualifications and ongoing learning. As Randstad highlights, employers increasingly expect candidates to hold recognised credentials to progress in their careers:
🔗 Finance Industry: Jobs, Qualifications and Your Career – Randstad
Our accreditation can be verified here:
🔗 https://www.cpduk.co.uk/providers/cifa-education-management
If you are a genuine student, please contact us at info@cifa.ac
with your student enrolment number and proof of enrolment so we can assist you directly. You may also reach us by phone on +44 1865 655 704.
The Certified Institute for Further Accreditation Team
I regret buying this course
The experience has been entirely negative. Because I had accessed the course, they say I cant recieve a refund. I only bought it cause a recruitment company asked me to buy this course to get a job interview which never existed. Now Im left with paying for this expensive course. However I've decided to at least read through the material since Im paying for it. Hey!
31 stycznia 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re genuinely sorry to hear that your journey with us hasn’t met your expectations.
To clarify, in line with our terms and conditions — and in accordance with UK consumer law for digital products — we are unable to offer refunds once course content has been accessed or downloaded. This is because digital materials, once accessed, cannot be returned or revoked in the same way as physical goods.
We would also like to confirm that we are not affiliated with any recruitment agency that may have made misleading promises about guaranteed job interviews. We do not condone such behaviour, and we urge you to contact us directly if you were misinformed by a third party so we can investigate and take the necessary action.
That said, it is not uncommon in the financial sector for companies and recruitment agencies to refer candidates to CPD-certified qualifications. In fact, under UK financial regulations, professionals are expected to complete 35 hours of CPD training per year to maintain their compliance and professional development — and our courses are designed to support that important industry requirement.
We regret that you found the course content to be incoherent. However, we would like to reassure you that all of our study programmes are developed and delivered by seasoned professionals who have worked actively in the financial industry for many years. Their expertise ensures that students receive not only up-to-date knowledge but also practical insights directly from the field.
In addition to the core course material, we also offer optional study support packages that include live and pre-recorded webinars, expert-led sessions, downloadable slides, and a digital note-taking feature alongside the eBook.
We remain committed to helping our students succeed and would welcome the opportunity to support you further. Please contact our customer support team so we can assist and explore possible resolutions.
Best regards,
Please don't waste your time and money
31 stycznia 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Dear ZAIN,
We are sorry to hear about your experience. At CIFA, we take pride in providing CPD-accredited professional qualifications that are designed to enhance knowledge, practical skills, and career opportunities in the finance and professional sectors.
Our certifications are fully accredited and recognised, ensuring that the time and investment put into completing them are never wasted, but instead provide tangible benefits for career development and compliance knowledge. Many of our students have successfully leveraged their CPD qualifications to advance in their careers, strengthen their CVs, and meet industry standards.
We encourage anyone considering our courses to review the accreditation and outcomes carefully, as our goal is always to provide high-quality education and genuine value.
Scam do not purchase!!!!
16 lutego 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
We take all reviews seriously; however, after thoroughly checking our records, we have no record of you as a customer, nor do we have any transactions or course enrollments under your name. Based on this, we believe your review does not reflect a genuine experience with CIFA.
BEWARE 'RECRUITMENT COMPANIES' ENCOURAGING YOU TO DO CIFA COURSES
A 'recruitment company' led me to believe that CIFA were one of only two possible providers for a qualification which would help me to get a job with 'a reputable financial company'. However, I have been unable to find any roles advertised away from that questionable recruitment website that require any form of CIFA certification. It is not obvious to me that CIFA are not complicit in these misleading attempts to sell their product, so while I did not personally fall for the 'recruitment company''s trick, I feel that it is important to share my experience here. If CIFA really care about their customers they would address what appears to be a worrying trend: people being tricked into buying their product. The fact that they take issue with me discussing this pattern is interesting, as it is in the public interest for this matter to be discussed and resolved. For those who are considering writing a review describing your experiences, you should know that CIFA will ask, through Trustpilot, for your contact details. I refused to give them these details and my review has stayed up.
'Recruitment websites' trying to mislead you will encourage you to do CIFA qualifications. They claim that simply because they are a form of CPD (continuous professional development) that some employers ask for it as a requirement. However, these "qualifications" are not listed in the FCA handbook as an "appropriate qualification". Google "FCA handbook appropriate qualifications" to check. The idea that any potential employers would require you to enrol in a CIFA qualification is incorrectly implied by questionable recruitment companies.
Furthermore, while the website domain (.ac) might at first glance seem to indicate an academic organisation (as, for example, .ac.uk does), this domain actually indicates that the website is registered in Ascension Island, and is not, therefore, an academic address. While anyone can choose the domain .ac, not just any anyone can use .ac.uk , because that's reserved for legitimate academic institutions.
