The Insurance Council of British Columbia (ICBC) has cancelled the licenses of two life agents and suspended the licences of two others after finding that they likely cheated on their licensing exams.

The suspended agents still have the right to a hearing, but the period to request a hearing has expired for the agents that had their licences cancelled.

According to a decision by the ICBC, a “collusion detection analysis” that was carried out on life license qualification program (LLQP) exam results nationwide in early 2017, “identified a number of examinees who wrote in British Columbia with similar answer sequences.”

A subsequent investigation found that all of the agents with similar answer sequences on two of the four LLQP exam components (involving segregated funds and accident and sickness insurance) were linked to the same branch of an agency in B.C.

The apparent collusion brings the agents’ exam results into question, the council ruled. It found it likely that the agents tried to cheat on the exam. “When factors such as the probability of multiple people using the same collusion sequence are considered, along with the fact that all the persons using the collusion sequence are from the same branch office of the agency, council found that, on balance of probability, the licensee cheated on the LLQP exam,” the council states in a decision.

“Council noted that the probability of multiple affiliated individuals having identical answers (both right and wrong), without colluding or cheating, while statistically possible, is extremely low,” states the decision. “However, when considering the fact that individuals used the collusion sequence on other versions of the same exams, the logical conclusion is that cheating and/or collusion occurred.”

“Any attempt to collude or cheat on a pre-licensing exam brings into question an individual’s competency, trustworthiness, and their ability to act in good faith,” the council states in cancelling one agent’s license. “By cheating on the LLQP exam, the licensee has brought into question her suitability to hold an insurance licence. Council determined that the licensee’s life agent licence should be cancelled.”