The  Aim  

To independently assess, improve and verify the level of international trade expertise and competence of personnel dealing directly or indirectly with clients trading internationally.

The  Objectives 

• Provide robust evidence of a level of knowledge and understanding in providing international trade advice through an IoE Certificate which is internationally recognised by the clients relying on the individuals concerned;

• Update current knowledge of international trade management and operations;

• Improve participant's level of capability to provide relevant, topical, accurate and appropriate advice and guidance to clients;

• Provide robust evidence of compliance with the demands for documented confirmation of the appropriate competence levels required by external regulators;

• Contribute to the personal and professional development of all relevant staff;

• Objectively assess the level of individual staff competences; 

• Maintain and update current levels of knowledge and understanding on a regular and ongoing basis.

Welcome to CITA World

The Institute of Export is proud to present a unique qualification in international trade - the Certified International Trade Advisor (CITA).

CITA is an online training and assessment programme leading to an online multi-choice examination which will provide robust evidence of a level of competence and professionalism in providing international trade advice to your customers.

The Requirement

The programme has been developed by The Institute of Export (IoE) in response to a number of issues:

• a need evidenced by its members for a meaningful form of accreditation of international trade advisors

• a need for international trade advisors themselves to evidence their competence

• a need for organisations providing such advice to evidence such competence to external regulators such as the Financial Services Authority

The Qualification

CITA has been developed by the only accredited organisation offering professional qualifications in international trade in the UK, The Institute of Export, with the help of some of the foremost academics, financial institutions and industry practitioners.  It is designed to be user friendly with interaction between tutors and delegates and has received high praise from all users.

It is a fully portable qualification designed specifically for any staff engaged in advising customers on import and export issues.  The BETA test programme, completed in early 2007, included staff from the major international banks and UKTI, but its application is intended to be much wider.  In fact any organisation offering advice to international traders on any aspect of their trade should identity a need for such accreditation.

It provides participants with a width of understanding of the complete international trade process, from the reasons for international trade, through to marketing, channel management, sourcing, contract terms, logistics, risk mitigation, payment methods, credit insurance and structured trade finance.

CITA uniquely and independently assesses, improves and then verifies the level of international trade expertise and competence of personnel dealing directly or indirectly with clients trading internationally.  CITA is awarded by The IoE as an Awarding Body accredited by the UK Qualification and Curriculum Authority.

The Programme

It is an online, web-based, programme in which you can work at any time and at your own pace to acquire knowledge and understanding and prepare for the examination.

Having enrolled in CITA you will undertake an initial online multi-choice "Gap Analysis" to assess your current capabilities and from which progress is measured throughout the programme.  You will then have access to the Workbook containing a full set of tutorials in three distinct modules: Strategy, Planning and Operations and a wide range of exercises to aid learning.

The CITA web site also includes comprehensive and searchable glossaries of trade expressions, abbreviations and relevant websites.  In fact the whole Workbook is full of embedded links to valuable information on other sites.

When you feel ready you will sit a multi-choice examination.  If successful this leads in to the ongoing provision of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials, including continued access to the original Workbook and glossaries, and topical News Items which are regularly updated by the tutors. This is designed to maintain and update topical knowledge in a volatile trading environment - and leads to a re-assessment every two years as evidence of sustained professionalism.

Recognition

The successful candidate will receive The IoE CITA Certificate and can use the appropriate professional suffix eg. MIEx (CITA).  Additionally, The IoE will maintain a directory of current CITA accredited advisors, with a photograph, brief CV and contact details as an integral element of its website and available to the entire trade community. 

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