Automated Examination Specialist (AES)

To be eligible for the AES designation:

Exam Requirements

You must successfully complete the following exams administered by the Society of Financial Examiners:

  • AFE1 Life and Health Insurance Fundamentals
  • AFE2 Property and Liability Insurance Fundamentals
  • AES Proficiency Exam
    50 questions, 180-minute time limit, The exam tests general knowledge of the NAIC's Exhibit C: Evaluation of Controls in Information Technology, Parts 1 and 2.
  • CISA Exam
    Offered by the Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA), an international organization for IT professionals. For further details on the CISA exam, visit www.isaca.org. For more information or to register for the AES Exam, contact SOFE at [email protected].

Work-related experience requirements

To qualify for the AES designation, you must be an insurance department employee, or self-employed with a contract for services directly with an insurance department, or be employed with a company that has a contract with a state insurance department.

You must have 3,200 hours as an IT Examiner participating in the NAIC Exhibit C IT examination process, including related IT risk and control procedures. A maximum of 1,600 hours credit towards the experience requirement will be given as follows:

  • Holding an active CFE designation from SOFE – 400 hours.
  • Holding an active CISA designation from ISACA - 800 hours.
  • A Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology - 400 hours.
  • Master’s degree in Information Technology - 600 hours.

Membership requirements

To qualify for the AES designation, you must be a General Member (or an AFE or CFE) in good standing with the Society of Financial Examiners.

Application approval requirements

To receive the AES designation, you must submit an application to SOFE headquarters. Your application must be approved by the AES Committee as meeting all of the above requirements to be eligible to hold the designation. The AES Committee will then recommend it for approval by the Executive Committee. Upon approval by the Executive Committee and notification from SOFE, the designation will become effective.

Before Applying:

To maintain the AES designation:

Annual requirements:

  • You must earn and submit a minimum of twenty (20) credit hours each year.
  • Included in those 20 hours must be:
    • The current year's NAIC Update (Examiner or Analysis)
    • Two (2) hours of Ethics credits
    • Twelve (12) hours of IT related credits

Triennial requirements

If you are an AES designee, you are required to earn 120 CRE credits:

  • Ninety (90) must be IT related*
  • Twenty-four (24) must be financial examination related (including the NAIC Financial Condition Examiners Handbook training annually)
  • Six (6) must be in ethics.
Current three-year reporting period January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025
Three-year reporting deadline January 31, 2026