Insurance Learning DeskIndian insurance guide, from beginner to proRules as of 26 October 2026
Plan

Eight-week study plan

About 6 to 8 hours a week. Each week links to the topics to study, the calculators and interview questions to practise, and ends with something you can show in an interview. Tap a topic to open it.

  1. Week 1

    Fundamentals, principles, segments, parties

    0/20 points

    Explain what insurance is, the six principles with an example each, who does what in the industry and the key business ratios.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Days 1–2: read Six core principles. For each one, write your own example from motor, health or life.
    2. Day 3: read Life, general and standalone health, then list three insurers of each kind you have heard of.
    3. Day 4: read Parties in the value chain. Draw a diagram of who pays whom in a motor claim at a network garage.
    4. Day 5: read Business metrics and work out a loss ratio and a combined ratio from made-up numbers.
    5. Weekend: read the glossary and tick every point you can explain without looking.

    Practise

    Fundamentals interview questions →
    End-of-week output: One-page glossary in your own words

    Pick the 20 terms you found hardest. Write a one-line definition and a one-line example for each, without copying from the site.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • Why does indemnity not apply to life insurance?
    • What is the difference between the proposer, the insured and the nominee?
    • A combined ratio of 104% means what, and how can the insurer still make a profit?
  2. Week 2

    Private car and two-wheeler rating

    0/12 points

    Calculate a private car and a two-wheeler premium by hand, step by step, and match the calculator to the rupee.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: read Products, contracts and variants. Write down which variant each of these needs: a new car, a 2-year-old car, a car with long-term TP still running.
    2. Days 2–3: read Premium build-up and the third-party rate table under it. Follow the eight steps with the default car quote.
    3. Day 4: open the car calculator and change one input at a time (city, NCB, age, add-ons). Note which line of the premium slip moves.
    4. Day 5: repeat with the two-wheeler calculator and compare the two slips.
    5. Weekend: build your own quote on paper, then check it in the calculator.

    Practise

    Car calculator →Two-wheeler calculator →Motor interview questions →
    End-of-week output: Hand-calculated quote matching the calculator

    Choose a car, city, age and NCB. Work out the IDV, OD, NCB, TP, CPA, add-ons and GST in a spreadsheet, then compare with the calculator and explain any difference.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • Why is NCB applied to OD but never to TP?
    • A 27-month-old car's ex-showroom price is ₹10 lakh. What is its IDV, and what range can the customer choose?
    • When does a customer buy standalone OD instead of a comprehensive policy?
  3. Week 3

    Commercial vehicle rating and underwriting

    0/12 points

    Explain how commercial vehicles are classed and rated, and when a motor quote needs an underwriter or inspection.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: re-read the products point in Products, contracts and variants and list the GCV, PCV and miscellaneous classes.
    2. Day 2: in the commercial vehicle calculator, compare a goods vehicle with a taxi. Note the two GST lines on the goods vehicle.
    3. Day 3: read Underwriting and inspection and list every referral and inspection trigger.
    4. Day 4: read What is new in motor and summarise each change in one sentence.
    5. Day 5: turn the referral triggers into a decision table.

    Practise

    Commercial vehicle calculator →Scenario interview questions →
    End-of-week output: Decision table for one vehicle class

    Pick goods vehicles or taxis. List the conditions (age, IDV change, NCB proof, break-in, discount asked) as columns and the outcome (STP, refer, inspect, decline) as the last column, one row per combination.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • Why does a goods vehicle invoice show both 18% and 5% GST?
    • A policy expired 100 days ago. What happens to the NCB and what checks are needed?
    • What does Pay As You Drive change in the premium?
  4. Week 4

    Motor claims, endorsements, renewals

    0/16 points

    Walk through the policy lifecycle from quote to claim, including mid-term changes, renewals and the systems involved.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: read Quote to policy journey and redraw it with the system used at each step.
    2. Day 2: read Servicing and classify ten made-up changes as nil, premium-bearing or cancellation.
    3. Day 3: read Claims lifecycle. Follow one OD claim and one theft claim from FNOL to settlement.
    4. Day 4: read Systems you will work on and match each system to the steps it supports.
    5. Day 5: read a real insurer's motor claim page and compare its steps with yours.

