Insurance Surveyor and Loss Assessor

Visiting the spot of a fire, flood, accident or theft. Checking vehicles, buildings, machinery or cargo. Taking photos and measurements. Working out what caused the damage and what it will cost to repair or replace. Writing a fair, factual report for the insurance company.

A day in the work
Your phone rings early. An insurer wants you to inspect a damaged truck at a workshop. You reach the site, photograph the damage, measure and note what is broken, and talk to the owner and the mechanic. Back at your desk you check repair estimates and bills. Then you write the report, which says what caused the loss and what a fair settlement should be. Some days are all site visits and some are all paperwork. A big fire or flood can mean travelling at short notice.

1. Step 1 · Class 11–12If you like machines, vehicles or buildings, take Physics, Chemistry and Maths and aim for an engineering degree. If you prefer accounts, the Chartered Accountant route leads to Loss of Profit surveys. Both paths are possible, but the engineering one is more common. (reported — check with the official body)
2. Step 2 · About 4 years after Class 12Complete a degree that matches the department you want, such as Motor, Fire, Marine, Engineering or Miscellaneous. Admission is through JEE Main, a state CET or the college's own process. The department you can enter depends on your qualification, so check IRDAI's Schedule I before you choose your branch. (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · After the degreeEnrol with IRDAI as a trainee surveyor. Join IIISLA as a Student Member. IIISLA's membership form lists the Student fee as ₹1,500, though an older form says ₹1,650. IRDAI's December 2020 circular says you must pass the exam and finish training within 3 years of enrolling.
4. Step 4 · Practical trainingIRDAI's December 2020 guidelines give two options for fresh applicants. One is 2 months at the Insurance Institute of India, the National Insurance Academy or another IRDAI-approved institution. The other is a 6-month internship with a surveyor who has at least 8 years' experience in that department. You get a training completion certificate at the end. Some websites quote 12 months, which comes from older rules, so check IRDAI's latest notice.
5. Step 5 · Pre-licensing examThe III runs an online MCQ test four times a year. You take a common paper (S-01) plus the paper for your department. The pass mark is 60%. The registration fee is a one-time ₹500 and each paper costs ₹500 plus tax, on the III page I read. Fees may have changed, so check the III website.
6. Step 6 · LicenceSend your training completion certificate and exam results to IRDAI to get your licence. You can start working as a licensed surveyor once it is issued. New surveyors usually start with small claims and move up to bigger ones with experience (reported).
7. Optional · LaterAdd more departments. IRDAI's circular says this needs 2 weeks of institutional training or 8 weeks of internship per extra department, after meeting the other conditions.

• Engineering routeB.E./B.Tech, then trainee enrolment, training, the III exam and the IRDAI licence. This suits Motor, Fire, Engineering and Marine work (reported).
• Accountancy routeQualify as a Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant, then follow the same trainee, training, exam and licence steps. This is the route to Loss of Profit (business interruption) surveys (reported).

Fees from: IIISLA: membership application form and fees · Insurance Institute of India: Pre-licensing test for Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors · Kalyani Govt Engineering College admissions 2026–27 (statutory fees) · JECRC University fee page 2026–27 · VIT UG fee structure 2026–27 · III Examination Handbook – Table of Fees (effective 1.4.2026) · III pre-licensing final practical test notice (Feb 2026) · III institutional pre-licensing practical training notice (2023). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Most surveyors are paid a fee for each claim they handle. Beginners earn little and irregularly. Pay grows with experience, the number of departments you hold, your reputation with insurers and the size of the claims you handle. Work is also steadier in big cities and industrial areas.

• Class 7–9Ask a parent to show you their vehicle or home insurance policy. Find the words 'sum insured', 'excess' and 'depreciation' and write down what each means in your own words.
• Class 10–12Browse the free NPTEL engineering courses, for example in mechanical or civil engineering. Pick one basic topic, such as how machines wear out or how buildings fail, and watch one lecture.Open link ↗
• College or afterRead IRDAI's practical-training circular for surveyors. Then ask a licensed surveyor in your city, through a relative or your college, whether you can talk to them or shadow them for a day.Open link ↗

• Insurers must get a licensed surveyor's report for claims above a set limit. That is why this work exists. Small claims may not need one.
• Many surveyors work on their own and are hired claim by claim by insurance companies, so you build your own practice.
• Rules on categories, licence validity and renewal have changed over the years. Read IRDAI's latest regulations and circulars before you plan.
• A land surveyor is a different job: they measure land, not insured losses.