CIFA will likely threaten legal action against anyone who leaves a negative review of this sort, as they have done with me. However, they obviously have no issue with all of the EERILY similar positive comments. They will try to have my comment removed on the grounds that I managed to avoid paying for any of their courses, but a recruitment company did try to trick me into doing so, as many have described, and I believe that is pertinent to some potential customers. If the bulk of CIFA's customers do not arrive through the deceptive efforts of 'recruitment companies' then this comment will simply read like the ravings of a lunatic to most people. It will only resonate with those who have had a similar experience to me. If, as they simultaneously claim, CIFA have no agreements with recruitment companies AND my comment and others like it are part of a defamatory attack, surely it is a completely useless, idiotic defamatory attack, that will ring true with only a very few unfortunate people who had an experience like mine? I can surely not be causing any significant reputational damage unless CIFA is particularly concerned with its reputation amongst the, apparently very few, customers who are being misled by recruitment companies into buying CIFA certifications?
If you have been misled by a recruitment company who have strongly implied that you need CIFA certification in order to get a job, I recommend you leave a review and an honest description of your experience here. They can't take legal action if you are just honestly describing an experience with them and encouraging others to do the pertinent research. And if they do try, I think they will lose, because comments like this are simply in the public interest.
10 lutego 2025
Opinia niezależna
Odpowiedź od Certified Institute for Further Accreditation
Dear Andrew Milne,
We would like to clarify that we have had no direct dealings with you. Your comments appear to be a deliberate attempt to sabotage our reputation and mislead potential learners. If you were advised by a recruiter or HR specialist to complete one of our certified courses to enhance your employment prospects, then that is both reasonable and sound industry advice — particularly given the requirement for professionals in the financial services sector to complete 35 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) annually.
We also want to address your comments regarding FCA recognition. It is a common misconception that qualifications must be listed on the FCA website to hold value. That is categorically false. Many respected and credible qualifications are not listed on the FCA’s recognised list, just as one would not discredit a university degree simply because it does not appear on the FCA register. Our certifications are CPD-accredited, globally recognised, and supported by qualified professionals actively working in the financial industry, delivering real-world knowledge and practical training.
You can find confirmation of our CPD accreditation here:
👉 https://www.cpduk.co.uk/providers/cifa-education-management
Our programmes are designed to meet the standards expected within the finance profession, and we take great care to ensure our course content remains relevant, compliant, and industry-aligned.
We strongly believe in transparency and fairness. If you feel you were misled by a third party, we encourage you to take that matter up directly with them. However, publishing false or damaging claims is not only misleading to others, but may also result in reputational and financial harm to our institution. We are therefore taking legal advice and are in the process of documenting any damages resulting from your comments, with a view to pursuing compensation where appropriate.
We welcome constructive feedback from genuine learners, but will always defend against unsubstantiated attacks aimed at undermining our business.
Yours sincerely,
CIFA Education Management
Compliance & Legal Department
Perfect for Financial Professionals
Being in finance, I found this course extremely valuable. It went into detail on UK regulations, mortgage advice, and risk management. I now feel much more confident and prepared to offer advice to clients.
15 stycznia 2025
Perfect for Aspiring Advisors
I learned a lot about financial markets and regulations. The content made complex topics easy to grasp. Perfect for anyone wanting to improve their financial knowledge.
7 stycznia 2025
The Mortgage Advice course gave a great…
The Mortgage Advice course gave a great understanding of the mortgage process and different types of products. It's perfect for anyone looking to get a better grasp of the mortgage market.
17 grudnia 2024
Shady practices and very low quality website
I was approached by a “recruiter” who said they can get me an investment job and kept pushing for me to buy the CIFA courses, I was fresh out of college and was applying every where for jobs but had no luck. I was in a very vulnerable position and this person took advantage of this. I lost all the small savings that I had at that time ( £400) buying their course. The recruiter was even pushing for me to buy another two courses for a total of £1,200, which I told them I can’t afford. A completely repugnant and dishonest salesman.
If you search online, you will see a lot of people having the same experience with the exact same company, where some random recruiter will call them and try to get them to buy the course
I actually tried to study the material for some time. Their website is awful and was VERY low quality. It was an absolute waste of money. I called them asking for a refund and, of course, I didn’t get it.
Please don’t fall for the same scam that I did
11 lipca 2024
Opinia niezależna
Ideal for New Mortgage Advisors
Perfect for beginners. Easy to follow and covers the essentials.
19 grudnia 2024
Stockbroking Essentials Explained
Great for beginners! Covered all the basics and practical knowledge.
9 grudnia 2024
Introduction to FCA/PRA & Investment Risks
Helpful for finance pros. Explained UK regulations and investment risks clearly.
11 grudnia 2024
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