    Practise

    BA craft interview questions →
    End-of-week output: End-to-end motor claims process map

    Draw a swimlane map with lanes for customer, garage, surveyor, insurer and the TP insurer. Mark the decision points (cashless or reimbursement, repair or total loss) and the documents needed at each step.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • What must happen in billing, commission and GST when a policy is cancelled?
    • When is a car treated as a total loss?
    • How does subrogation show up in a motor claim?
  5. Week 5

    Health products, underwriting, claims

    0/16 points

    Explain the main health products, how they are priced and underwritten, the current IRDAI rules and the cashless claim flow.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: read Plans and products. Work out who pays what in the super top-up example with your own numbers.
    2. Day 2: read Premium drivers and underwriting. In the health calculator, change age, zone and sum insured and record the premiums.
    3. Day 3: read Current IRDAI rules and write each rule as a system requirement.
    4. Day 4: read Claims and ecosystem and draw the cashless flow with its time limits.
    5. Day 5: write the STP rules as a decision table.

    Practise

    Health calculator →Health interview questions →
    End-of-week output: STP/NSTP decision table and cashless flow with SLA timers

    Table 1: conditions (age, sum insured, pre-existing disease, BMI) and the outcome, STP or medicals. Diagram 2: the cashless flow from admission to discharge, with the 1-hour and 3-hour clocks marked.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • What is the difference between a top-up and a super top-up?
    • After how many years can an insurer no longer reject a claim for non-disclosure, and what is the exception?
    • What happens if discharge authorisation takes longer than 3 hours?
  6. Week 6

    Regulation, GST, tax, DPDP, Bima Sugam

    0/16 points

    Summarise the 2025–26 legal, tax and digital changes and explain what each one means for insurers' systems.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: read Law and regulator and summarise the 2025 Act in five bullet points.
    2. Day 2: read GST and income tax. Compare the GST lines for a car, a health policy and a goods vehicle in the calculators.
    3. Day 3: read Digital public infrastructure and explain Bima Sugam to a friend in two minutes.
    4. Day 4: read Data protection and accounting and list three systems DPDP affects.
    5. Day 5: read Regulatory change impact analysis, then apply it to the GST change.

    Practise

    Regulation interview questions →Tax and GST interview questions →
    End-of-week output: Impact analysis of the September 2025 GST change

    List the products affected, the old and new GST rate for each, then every system, document and report that must change. Add the effective date and how policies already issued are treated.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • Which policies went to 0% GST in September 2025, and which stayed at 18%?
    • What does section 126 replace, and who can claim it?
    • Why should rates be effective-dated rather than overwritten?
  7. Week 7

    Life insurance and commercial lines

    0/15 points

    Hold a confident conversation about life products and operations, commercial lines and reinsurance.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: read Products (life) and note who each product suits.
    2. Day 2: read Operations and terms. In the term life calculator, compare a smoker and a non-smoker.
    3. Day 3: read Main commercial lines and match each line to a type of business.
    4. Day 4: read Reinsurance and redo the quota share and excess of loss examples with your own numbers.
    5. Day 5: build the comparison table.

    Practise

    Term life calculator →Life and commercial interview questions →
    End-of-week output: Comparison table of term, endowment and ULIP

    Columns: term, endowment, ULIP. Rows: purpose, death benefit, maturity benefit, guarantees, charges, lock-in, who it suits, typical premium for the same cover.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • Why is term insurance the cheapest cover per rupee?
    • What is the difference between a paid-up and a lapsed policy?
    • When would an insurer use facultative rather than treaty reinsurance?
  8. Week 8

    Trends, KPIs, mock interviews

    0/14 points

    Talk about where insurance is heading, the BA documents you would write and your own experience in insurance terms.

    Study these topics

    This week, step by step

    1. Day 1: read AI across the chain and pick one use case you could lead as a BA.
    2. Day 2: read Distribution and products and find one real example of embedded insurance.
    3. Day 3: read Artefacts and write one user story with Gherkin acceptance criteria for a motor rule.
    4. Day 4: read KPIs to talk about and attach a KPI to each of your past projects.
    5. Days 5–7: practise interview questions out loud, timing yourself to two minutes each.

    Practise

    Technology and AI interview questions →Behavioural interview questions →
    End-of-week output: Five STAR stories and one case study for your CV

    Write five stories as Situation, Task, Action, Result, each ending with a number (KPI). For the case study, pick one insurance problem from this site and describe how you would analyse and solve it.

    Check yourself before moving on
    • Which AI guardrails would you insist on for automatic claim settlement?
    • How would you test a rating engine before go-live?
    • Which KPI would you use to show the value of raising the STP rate?

Certifications: Insurance Institute of India Licentiate, LOMA (life) or The Institutes AINS (general), IRDAI POSP training, plus IIBA ECBA/CCBA or CSPO for the BA side.